Passing the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) is a required step in becoming a licensed pharmacist. This exam tests the prospective pharmacists ability to perform the following tasks:
1. Meaure pharmacotherapy and therapeutic outcomes.
2. Prepare and dispense medications.
3. Evaluate patient information to achieve optimal health care.
The NAPLEX exam has 185 multiple-choice questions that must be completed in 4 hours and 15 minutes. There is an optional 10 minute break available after the first 2 hours. All of the questions must be answered in the order in which they are given. There is no way to skip a question and come back to it later, and there is no way to review one of your previous answers. An erasable board with a marker is provided by the testing center and there is an onscreen calculator that you can use at any time during the exam.
The questions are all multiple-choice and many of them are scenario-based. For the scenario-based questions, a patient profile is provided followed by a number of questions based upon this profile. Most of the questions are very challenging, and you will need to take your time and carefully read over the question and answers several times before choosing the best answer.
Intensive NAPLEX preparation is the key to passing this rigorous exam. For starters, you will definitely want to invest in high-quality study material. To find the best review book be sure to check out our NAPLEX Study Guide overview. As you read through your guide be sure to complete the chapter review questions and spend extra time on the chapters that you find to be the most challenging.
The final step of your NAPLEX preparation is to work through as many practice questions as possible. Best Test Review is a great place to start with our free NAPLEX Practice Exam. As you work on practice tests be sure to focus on the questions that you miss. Take the time to go back to your notes and workbooks to understand exactly why your answer was incorrect. Practice questions are a waste of time if you are not learning from your mistakes. As you continue this process you will begin getting many more of the questions correct and will gain confidence. At that point you will be ready to take your exam.
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NAPLEX Study Guide – An overview of the best study guides available.
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