Pharmacists in the United States must pass two main exams to earn their license: the NAPLEX, which tests clinical pharmacy knowledge, and a pharmacy law exam, which covers federal and state regulations. Beyond these core requirements, the path can include additional exams depending on the state, the pharmacist’s specialty goals, and whether they graduated from a foreign pharmacy program.
The NAPLEX: The Main Licensing Exam
The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, or NAPLEX, is the primary test every pharmacist must pass. It’s required in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. You need a minimum score of 75 to pass.
The exam covers two broad areas. The first focuses on ensuring safe and effective drug therapy and health outcomes, which means knowing how medications work, how they interact, and how to manage a patient’s overall treatment plan. The second tests your ability to safely prepare, compound, dispense, and administer medications. In practice, this means the NAPLEX isn’t just about memorizing drug names. It tests whether you can evaluate a prescription, catch errors, and make clinical recommendations.
The most recent national data shows that 86.8% of first-time test-takers from accredited U.S. pharmacy schools passed the NAPLEX in 2025. That means roughly 1 in 7 graduates don’t pass on their first attempt, though most can retake the exam after a waiting period.
The Pharmacy Law Exam
Knowing the science isn’t enough. Pharmacists also need to demonstrate that they understand the legal framework governing how medications are prescribed, dispensed, and controlled. Most states use the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) for this purpose. The MPJE has been in use since 1998 and tests both federal pharmacy law and the specific laws of the state where you want to practice.
Currently, 45 boards of pharmacy require a law exam administered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). However, a few states handle things differently. Arkansas, California, Nevada, and Puerto Rico administer their own jurisprudence exams instead of the MPJE. California, for example, uses the California Pharmacist Jurisprudence Examination (CPJE), which is tailored to the state’s specific regulations. Meanwhile, Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, Vermont, and the U.S. Virgin Islands don’t require a jurisprudence exam at all.
A significant change is coming in 2026: the NABP is launching the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE), which will test general principles of pharmacy law that apply across most states rather than focusing on state-specific rules. This could simplify the process for pharmacists who plan to practice in multiple states.
Moving Your License to Another State
If you’re already licensed in one state and want to practice in another, you generally don’t need to retake the NAPLEX. However, you will likely need to pass the law exam for your new state, since pharmacy regulations differ from one jurisdiction to the next. The specific requirements depend on the state you’re moving to. States that use the MPJE will require you to sit for their version of it, while states with their own exams will require those instead.
Exams for International Pharmacy Graduates
Pharmacists who earned their degree outside the United States face a longer testing pathway. Before they can even sit for the NAPLEX, they must obtain Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Certification (FPGEC) from the NABP. The centerpiece of this process is the FPGEE, a 200-question exam covering biomedical, pharmaceutical, behavioral, and clinical sciences. The total seat time is 5.5 hours, with 4.5 hours of actual testing time, and the passing score is 75.
Candidates get a maximum of five attempts to pass the FPGEE. They also need to meet English proficiency requirements through the TOEFL iBT, with minimum section scores in reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Once they clear these hurdles, international graduates can then register for the NAPLEX and the appropriate law exam, following the same process as U.S.-educated pharmacists.
Board Certification for Specialists
The NAPLEX and law exam get you a general pharmacist license. Pharmacists who want to specialize can pursue voluntary board certification through the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), which offers exams in 16 specialty areas. These include oncology, critical care, pediatrics, cardiology, infectious diseases, psychiatric pharmacy, geriatric pharmacy, emergency medicine, pain management, nutrition support, ambulatory care, nuclear pharmacy, compounded sterile preparations, solid organ transplantation, pharmacy informatics, and general pharmacotherapy.
These certifications aren’t required to practice, but they signal advanced expertise. Many hospital and clinical positions prefer or require board-certified pharmacists, and the credential can affect salary and career advancement. Each specialty exam has its own eligibility requirements, typically involving a combination of practice experience and sometimes completion of a residency program.
What About Getting Into Pharmacy School?
If you’re earlier in the process and wondering about the admissions test, there’s a straightforward answer: there isn’t one anymore. The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) was retired on January 10, 2024, and no testing dates will be offered going forward. Pharmacy schools now rely on other criteria like GPA, interviews, and prerequisite coursework for admissions decisions.