Canada · Qualifying examPEBC exam prep options compared
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official | |||
PEBC Part I sample questionsA PDF of sample multiple-choice questions from the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC), updated January 2026Representative in format and phrasing, but not a sample exam and not matched to the real one for difficulty. Answers can date if guidelines change. | No price shown | PEBC posts it as a direct PDF download on its site | |
Pharmacist Qualifying Sample Practice ExamPEBC’s 60-question timed practice exam on the 2026 blueprint, booked through PrometricGives feedback by competency, not a score. Its questions are the same as the sample questions PDF. | Not listed on PEBC’s page | Not stated | |
PEBC sample OSCE stationsFive illustrated sample stations for the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), updated March 2026Three interactive and two non-interactive formats. Real stations can differ. | No price shown | Posted on PEBC’s site | |
PEBC references and learning resourcesPEBC’s reading list by blueprint area: textbooks, Canadian guidelines and websites, updated March 2026PEBC says it isn’t a study guide and the exam isn’t based on any one textbook. | Textbooks are sold by their publishers | The list itself, plus websites PEBC labels as free online sources | |
| Bridging programs | |||
University of Toronto IPG ProgramA 23-week, full-time online bridging program for international pharmacy graduates (IPGs), in two terms, Canadian Pharmacy Skills 1 and 2Run by the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. Its spring and summer 2027 session runs March 8 to September 13, 2027. | $6,965 CAD for each term (CPS 1 and CPS 2) | No. The page lists bursaries, including the Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program of up to $5,000 | |
UBC Canadian Pharmacy Practice Program (CP3)A bridging program at the University of British Columbia: a 12-week virtual classroom portion, then 12.5 weeks of in-person Structured Practical TrainingB.C.’s pharmacy college requires the practical training for IPGs. UBC recommends taking the PEBC exams after finishing CP3. | $14,200 CAD from September 2025 ($12,750 tuition and $1,450 practice fee), plus a $250 application fee | No | |
| Courses | |||
Pharmacy PrepA private Toronto-based prep company with Part I (MCQ) and OSCE courses, books and a question bankPrices as shown on its pages, which don’t name the currency. Its site also lists Evaluating Exam courses, an exam that has ended. | MCQ: $1,590 + tax long-term course; $990 + tax home study (digital) or $1,190 + tax with printed books; $690 + tax question bank and mock exams. OSCE: $1,590 + tax in person, $990 + tax home study | No free plan on its course pages | |
Prices and ratings checked November 2026.
Where do PEBC exam sample questions come from?
The sample questions PDF was updated in January 2026. PEBC says the questions show the format and phrasing of real ones and cover a range of competency areas, but they aren’t a sample exam and don’t match the real one for difficulty or mix of topics. PEBC reviews them every year, so an answer can go out of date if a guideline or law changes in between.
If you want the same questions under timed conditions, PEBC offers three more ways in:
- The Pharmacist Qualifying Sample Practice Exam: 60 questions on the 2026 blueprint, with the same time per question as the real exam. You get feedback by competency, not a score. PEBC’s page says to book it through Prometric and doesn’t list a price.
- The demo tutorial, which shows the Part I software and screens
- The Remote Proctoring Demo Exam, for candidates registered for an upcoming PEBC multiple-choice exam: 20 of the demo tutorial’s questions on Prometric’s remote platform, for what PEBC calls “a minimal fee”. It takes about 45 minutes plus check-in, in English only, and isn’t scored.
PEBC said it would add an optional real-time assessment tool for Part I, starting with a short sample MCQ exam in mid-August 2026, and says more options will be available beginning in 2027. Its New Certification Pathway page suggests trying the Sample Practice Exam before you apply for Part I.
Sample OSCE stations
PEBC’s five sample stations, updated in March 2026, cover the main station types: three interactive and two non-interactive. They’re for illustration only, and real stations can look different.
- An interactive station with a standardized patient, about a prescription medication
- An interactive station about a non-prescription medication
- An interactive station with a standardized health professional
- A non-interactive station screening new prescriptions
- A non-interactive station checking prepared medications
Some real stations give you references, printed or on a tablet, drawn from Health Canada publications, Canadian clinical organizations and other professional sources. PEBC suggests getting to know those references so you can use them quickly. How the stations run on the day is on the OSCE page.
Can you download PEBC exam books as a free PDF?
PEBC doesn’t publish a book of its own. What it gives you is a list of references and learning resources, updated in March 2026 and grouped by the six blueprint areas. It says the list isn’t a study guide, the questions don’t come from it, and the exam isn’t based on any one textbook.
PEBC lists up-to-date editions of textbooks used in some Canadian pharmacy programs, for example:
- Applied Therapeutics: The Clinical Use of Drugs (Wolters Kluwer)
- DiPiro’s Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach (McGraw-Hill)
- Pharmacotherapy: Principles and Practice (McGraw-Hill)
- Basic Skills in Interpreting Laboratory Data (ASHP)
- Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs (Hogrefe)
For free reading, use the sites PEBC itself lists as free online sources: Bugs & Drugs from Alberta Health Services, CredibleMeds, Choosing Wisely Canada and the Therapeutics Initiative at the University of British Columbia. PEBC also lists Canadian clinical practice guidelines from groups such as Diabetes Canada, Hypertension Canada and Thrombosis Canada.
PEBC’s list is of up-to-date editions, and it says even those lag behind practice, so it stresses using up-to-date information. An old edition shared online as a free PDF may teach guidance that has changed. Up-to-date editions come from the publishers PEBC names.
Choosing a course or bridging program
PEBC says it doesn’t sanction or endorse any review course, study guide or textbook, and that anyone claiming its endorsement is liable to prosecution. So read any course’s claims as the seller’s own.
A few checks help you choose:
- Does it follow the blueprint dated March 2026? Older material may teach the Evaluating Examination, which has ended.
- Does it cover the part you’re taking? The MCQ and OSCE weight the six areas very differently.
- If you trained outside Canada, would a bridging program suit you better? PEBC names programs at the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta.
- Retaking? Start from your PEBC feedback report, which shows your weaker areas.
PEBC also says hands-on experience in a Canadian pharmacy is the ideal way to build Canadian practice skills, alongside your degree and your own study.
A study path for the PEBC exam
- Read the blueprint and compare it with what you already know.
- Use PEBC’s reference list to fill the gaps in your weakest areas.
- Work through the sample questions and the demo tutorial.
- Take the Sample Practice Exam before you apply for Part I, as PEBC suggests.
- For the OSCE, study the sample stations and practise talking a patient through a problem out loud.
- If you’ve written before, build your plan around your feedback report.
Sources: PEBC and 7 more. Checked November 2026.
- PEBC: Preparing for the examination ↗
- PEBC: Part I sample questions page ↗
- PEBC: Sample Practice Exam ↗
- PEBC: Remote proctoring ↗
- PEBC: OSCE format and sample stations ↗
- PEBC: References and learning resources ↗
- PEBC: Updated examination resources ↗
- PEBC: New Certification Pathway for IPGs ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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