PEBC pharmacy technician study guide: the exam blueprint

What the 2026 blueprint covers

The blueprint is based on NAPRA's entry-to-practice competencies, updated in late 2024. Percentages are approximate.

What that means for your studying

Distribution is more than half of Part I. That's reviewing and processing prescriptions, preparing products, checking accuracy, releasing them and managing inventory. Calculations, drug names and dispensing accuracy all sit here.

Communication is a quarter of Part II but only 5% of Part I. Practise talking to patients and colleagues out loud for the OSPE.

PEBC says the new blueprint doesn't change the number of questions or stations, or how long each part takes.

PEBC's suggested references

PEBC lists review guides, textbooks and websites, but says the list isn't a syllabus and isn't where questions come from. Use current editions.

• The Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS) from the Canadian Pharmacists Association
• Calculation books such as Pharmaceutical Calculations (Ansel) or Pharmacy Calculations for Technicians
• Health Canada's pages on the Food and Drugs Act, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and their regulations
• NAPRA's National Drug Schedules and your provincial regulator's references
• ISMP Canada safety bulletins

Careful with American books

Several review books on PEBC's list are American. PEBC warns that drug names and units can differ in Canada, and says to skip their federal law questions, which are about US law. Learn Canadian law from Canadian sources.