Frequently Asked Questions

How will I know if PEBC received my application?

PEBC will send an application receipt acknowledgement email to you within 6 weeks of receiving your application. PEBC will NOT respond to requests from applicants for application receipt confirmation. You can choose to send your application with a tracking number so you can confirm delivery of your document with a courier. Please make sure your email settings will allow PEBC emails to reach your inbox.

What happens if I submit an application but other required documents arrive at a different time?

If PEBC receives documents before your application, we will hold them and add them to your file once your application is received. Transcripts are kept on file for one year from the day we receive them, licensing statements are kept for six months from their issue date and all other documents are kept for six months from the day we receive them.

What do I need to do if my documents are not in English or French?

You will need to submit an original, official translation of the document, as well as a certified copy of the original language document. If the document is a transcript or licensing statement, you will need to request that the issuing authority send an original language version directly to PEBC and then request one for yourself to be used for the translation. You can send the original translation to PEBC yourself. PEBC does not accept copies of official translations, even if they are certified.

How will I know if I have been accepted to write an exam?

If you are a pharmacist, applying through the Portal, your exam application is automatically approved upon submission unless you have money on account with PEBC that you are paying with. If you require documentation for a travel visa or other purposes, a letter will be added to your ‘Digital Wallet’ within 5 business days of your complete application submission.

If you are a pharmacy technician, you will be emailed a letter confirming your acceptance to the exam within 6 weeks of PEBC receiving your application.

For the Pharmacist Evaluating and Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician Qualifying – Part I (MCQ) exams you will be emailed invitation to schedule, which you will receive at least 2 weeks prior to the exam.

For Qualifying Examination – Part II (OSCE and OSPE) exams you will be emailed exam information and your PEBC Admission Card, which you will receive 3 weeks prior to the exam.

How do I update my contact information?

Pharmacists – Login to your Portal account. To update your email address, click on your name in the top menu to open your profile. You will the see the option to update your email. To update your mailing address and/or contact number you will need to click your name on the top menu to access your profile and then select ‘Profile Fields’ in the left side menu. There you will find your existing mailing address and contact number for updating.

Pharmacy Technicians – Email your updated contact information to pebcinfo@pebc.ca.

What is the procedure for withdrawing from an examination?

Send an email to pebcinfo@pebc.ca stating you wish to withdraw, the exam you are withdrawing from and the reason why. If you are eligible for a refund as per PEBC Refund Policies, please include your address and the currency preferred for the refund.

If you are writing a computer-based exam – you will also need to cancel on the Prometric website or call Prometric to request a cancellation of your exam.

If I withdraw from an examination does it count as one of my attempts?

No, you must attend the examination for it to count as an attempt.

Can I postpone my examination?

No. You must withdraw from the examination you are currently accepted for and submit a new application and fee for the next examination you wish to write.

What if I wish to change the location of my examination?

Computer-based exam – To reschedule your exam, change your exam centre or exam method, visit www.prometric.com.  Do not cancel your exam. Select ‘Rescheduling’ under ‘Test Centre’ to complete any of these actions.
Deadline: You may reschedule, change your exam centre or your exam method up to 48 hours prior to the first day of the exam window.

Part II OSCE/OSPE – Make your site selections carefully. You cannot change your sites once you have completed your application. If you moved residence after submitting your application, you can email pebcinfo@pebc.ca the details of your situation for consideration.

If I fail an examination, when will I receive my feedback report?

Pharmacists – All Evaluating Examination candidates will receive a feedback report with their results letter. It will be added to your ‘Digital Wallet’ in your portal account. Unsuccessful Qualifying Examination candidates will receive a feedback report with information about their performance on the exam. These reports will be added to your ‘Digital Wallet’ within approximately eight weeks following the release of exam results. Feedback reports are not available for candidates who have passed the Qualifying Examination.

Pharmacy Technicians – Unsuccessful Qualifying Examination candidates will receive a feedback report with information about their performance on the exam. These reports will be emailed to candidates within approximately eight weeks following the release of exam results. Feedback reports are not available for candidates who have passed the Qualifying Examination.

Please contact pebcinfo@pebc.ca if you have not received your feedback report within eight weeks following the release of the exam results.

I would like clarification of my feedback report. How do I arrange this?

If you would like to have a discussion with a PEBC staff member about your feedback report, please email PEBC and provide us with a block of time over a two-week period along with a daytime telephone number where you can receive a call during business hours. It is important to understand that the purpose of the discussion is to clarify the information in the feedback report.  To maintain the security of PEBC examination content, PEBC staff cannot advise candidates regarding what they did wrong on a given examination, nor they can provide advice on what to do differently on a future examination.

I have used up all my attempts at the examination. Can I petition for an additional attempt?

Candidates are permitted three attempts at a PEBC examination, after which they are required to complete remediation prior to a fourth (final) attempt. The only situation in which candidates may be allowed an additional attempt at an examination is if they are granted a “No Standing” status on an examination sitting on the basis of medical conditions or compassionate grounds (such as bereavement). However, petitions for consideration of a “No Standing” status are only considered if they are received within 7 calendar days after the examination, accompanied by appropriate, official supporting documentation. Petitions received more than 7 calendar days after an examination (e.g., upon receipt of an unsuccessful examination result) are NOT considered.

How do I contact the Registrar directly?

The Registrar is not available for telephone discussions or in-person meetings with candidates. Matters requiring the Registrar’s consideration must be documented in writing and sent to the attention of the Registrar either by mail, fax or email (to the general PEBC email – pebcinfo@pebc.ca).

I lost my PEBC certificate. How can I request a replacement PEBC certificate?

You will need to make a statutory declaration stating your complete name, current address and why you require a replacement and the fee. Have the statutory declaration witnessed by a notary public, commissioner for oaths or lawyer.

If I received my pharmacy degree outside of Canada or the United States what should I do to achieve PEBC certification?

Before applying to PEBC for STEP 1 (Document Evaluation), you are required to register on the Pharmacists’ Gateway Canada and receive a National Identifier Number.

STEP 1 – DOCUMENT EVALUATION: You must pass this evaluation of your educational and professional credentials to be eligible to take the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination.

STEP 2 – THE PHARMACIST EVALUATING EXAMINATION: You must pass this examination to be eligible for the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination – Parts I (MCQ) and II (OSCE). Please follow this link for the application and instructions.

STEP 3 – THE PHARMACIST QUALIFYING EXAMINATION PART I (MCQ) and PART II (OSCE): Your final step to qualifying for certification with PEBC.  When you have passed both Parts of the examination you will be certified and registered with PEBC. Please follow this link for the application and instructions.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TESTING: PEBC does not require language proficiency testing, such as TOEFL, TSE or IELTS.  You should contact the provincial licensing authority for the province where you wish to practice to enquire about their language proficiency requirements.

IMMIGRATION: For immigration questions contact your local Canadian Embassy.  You do not need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to undergo Document Evaluation or write PEBC exams.

What should I do if my university cannot send an original, currently-dated transcript?

Your university can send a copy of your transcript as long as there is an original university stamp, date and signature on each page of the transcript. As another option, if you have an affiliated college, you could ask the affiliated college to send an original, currently-dated transcript directly to PEBC.

What should I do if I have not received my final university degree certificate?

You can submit a certified copy of a provisional certificate OR a statutory declaration stating your final degree certificate has not been issued and the date it will be issued. Have the statutory declaration witnessed by a notary public, commissioner for oaths, or lawyer.

Do I need to wait until my Document Evaluation has been completed to apply for the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination?

Yes, candidates are required to pass Document Evaluation before they can apply for the Evaluating Examination.

How will I know if I have passed document evaluation?

Once all of the application steps have been completed in the Portal and you have correctly submitted all required documents, it will take up to 8 weeks for your document evaluation to be completed. You can check the status of your application in the Portal. Once all the steps of your application show as ‘Completed’, your application has been approved. Within 5 business days of approval, a results letter will be added to your ‘Digital Wallet’. The results letter can be used for visa purposes.

How long do I have to meet all Document Evaluation application requirements?

Please see the Document Evaluation Application timeline for details.

After I complete Document Evaluation, how long do I have to pass the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination?

You have five years from the date on your Document Evaluation results letter.

What happens if I do not successfully pass the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination within 5 years of completing Document Evaluation?

If you have any Evaluating Examination attempts left after five years you will need to apply for document re-evaluation. Once you require document re-evaluation, the Document Evaluation application will appear in your portal account. Be sure to apply well in advance of any deadlines because extensions will not be granted.

After I successfully complete the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination, how long do I have to pass the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination?

There is no deadline. However, both Parts of the Qualifying Examination must be successfully completed within a three-year period of passing one Part. If you do not complete the process within this time, you will be required to retake and pass the Part that has already been completed.

How do I arrange for PEBC to send a copy of my Licensing Statement to a provincial or territorial regulatory authority?

You will need to mail or courier a written request and the fee per each regulatory authority to whom you would like the copy sent.

How do I change my password on the Portal?

On the login screen, click ‘Forgot Password’ and provide the email address registered with your Portal account. An email will then be sent with a link to create a new password.

Can I make changes to my information on the Portal?

You can make certain changes on your own and other changes require approval by PEBC.

• • Primary email address can be changed; an email is automatically sent to you that contains a link for validation.
  • Mailing address and contact number changes can readily be made by candidates.

Review the Candidate Portal User Guide for what other changes can be made and instructions for making changes.

What is the Summary Sheet I found in my Digital Wallet?

• For candidates who were progressing through PEBC’s certification process before the launch of the Portal, PEBC created an individualized report to provide a summary of candidates’ historical records with PEBC on assessments that have been completed prior to July 1, 2021.
• This is a one-time report provided for the benefit of candidates who were already progressing through PEBC’s certification process and will not be updated further. Candidates will utilize the Portal for more recent progress through the certification process.

How will I get notifications from the Candidate Portal?

• Any notifications that are generated through the Portal will be emailed from support@pebc.certemy.email.
• Add this email address as a safe sender to your email service to ensure that you receive the automated notifications.

I have a PEBC ID and I am a returning PEBC candidate, yet I cannot log in to the Portal for the first time. What should I do?

• First make sure that you are trying to log in with the same email that you have on file with PEBC.
• Make sure that you have used the ‘Reset Password’ link correctly and completed account ACTIVATION by clicking on the link sent to your email.
• Contact PEBC with your issue, including your PEBC ID in all correspondence.

I have a PEBC ID and I am a returning PEBC candidate, however I accidentally registered for a new Portal account. What should I do?

• DO NOT apply or complete payment for any application available in your profile.
• Contact PEBC with your issue, including your PEBC ID in all correspondence.

I was able to log in to my Portal account before, but I am unable to log in again. What should I do?

• Try again later. The Portal is unavailable due to daily maintenance between the hours of 3:00 and 5:00 am EST.
• Contact Certemy Support (support@certemy.com) with your issue, including your PEBC ID in all correspondence.

What methods of payment are available on the Portal?

• Currently, the only accepted payment methods are credit cards, namely, VISA and Mastercard.
• Amex, VISA Debit, regular debit or Interac payments are not accepted at this time.

I see an option for 3rd Party Payment. What is that?

• This is only used by candidates who have money on account with PEBC.
• Candidates who choose the 3^rd party payment option will have to wait for it to be first verified by PEBC before the payment phase is complete.

Is there a checklist of the documents that I need to submit on the Portal?

• Candidates who are required to complete the Document Evaluation (for international or U.S. graduates) will see all the required documents that must be submitted to PEBC. Some documents can be uploaded to the Portal and others should be couriered to the PEBC office either by the candidate or the issuing institution. Specific information can be found on the Portal.
• Each requirement is tracked within the Portal so you can see what you need to submit and PEBC will document when it has been received.

Under ‘My Applications’, I see an application for an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). What is that?

An ECA is an assessment of the authenticity and equivalency of the primary pharmacist qualification – a 4 year, undergraduate, pharmacy degree. It is used by candidates seeking to apply under the “Express Entry for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) and Canadian Experience Class” for immigration to Canada and for whom Pharmacist would be the primary occupation for their application to immigrate to Canada.

Am I required to apply for an ECA?

You are NOT required to apply for it if you do not need it. The application is entirely OPTIONAL.

Is a paper application for the ECA required to be submitted to PEBC?

No, you are not required to submit a paper application to PEBC. The entire process is completed online through the Portal.

Is there an application DEADLINE for examinations? What happens if I don't complete an application in the Portal on time?

Yes, application deadlines are enforced in the Candidate Portal.

With PEBC’s Candidate Portal, candidates are assigned an application to apply for any exam that they are eligible for. If the candidate does not apply and pay for the exam by 12 pm (noon) Eastern Time on the exam deadline day, the application will be deleted. When it is time for the next round of applications, PEBC will re-assign the exam applications. Application deletion does not impact applications or examinations that candidates have previously completed.

There is no action required for existing applications, if the candidate does not want to apply.

I applied and paid for an examination using the Candidate Portal. Do I need to submit a paper application to PEBC?

PEBC no longer requires paper applications for the examinations.

Will I receive an email confirmation after completing the application?

You will not receive an email. Instead, your Portal application status will change to ‘Completed’ once you have finished all required application steps. If you selected the ‘3rd Party Payment’ option for the Payment step, it will not show as ‘Completed’ until PEBC has verified your payment.

I have completed my application on the Candidate Portal. Now I want to change the sites I selected for the exam, but the Portal won’t let me. How do I make the change?

• For Evaluating Examination and Qualifying Examination Part I (MCQ)
  • PEBC uses your site selections to estimate capacity requirements. You do not need to change your site selections made through the Portal. When you receive the Invitation to Schedule a few weeks before the exam, you can select whichever site is available.
• For Qualifying Examination Part II (OSCE / OSPE)
  • You cannot change your site selections. If you have moved since completing your application, you may email PEBC details of your situation for consideration. Emails detailing specific circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis.

What is Linear-on-the-Fly Testing?

Linear-on-the-Fly Testing (LOFT) is an automated exam construction model that uses technology to assemble exams to deliver a unique exam to each candidate. The technology selects questions from a large pool of questions using very specific criteria to assemble an exam is a valid and reliable assessment of competence.

Why is PEBC moving to LOFT for the Part I (MCQ)?

As part of its commitment to excellence in the assessment of competence of candidates at entry-to-practice, PEBC continues to find opportunities to evolve its assessment processes. As PEBC invests significant resources into the item development processes, continually enhancing the quality of its questions so that each one would represent an important measure in the determination of competence. LOFT provides the opportunity of using a greater proportion of the Part I (MCQ) item bank.

Also, the use of LOFT will allow PEBC to extend the length of the exam window at each administration which will improve candidate convenience. Using LOFT will allow PEBC to enhance the security of the exam to reduce the impact of offering the exam over multiple days. Also, PEBC continually develops large numbers of new questions for use on its exams and LOFT will allow more of these questions to be utilized, further ensuring that the exam is current and relevant.

How will PEBC ensure that exam is comparable to another candidate’s exam and is an appropriate measure of my competence?

The Pharmacist Qualifying Examination Part I (MCQ) is a carefully constructed exam which follows a specific blueprint, to ensure that the exam covers the 9 entry-to-practice competencies established by NAPRA. There are other aspects that make the Part I (MCQ) quite unique which are taken into consideration when configuring the LOFT system. Through these configurations, PEBC ensures that  each exam has:

• an appropriate representation of different themes, such as disease states, calculation questions, and other relevant practice issues;
• a balanced proportion of standalone and case-based questions; and
• levels of difficulty of the exams are comparable to one another.

After configuring the requirements for each exam, PEBC reviewed simulations, as part of its quality assurance processes, to confirm whether each version of the exam met the requirements. PEBC adjusted the configurations until satisfied that the configurations were appropriate and that the assembled exams were representative of what PEBC would routinely administer to candidates at each administration.

How will you compare my performance with other candidates who took a different exam? What if my exam is more difficult than someone else’s?

PEBC undergoes significant analysis of each individual question to ensure that the questions are valid, reliable, and appropriate for use as scored questions on an exam. With these analyses, and using best practices in the field of psychometrics, PEBC’s measurement consultants assign values relating to the difficulty of the questions so that the overall exams target a specific difficulty level set by PEBC.

It is expected that there will be slight variations to the difficulty level of each exam, which is no different than the variations PEBC sees in the difficulty levels between exams on one administration of the Qualifying Examination and the next. As PEBC’s passing score is mapped to a performance standard, exams that are slightly more difficult will require a lower score to pass, while an easier exam will require a slightly higher score to pass. This ensures a fair comparison between different versions of the exam across candidates. For more information about PEBC’s scoring on the Qualifying Examination, please visit the information here.

What is the format of the exam?

The number of questions will remain the same, as each version of the exam will have 150 scored questions and 50 unscored (pretest) questions. The main change is that the exam will be delivered as a single section with all 200 questions being delivered. The amount of time will be unchanged at 252 minutes of total testing time. You will see a combination of standalone questions and case-based questions.

Will I experience anything different in the testing platform?

Besides the delivery of all 200 exam questions in a single section, the testing platform will function exactly the same with LOFT as it does with PEBC’s other computer-based MCQ exams.