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NAPLEX Pass Rates: Understanding the Challenges and Strategies for Success

Published on: Nov 5, 2023
By: Jim Herbst, PharmD, BCPPS
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The NAPLEX (North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination) is critically important as it is a pivotal step in the journey of pharmacy school graduates toward becoming licensed pharmacists. Without successfully passing the NAPLEX, individuals can’t obtain a license to practice pharmacy independently. While you have multiple chances to pass this exam, failure to pass this exam on your first try may jeopardize your employment or residency status.

In this article, we will provide a deep dive into NAPLEX pass rates and summarize the national pass rate from top colleges of pharmacies nationwide. We hope you find this article informative as you explore the next step of your pharmacy education.

Why is the NAPLEX So Hard?

While the NAPLEX is a minimum competency examination, the NAPLEX is widely considered challenging for several reasons. It is a comprehensive exam, and candidates must demonstrate a deep understanding of pharmaceutical care concepts, clinical decision-making skills, and regulatory content.

  1. Comprehensive Content: The NAPLEX covers various pharmaceutical sciences topics, including pharmacotherapy, pharmaceutical calculations, and pharmacokinetics, which graduates have learned over many years. The breadth of content requires candidates to comprehensively understand a wide range of disease states and various aspects of pharmacy practice.

  2. Clinical Decision Making: Most examinations assess a candidate’s ability to make clinical decisions in real-world complex patient case scenarios. This requires not only content knowledge but also the ability to translate this knowledge into practical situations quickly.

  3. Integration of Knowledge: The examination assesses the candidate’s ability to integrate information from various therapeutic and practice areas to solve specific problems.

  4. Time Management: As this is a timed exam, you must be efficient as you work through the examination. The ability to answer many questions within a limited timeframe is crucial to optimize your chances of passing the exam. While failing to complete the exam doesn’t guarantee failure, it certainly reduces your chances of receiving a passing grade.

  5. Adaptability: The NAPLEX is administered via computer adaptive testing (CAT), which means that the difficulty of the questions changes based on your ongoing performance. This can be psychologically challenging. If you are asked an easy question, you may think that you’re performing poorly, and this mental state may negatively affect the remainder of the test. It’s important to realize that an easy question for you may be difficult for someone else.

  6. Stress and Pressure: This examination is likely the most crucial exam of your life. The requirement for a passing score to obtain licensure, the mental bandwidth and endurance this exam requires, and the pressure to succeed can exacerbate and amplify any test anxiety.

To overcome the challenges of the NAPLEX, candidates must develop a well-structured study plan, identify and focus on areas of weakness, engage in self-directed learning, and practice with realistic exam simulations. While the NAPLEX is demanding to prepare for and to take, successful preparation and a thorough understanding of the exam’s content can significantly increase the likelihood of achieving a passing score.

I Just Took the NAPLEX; When Will I Know if I Passed?

Your exam results will be reported as either a PASS or a FAIL. There is no scaled numerical score. Once the NAPLEX is graded, the NABP will release the results to your designated pharmacy board. Only your jurisdiction’s Board of Pharmacy has the authority to grant a license to practice pharmacy in that jurisdiction. The time to notify varies by each state and tends to be longer in the summer months when more applicants are taking the examination. It is common for licensure to be granted within 4-6 weeks after taking the exam, assuming you pass.

What Happens if I FAIL the NAPLEX?

If you fail the NAPLEX, don’t be discouraged. 20% of first-time and 22% of all test takers in 2022 failed the NAPLEX. Of all the NAPLEX test takers in 2022, approximately 12% had taken it before unsuccessfully.

Preparation is again of utmost importance, as only 63% of candidates who have previously failed a NAPLEX will succeed upon retaking it. If you fail the NAPLEX, you will receive an official exam result detailing your relative performance in the six major competency areas. 

You will receive an achievement performance level for each competency area. The lower the level, the lower your performance in that competency area compared to your peers. This is valuable information that can be used to guide your future preparation before retaking the NAPLEX. The four achievement levels are:

  • Level 1: Performance is far below meeting the minimum performance necessary to demonstrate competency

  • Level 2: Performance does NOT meet the minimum performance necessary to demonstrate competency

  • Level 3: Performance meets the minimum performance to demonstrate competency

  • Level 4: Performance exceeds the minimum performance necessary to demonstrate competency

To retake the NAPLEX, you must start the eligibility application process again, including the $100 application fee. Once a Board of Pharmacy grants eligibility, you must again pay the $475 exam fee. A mandatory waiting period is at least 45 days from the previous attempt. Some states or jurisdictions may have a more extended waiting period.

You are allowed three attempts to take the NAPLEX during 12 months. If you fail three times, you must wait at least 12 months from the date of the first attempt to reapply before the 4th attempt. You have a maximum of five attempts to pass the NAPLEX unless a jurisdiction’s Board of Pharmacy determines otherwise. Similarly, the MPJE has a minimum waiting period of 30 days with a maximum of 5 attempts per jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions may require a longer waiting period.

The NAPLEX Pass Rate

In 2022, the NAPLEX pass rate was 80% for first-time test takers, 78% for all test takers, and 64% for test takers who have failed one or more previous attempts at the NAPLEX. It is essential to know that pass rates vary yearly, from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and program to program. Pass rates have decreased slightly over the last several years. In 2020, the first-time pass rate was 86%, with an overall pass rate of 82%. In 2021, the pass rate fell slightly to 82% and 78% for first-time and overall test-takers. 

Since the pass rate continues to decrease, choosing a pharmacy program that provides the necessary didactic material to prepare you for the NAPLEX best is now more critical than ever.

2022 NAPLEX Results

Amongst universities in the United States, these are the Top 20 Colleges of Pharmacy with the highest reported first-time NAPLEX pass rate for the recently graduating class of 2022, according to the NABP:

College of Pharmacy

First Attempt

First Attempt Pass Rate

Lebanese American University School of Pharmacy

2

100%

Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson College of Pharmacy

54

96%

University of Michigan College of Pharmacy

68

96%

South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions

72

94%

Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

120

93%

Ohio State University College of Pharmacy

110

90%

Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

10

90%

Oregon State University College of Pharmacy

91

89%

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

104

89%

University of the Sciences Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

54

89%

University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy

122

89%

Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

76

88%

Concordia University Wisconsin School of Pharmacy

68

88%

Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions

112

88%

Husson University College of Health and Pharmacy School of Pharmacy

25

88%

North Dakota State University College of Health Professions School of Pharmacy

67

88%

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy


143

88%

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy

76

88%

St. John Fisher University Wegmans School of Pharmacy

48

88%

University of South Florida Health Taneja College of Pharmacy

96

88%

These are the Bottom 20 Colleges of Pharmacy with the lowest reported first-time NAPLEX pass rate for new pharmacy graduates according to the NABP:

College of Pharmacy

First Attempt

First Attempt Pass Rate

American University of Health Sciences School of Pharmacy

14

21%

Chicago State University College of Pharmacy

48

54%

Hampton University School of Pharmacy

18

56%

MCPHS University School of Pharmacy - Worcester

202

56%

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Georgia School of Pharmacy

71

58%

South University School of Pharmacy

49

59%

University of Texas at Tyler Fisch College of Pharmacy

59

59%

Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

43

61%

South College School of Pharmacy

83

63%

University of Hawaii at Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy

57

63%

MCPHS University School of Pharmacy - Boston

165

64%

Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Pharmacy


44

64%

Larkin University College of Pharmacy

47

66%

Marshall B. Ketchum University College of Pharmacy

43

67%

Marshall University School of Pharmacy

48

67%

Long Island University Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

151

68%

Midwestern University - Glendale College of Pharmacy

142

68%

California Health Sciences University College of Pharmacy

32

69%

D’Youville University School of Pharmacy

52

69%

The largest 20 programs by number of 2022 first time NAPLEX attempts is also included below:

College of Pharmacy

First Attempt

First Attempt Pass Rate

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy

228

70%

Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy

213

79%

MCPHS University School of Pharmacy - Worcester

202

56%

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

182

74%

University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy

182

79%

University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy

175

81%

Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy

173

75%

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy

169

71%

MCPHS University School of Pharmacy - Boston

165

64%

University of Southern California Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

163

83%

University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis St. Louis College of Pharmacy

157

83%

Duquesne University School of Pharmacy

151

85%

Long Island University Arnold and Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

151

68%

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

143

88%

Midwestern University - Chicago College of Pharmacy

142

78%

Midwestern University - Glendale College of Pharmacy

142

68%

St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

142

76%

California Northstate University College of Pharmacy

138

70%

University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy

137

81%

Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy

134

82%

portrait of Jim Herbst PharmD

Jim Herbst, PharmD, BCPPS is an advanced patient care pharmacist at a nationally ranked pediatric acute care teaching hospital.  Dr Herbst received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Ohio State University in 2012.  He started his clinical career as an inpatient patient care pharmacist covering the neurology and complex care services, before transitioning to a pediatric neurology ambulatory care clinic in 2019. 

Dr Herbst's areas of interest in pediatric neurology include treatment-resistant pediatric epilepsy, infantile spasms, the ketogenic diet, and neuroimmunology.  He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed pharmacy and neurology journals, including Neurology, Epilepsia, and the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.  Dr Herbst is board certified as a pediatric pharmacy specialist.

Opinions and information published by the author here on PharmDDegree.com are of my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of my employer.


Education: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), The Ohio State University
Knowledge: Advanced Patient Care Pharmacy, Neurology, Epilepsia