How to Apply for the PEBC Exam

The application timeline at a glance

Verification and registration are two separate deadlines, and that trips up almost everyone.

First you complete a one-time ID and Education Verification, which must be approved before you can register for any exam. Then, for each sitting, you register and schedule by that exam's own deadline. Here is the order.

The real bottleneck is verification, because it gates registration. Get it approved well ahead of the registration deadline so a slow turnaround never costs you a sitting.

Key dates (recent and upcoming sittings)

Use these as a guide. PEBC sets new dates each cycle, so always confirm yours.

These are the per-exam registration deadlines. Your one-time ID and Education Verification has to be approved before you can register, so complete it weeks earlier.

• November 2026 Qualifying Exam (the upcoming cohort): register by August 6, 2026. MCQ runs November 2 to 6, OSCE on November 7, results December 17, 2026.
• May 2026 Qualifying Exam (reference): registration closed February 19, 2026. MCQ ran May 19 to 26, OSCE on May 24, results July 6, 2026.
• ID and Education Verification is a separate, earlier step you complete once. Get it approved well before any registration deadline.

Results often post later in the day than the stated time, so do not panic if they are not up the moment they are scheduled.

Step 1: Complete ID and Education Verification (Certemy)

You complete the identity and education verification through the Certemy portal. Part of this is a paper application that you fill out, then mail to PEBC by Canada Post or courier. You cannot drop it off in person.

You will need an official, certified passport-style photo, and you will need to submit proof of your education.

• Primary ID: a certified copy of a valid passport (ID pages), a birth certificate, or a Canadian citizenship card. Do not use a permanent residence card as primary ID.
• Documents must be certified by an approved witness: a notary public, a commissioner for oaths, a lawyer, an embassy or consulate official, or a currently licensed Canadian pharmacist or pharmacy technician. The witness adds their stamp or signature and license number.
• Your name must match exactly across all documents. If your name has changed, declare it with supporting documents (for example a marriage certificate or change-of-name certificate) before the exam, or you will not be allowed to write.
• Do not send original documents you want back. PEBC does not return documents.

Do this early. You cannot register for an exam until your verification is approved.

Step 2: Register and pay for your exam sitting

Once your verification is approved, you register for a specific exam sitting and pay the fee through your portal account by that exam's registration deadline. As of the current cycle, the Qualifying Examination fees are about $855 for Part I (MCQ) and $1,915 for Part II (OSCE). Confirm the current fees on PEBC before you pay.

When you register, you also select and rank your preferred exam sites for both the MCQ and the OSCE.

Step 3: Schedule your appointment (Prometric)

After PEBC sends your Invitation to Schedule, you book your actual seat through Prometric, not PEBC. Your eligibility number is your 6-digit PEBC ID, and once you book you receive a 16-digit confirmation number.

There are two ways to write the MCQ: in person at a Prometric test centre, or by remote proctoring on your own computer. Test-centre seats are limited and not guaranteed, so be ready to take it remotely if needed. Remote proctoring has system requirements and a separate demo exam to check your setup.

• Schedule as soon as you get the Invitation to Schedule. Seats are capacity-limited.
• If you do not schedule by the stated deadline, you are withdrawn and your fee is forfeited.
• For international test-centre or remote appointments, the start time must fall inside PEBC's official exam window, or PEBC will cancel the appointment even if Prometric confirmed it.

Rescheduling and withdrawing

• Reschedule: you can move to a new appointment within the same exam window up to 3 days before. You cannot reschedule within 2 days of the appointment, and you cannot move to a different exam session.
• Prometric charges a rescheduling or cancellation fee if you change within 29 days of your appointment.
• Withdraw: email withdrawals@pebc.ca and cancel any Prometric appointment. A withdrawn exam does not count as an attempt, but withdrawals follow PEBC's standard refund policy.

International pharmacy graduates: extra steps first

Canadian and other accredited graduates go straight to the Qualifying Examination. International pharmacy graduates have a longer pathway before it: first a Document Evaluation of your credentials, then the Evaluating Examination (a foundational-sciences exam), and then the Qualifying Examination.

PEBC has introduced a Streamlined Pathway that lets some eligible international graduates skip the Evaluating Examination, so check your eligibility on PEBC before assuming you need it. Everyone applies through Certemy regardless of pathway; only the documents differ.

Attempts and time limits

• You get 3 attempts at a PEBC examination. After three unsuccessful attempts you must complete remediation acceptable to the Board before a 4th and final attempt.
• If you fail that 4th final attempt at either part, you cannot retake the Qualifying Examination.
• Once you pass one part of the Qualifying Examination, you must pass the other part within 3 years.
• A separate 5-year limit applies to the Evaluating Examination, after which you reapply for document re-evaluation.