pharmdsj said:
i was informed that the board will be changing naplex in may to make it more difficult. my cousin is taking it in june & was pretty damned pissed. naplex usually has a high passing rate - about 20% higher than the CA exam (thank god they eliminated that test!)
Here's the info we received at school:
Dear Pharmacy Students,
The passing rate for the first time NAPLEX for UF COP graduates has been essentially 100% for many years. The dedication by faculty, the high standards of the PharmD curriculum, and the hardwork of pharmacy students has insured successful performance on the NAPLEX. UF pharmacy graduates' average score (approximately 108) is higher than the state and national averages on the NAPLEX (approximately 102 and 104, respectively) over many years.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has announced that it has concluded a recent analysis of the practice of pharmacy. The analysis consisted of an evaluation of current educational outcomes and competency statements and an expert review of the current North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) blueprint content. The outcome of this process resulted in revisions to the current NAPLEX blueprint. Some of the most noteworthy changes include increasing the emphasis on communication skills, treating over-the-counter and prescription products equally, and adding a competency specifically addressing dietary supplements.
The final step in this review process involved a panel of content experts from across the country to participate in a passing score study to determine the "minimally acceptable level" of performance on this licensure examination. The focus of the panel throughout the study was on the level of knowledge and performance related to pharmacy practice that is expected of a pharmacist in order to protect the health and welfare of the public. As a result of the study, a new passing standard was recommended by the panel and approved by the NABP Executive Committee. It is important to emphasize that the minimum passing score remains a scaled score of 75, just as it always has.
The updated blueprint and passing standard for the NAPLEX will go into effect in May 2005. All NAPLEX examinations administered on or after this date will be based on the updated blueprint and passing standard, regardless of when the candidate registers or is approved by the board of pharmacy.
The updated blueprint is available on NABP's web site
www.nabp.net, and it will accompany the updated NAPLEX/MPJE Registration Bulletin, which will be available in late 2004.
(From NAPB: Most Frequently Asked Questions about the NAPLEX Passing Standards)
1. Does the new standard mean that the minimum passing score will now be higher than 75?
No. The lowest acceptable level of ability will continue to translate into a scaled score of 75. The only difference is that the lowest acceptable level of ability will be higher.
2. Does this mean that more candidates will fail based on the new standard?
Whether or not a state or school will notice an increase in failure rate will depend primarily on the following two critera: first, the performance of candidates who have previously scored very close to the passing score; and second, the extents to which candidates in the future perform like they have in the past. Because of the nature of the NAPLEX passing standard, all candidates who perform at or above the minimally acceptable level receive a passing score. If instituting a higher level passing standard causes candidates to prepare better than they had previously, their increased level of performance would like offset any tendency toward an increased failure rate. On the other hand, if candidates continue to prepare as they have in the past, we would expect the higher standard to result in a higher failure rate.
3. How will the scaled scores that are reported to us be affected?
The scaled scores that will be reported will still range from 0 to 150, where a 75 designates the lowest acceptable level of performance.
4. When will the new passing standard go into effect?
The new passing standard will be implemented in conjunction with the revised NAPLEX blueprint in May of 2005. All candidates who attempt the NAPLEX after May 1, 2005, will receive an examination based on the revised blueprint and a score based on the new passing standard, regardless of when they registered or were approved by the board of pharmacy.
5. When will the passing standard for the NAPLEX program be revisited?
We anticipate repeating this process every four or five years, or whenever the blueprint on which the examination is based changes significantly.
