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Retirement of the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT)
The following announcement was placed around the time of the 2022 Midyear ASHP Conference:
"On behalf of AACP and Pearson, we regret to announce that the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and PCAT Practice Tests will be retired in 2024 due to current market conditions and the decline in the use of the PCAT. The final PCAT testing cycle will be offered during the 2023–2024 (next) admissions cycle on the following dates:
Both organizations are grateful for the long-standing and successful partnership. AACP first established the PCAT Advisory Committee to work with The Psychological Corporation (now Pearson) to develop a norm-referenced standardized test in 1973. The PCAT was first administered for admissions purposes in 1974. Important changes to the test content and structure were implemented over time to better meet the evolving needs of the Academy and included the addition of an essay, changes to the test blueprint, and transition to computer-based testing. Current and past members of the PCAT Advisory Committee were instrumental in advocating for these changes. We greatly appreciate their outstanding leadership, dedication, and insights over the years.
If you have additional questions, please contact PCAT Customer Relations at [email protected] or AACP staff at [email protected]."
Lee Vermeulen
Executive Vice President and CEO
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
703-739-2330
[email protected]
Clay Richey
Vice President, Global Portfolio Management and Delivery
Pearson Clinical Assessment
210-339-5353
[email protected]
I would say the bigger facet of its retirement is the trend also being driven by the decreasing student applicant pool we are now starting to see in real time (along with the aforementioned market condition of schools no longer requiring the admission test - a trend that has kept growing year after year).
One interesting study for the trend can be found here:
Reference:
Hall JL, Corelli RL, DeHart R, Haney J, Lebovitz L, Philbrick AM, Ross LJ, Sierra C, Jungnickel P. Trends in Pharmacy College Admission Test Requirements and Utilization Across Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy. Am J Pharm Educ. 2021 Mar;85(3):8179. doi: 10.5688/ajpe8179. Epub 2020 Dec 4. PMID: 34283767; PMCID: PMC8006487.
To that we say: "Farwell PCAT & Dr. Collins study material...farewell"
The following announcement was placed around the time of the 2022 Midyear ASHP Conference:
"On behalf of AACP and Pearson, we regret to announce that the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and PCAT Practice Tests will be retired in 2024 due to current market conditions and the decline in the use of the PCAT. The final PCAT testing cycle will be offered during the 2023–2024 (next) admissions cycle on the following dates:
- July 6, 2023
- October 16–27, 2023
- January 3–9, 2024
Both organizations are grateful for the long-standing and successful partnership. AACP first established the PCAT Advisory Committee to work with The Psychological Corporation (now Pearson) to develop a norm-referenced standardized test in 1973. The PCAT was first administered for admissions purposes in 1974. Important changes to the test content and structure were implemented over time to better meet the evolving needs of the Academy and included the addition of an essay, changes to the test blueprint, and transition to computer-based testing. Current and past members of the PCAT Advisory Committee were instrumental in advocating for these changes. We greatly appreciate their outstanding leadership, dedication, and insights over the years.
If you have additional questions, please contact PCAT Customer Relations at [email protected] or AACP staff at [email protected]."
Lee Vermeulen
Executive Vice President and CEO
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
703-739-2330
[email protected]
Clay Richey
Vice President, Global Portfolio Management and Delivery
Pearson Clinical Assessment
210-339-5353
[email protected]
I would say the bigger facet of its retirement is the trend also being driven by the decreasing student applicant pool we are now starting to see in real time (along with the aforementioned market condition of schools no longer requiring the admission test - a trend that has kept growing year after year).
One interesting study for the trend can be found here:
Trends in Pharmacy College Admission Test Requirements and Utilization Across Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy
Reference:
Hall JL, Corelli RL, DeHart R, Haney J, Lebovitz L, Philbrick AM, Ross LJ, Sierra C, Jungnickel P. Trends in Pharmacy College Admission Test Requirements and Utilization Across Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy. Am J Pharm Educ. 2021 Mar;85(3):8179. doi: 10.5688/ajpe8179. Epub 2020 Dec 4. PMID: 34283767; PMCID: PMC8006487.
To that we say: "Farwell PCAT & Dr. Collins study material...farewell"