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FAQs
What is the passing score?
Pearson does not set a passing score for the PCAT. Each school has its own standards. For this information, contact the school or schools to which you
are applying.
May I take the PCAT again?
A candidate may sit for the PCAT examination no more than five times. After the fifth examination, a candidate may be required to submit a written request for an additional testing session. If registering for the sixth time or more:
· Register online as usual.
· Have documentation ready and be able to explain the special circumstances that require you to take the PCAT again.
· Refer to the checklist on the PCAT website to ensure you have all required documentation.
· If documentation is requested and not provided, registration will be canceled per standard policy.
· If you test without providing the requested documentation, your scores will be canceled.
Acceptable forms of documentation include:
· A copy of a completed and submitted application to a pharmacy school for the upcoming academic year
· A letter on school stationary from an advisor or instructor verifying that you are applying to a pharmacy school for the upcoming academic year
Pearson will review and respond to your written request and documentation within 10 business days of receipt. Please note that a heavy volume of requests may delay our ability to reply within that time frame so we recommend that a candidate submit evidence well in advance of an examination. Retest policy will be enforced even if a violation is not immediately identified and test scores have been reported. If you take the PCAT test more often than allowed, your scores from each unauthorized test administration will be withheld or canceled and your entire test fee will be forfeited. You may also be prohibited from future PCAT testing and may be subject to other remedial actions. This policy has been established to enhance the validity and security of the PCAT exam. PCAT Customer Service representation and Test Administrators are not authorized to waive or modify the retest policy for any reason.
Do all the items count? Are there any experimental questions or sections?
There are some experimental multiple-choice items on the PCAT and one experimental essay section. However, because you will not know which items and essay count toward your scores and which do not, you should do your best and answer every item and write both essays.
What should I do if I want my scores reported to a school that I didn't list when I registered?
The PCAT Candidate Information Booklet and www.PCATweb.info include complete information about requesting additional Official Transcripts, including the required fees.
I do not want my scores reported to the school(s) that I listed when I registered, but I do want them reported to me. What should I do?
The only way for you alone to receive your scores is by not entering any school code numbers when you register. If you already listed recipient schools when you registered, you cannot receive your scores without the school(s) that you listed also receiving your scores.
You can prevent your scores from being reported to the school(s) you listed by exercising the "No Score Option" on your Answer Booklet. However, if you exercise the "No Score Option" your Answer Booklet will not be scored, you will not receive a personal Score Report, and no refund of your fees will be possible.
Can I average the scaled scores for each subtest and divide it by 5 to get my Composite Scaled Score?
Yes you can, but this works only for the scaled scores; the same method will not work for percentile ranks.
How long does Pearson keep scores on file?
PCAT scores are kept on file for 5 years from your testing date.
Are my scores derived by comparing them to the other students who took the exam on the same date as me?
Your percentile rank scores are based on the current norm group each time you take the PCAT. The current norm group is defined as all first-time examines who took the test between October 2004 and May 2007. Your scaled scores are based on the number of live items that you answered correctly for each subtest. Each multiple-choice subtest is calculated separately.
Why may a candidate's percentile ranks appear different on their personal Score Report now than on a previous personal Score Report?
Scaled scores for multiple-choice subtests are always reported on a scale
of 200–600 and are always based on the number of live items
answered correctly.
Percentile ranks range from 1 to 99 and indicate a candidate's performance relative to the current PCAT norm group (all first-time examinees from October 2004 through May 2007). Percentile ranks earned before June 2008 were based on the previous norm group. For this reason, a percentile rank may now be different for a given scaled score. For reporting purposes on all Official Transcripts sent to pharmacy schools and on duplicate or replacement personal Score Reports sent to candidates, percentile ranks obtained before June 2008 (when the current norms were introduced) have been converted to the equivalent current percentile ranks. This means that all candidates' percentile ranks are being compared on the same ruler, no matter when a candidate took the PCAT.
If I have a Verbal Ability scaled score of 407 and a percentile rank of 60, what does this really mean?
Scaled scores for the multiple-choice subtests are always on a scale of
200–600, are based on the number of live items correct, and are calculated separately for each multiple-choice subtest. Experimental items do not count towards your score. A percentile rank indicates the percentage of examines from the current norm group only who received a scaled score lower than a given score. For example, a percentile rank of 60 indicates that 60% of the examinees in the norm group received a lower scaled score on Verbal Ability than 407.
What do I do if my scores were cancelled?
Use this link to determine what the next steps are:
http://psychcorp.pearsonassessments.com/hai/images/dotcom/pcatweb.info/PCAT_CIB_Sections/PCAT_CIB-After.pdf#page=4
Does Pearson provide any PCAT preparation materials?
Yes. Two PCAT Practice Tests are currently available, with the same content areas that are tested in the five multiple-choice subtests of the actual exam. Both Practice Tests consists of questions like those that you will find on the actual PCAT, along with explanations for the correct answers for each item. There is currently no practice Writing section on the Practice Tests, but sample topics are presented, along with brief descriptions of the Writing subtest and explanations for how the essays are scored.
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