NAPLEX format, scoring and pass rates

The NAPLEX is a six-hour, 225-question computerized exam from NABP: 200 scored questions and 25 unscored pretest questions. It is a fixed-form test, so you answer every question in order. First-time candidates from accredited US programs passed at 86.8% in 2025, as reported from NABP data.

Last checked October 2026. Based on NABP’s candidate bulletin and guides summarizing it. Pass-rate figures are reported from NABP data by a third party, so check NABP for the current published numbers.

Format

• Fixed form. NABP says the exam is delivered in a computerized, fixed form. You must answer questions in the order presented and cannot skip any.
• Mostly scenario-based. The majority of questions use a scenario format.
• Pretest questions. The 25 unscored items are spread through the exam, and you cannot tell which they are.
• Breaks. You may take unscheduled breaks, but the time counts against your total. A guide also mentions two optional 10-minute breaks.
• Practice. NABP offers the Pre-NAPLEX as its official practice exam, plus sample items.

Scoring

Results are reported as pass or fail. Older materials describe a scaled score from 0 to 150 with 75 as the minimum, and one guide says the numeric cut score is no longer disclosed. Candidates who fail receive a performance profile showing relative strengths and weaknesses.

Pass rates

A summary of NABP data says first-time candidates from ACPE-accredited US programs passed at 86.8% in 2025, based on nearly 9,900 candidates. Another prep provider gives about 86%. A guide says foreign-educated candidates who reach eligibility through FPGEC certification have historically passed at lower first-time rates, with gaps of ten or more points reported in past years, but we could not confirm a current figure.

Common questions