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Sample PEBC Evaluating Exam Practice Questions

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1A drug is administered as an oral tablet and the same dose is given intravenously. The ratio of the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) after oral administration to the AUC after IV administration is 0.40. What does this value represent?

A.The fraction of drug bound to plasma proteins

B.The first-pass metabolism fraction lost in the gut wall only

C.The relative bioavailability compared to another oral product

D.The absolute bioavailability of the oral product

Explanation: Absolute bioavailability (F) is the AUC of an extravascular route divided by the AUC of the IV route (normalized for dose). An AUC ratio of 0.40 means 40% of the oral dose reaches systemic circulation intact. This is a core pharmacokinetic concept for the Pharmaceutical Sciences section.

2A drug follows first-order elimination with a half-life of 8 hours. Approximately how long will it take to reach steady state during a constant-rate infusion or repeated dosing at a fixed interval?

A.About 8 hours

B.About 16 hours

C.About 40 hours

D.About 80 hours

Explanation: Steady state is reached after approximately 4-5 half-lives regardless of dose or dosing interval. With a half-life of 8 hours, 5 half-lives equals about 40 hours. This principle applies to both continuous infusions and intermittent dosing.

3A weakly acidic drug has a pKa of 4. At gastric pH of approximately 2, which statement about its ionization and membrane permeability is most accurate?

A.It is mostly un-ionized, favouring passive diffusion across lipid membranes relative to the ionized form

B.It is mostly ionized in the stomach, increasing membrane permeability

C.Acidic drugs are actively transported only at low pH

D.Gastric emptying always slows acidic drug absorption

Explanation: By the Henderson-Hasselbalch principle, a weak acid is predominantly un-ionized when surrounding pH is below its pKa. Un-ionized (more lipophilic) molecules cross lipid membranes by passive diffusion more readily than the ionized form. In practice, most oral absorption still occurs in the small intestine because of its large surface area, but the ionization concept remains foundational for biopharmaceutics.

4A pharmacist is reviewing a sustained-release matrix tablet. Which statement best describes the primary rationale for a sustained-release dosage form?

A.To reduce dosing frequency and minimize peak-trough fluctuations

B.To increase peak plasma concentration rapidly

C.To bypass hepatic first-pass metabolism entirely

D.To eliminate the need for therapeutic drug monitoring

Explanation: Sustained-release formulations release drug gradually, smoothing the plasma concentration profile, reducing peak-trough fluctuations, and allowing less frequent dosing, which improves adherence. This is a foundational pharmaceutics concept for drug delivery systems.

5Warfarin is highly protein-bound (~99%). A patient is started on a second drug that displaces warfarin from albumin. What is the most accurate description of the clinical consequence at new steady state for a low-extraction drug?

A.A sustained large increase in total warfarin concentration and toxicity

B.No pharmacokinetic interaction is possible with protein binding

C.Immediate permanent loss of anticoagulant effect

D.A transient rise in free fraction, but total clearance of free drug increases so free concentration tends to return toward baseline

Explanation: For a low-extraction-ratio drug, displacement from protein transiently raises the free (active) fraction, but the increased free drug is then available for clearance. At new steady state, free concentration tends to return toward baseline while total concentration falls. The clinically important warfarin interactions are usually metabolic (CYP), not pure displacement.

6Which enzyme system is responsible for the majority of phase I oxidative drug metabolism in the liver?

A.UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT)

B.Glutathione S-transferase

C.Monoamine oxidase (MAO)

D.Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes

Explanation: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, especially CYP3A4, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9, mediate most phase I oxidation reactions and are central to clinically important drug interactions. UGT and glutathione transferases catalyze phase II conjugation.

7A patient is a CYP2D6 poor metabolizer. Which consequence is most likely when this patient takes codeine for pain?

A.Enhanced analgesia due to faster conversion to morphine

B.No effect on codeine pharmacology

C.Severe respiratory depression from morphine accumulation

D.Reduced analgesia because codeine is not efficiently converted to morphine

Explanation: Codeine is a prodrug requiring CYP2D6 to convert it to its active metabolite morphine. Poor metabolizers convert little codeine to morphine, resulting in inadequate analgesia. Ultra-rapid metabolizers face the opposite risk of morphine toxicity, illustrating pharmacogenetic variability.

8A drug has a volume of distribution (Vd) of 700 L in a 70 kg adult. What does this large value most likely indicate?

A.The drug is confined to the plasma compartment

B.The drug is extensively distributed into tissues outside plasma

C.The drug is not absorbed orally

D.The drug has very high renal clearance

Explanation: Volume of distribution relates the amount of drug in the body to its plasma concentration. A Vd far exceeding total body water (~42 L) indicates extensive tissue binding/distribution. Such drugs are poorly removed by dialysis and may have long half-lives.

9Which statement correctly distinguishes a competitive antagonist from a non-competitive antagonist at a receptor?

A.A competitive antagonist lowers the maximal response and cannot be overcome by more agonist

B.A competitive antagonist shifts the agonist dose-response curve to the right and can be overcome by increasing agonist concentration

C.A non-competitive antagonist shifts the curve right without reducing the maximum

D.Both reduce agonist potency identically and irreversibly

Explanation: A competitive antagonist binds reversibly at the same site as the agonist, shifting the dose-response curve to the right (reduced potency) but preserving maximal response, and can be surmounted by higher agonist concentration. A non-competitive antagonist reduces the maximal achievable response.

10Acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose causes hepatotoxicity primarily through which mechanism?

A.Direct inhibition of cyclooxygenase in the liver

B.Formation of methemoglobin

C.Accumulation of the reactive metabolite NAPQI after glutathione depletion

D.Inhibition of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation

Explanation: In overdose, the normal conjugation pathways saturate and more acetaminophen is metabolized by CYP2E1 to the toxic intermediate NAPQI. Once hepatic glutathione is depleted, NAPQI binds hepatocyte proteins causing centrilobular necrosis. N-acetylcysteine replenishes glutathione and is the antidote.

About the PEBC Evaluating Exam Exam

The PEBC Pharmacist Evaluating Examination is the gateway multiple-choice exam for international pharmacy graduates seeking licensure in Canada. As of the June 2025 revised blueprint, it contains 140 questions across three subject areas and is delivered by computer at a Prometric test centre or by remote proctoring. October 2026 is the final scheduled administration.

Assessment

140 multiple-choice questions split into two sections of 70 questions each (revised blueprint effective June 2025).

Time Limit

3 hours of writing time (90 minutes per 70-question section) within a single 3.25-hour sitting

Passing Score

At least 60% of the total possible score of 140 (84 correct answers), per PEBC. Results are reported Pass/Fail only and no numeric score is released.

Exam Fee

CAD $910 (2026 application fee per PEBC) (Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC))

PEBC Evaluating Exam Exam Content Outline

55%

Pharmacy Practice

Pathophysiology, diagnostic testing, pharmacotherapeutics, the patient care process, special populations, prescription processing, pharmaceutical calculations, patient education, and collaborative care.

25%

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Pharmaceutics and drug delivery systems, pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics, pharmacology, toxicology, and biotechnology and pharmacogenetics.

20%

Behavioural, Social, and Administrative (BSA) Pharmacy Sciences

Health promotion, literature evaluation, medication safety, professionalism and ethics, pharmacy management, the Canadian healthcare system, and health equity and social determinants of health including Indigenous health and cultural safety.

How to Pass the PEBC Evaluating Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: At least 60% of the total possible score of 140 (84 correct answers), per PEBC. Results are reported Pass/Fail only and no numeric score is released.
Assessment: 140 multiple-choice questions split into two sections of 70 questions each (revised blueprint effective June 2025).
Time limit: 3 hours of writing time (90 minutes per 70-question section) within a single 3.25-hour sitting
Exam fee: CAD $910 (2026 application fee per PEBC)

Keys to Passing

Work through all 129 available questions
Review every answer and explanation
Track weak areas and revisit them
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

PEBC Evaluating Exam Study Tips from Top Performers

1Weight your study time to the blueprint: roughly 55% Pharmacy Practice, 25% Pharmaceutical Sciences, and 20% Behavioural/Social/Administrative Sciences.

2Master Canadian-specific therapeutics and guidelines (Diabetes Canada, Hypertension Canada) plus the newer blueprint content on health equity, social determinants of health, Indigenous health, and cultural safety.

3Practise applied clinical reasoning and pharmaceutical calculations with timed, scenario-based questions to match the exam's two 70-question sections.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the PEBC Evaluating Examination and how long is it?

As of the June 2025 revised blueprint, the exam has 140 multiple-choice questions divided into two sections of 70 questions each, with about 90 minutes per section (roughly 3 hours total).

What subjects does the PEBC Evaluating Examination cover?

Three subject areas: Pharmacy Practice (55%), Pharmaceutical Sciences (25%), and Behavioural, Social, and Administrative Pharmacy Sciences (20%). Biomedical Sciences was removed as a distinct area in the June 2025 blueprint.

What is the passing score for the PEBC Evaluating Examination?

PEBC awards pass standing to candidates who achieve at least 60% of the total possible score of 140, which is 84 correct answers. Results are still released Pass/Fail only, and no numeric score is given to candidates.

How much does the PEBC Evaluating Examination cost in 2026?

The 2026 application fee is CAD $910, payable to PEBC. The MCQ exam is delivered by computer at a Prometric test centre or by remote proctoring.