1.1 Oregon MPJE Format, Fees, Blueprint & 2027 Changes
Key Takeaways
The Oregon MPJE has 120 questions (100 scored, 20 pretest) in 2.5 hours. It is computer-adaptive and reported pass/fail.
Oregon MPJE fees total $355 through NABP: a $100 application, an $85 Oregon eligibility-processing fee and a $170 exam fee.
Under OAR 855-115-0020, a passing Oregon MPJE result is valid for 12 months. Retesting requires a 30-day wait, with no more than three attempts in 12 months and five lifetime failures.
Exams before March 1, 2027 use the Competency Statements (22/33/24/21%). Later exams use NABP's new 30/30/20/20 Content Outline.
Oregon reorganized OAR chapter 855 on March 1, 2024, so citations to Divisions 019, 021, 025, 031 and 045 are obsolete.
Why this exam matters
The Oregon Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) is the law exam the Oregon Board of Pharmacy requires for pharmacist licensure. It is written by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), but every jurisdiction has its own version. Oregon's version tests federal law and Oregon law together. NABP's instruction is that "no distinction is made" between federal and state questions. You answer every item using the law that actually governs a pharmacist practicing in Oregon. In practice that is usually the stricter of the two rules.
Oregon has not moved to the Uniform MPJE (UMPJE). On 2026-10-15, NABP's list of UMPJE participating states did not include Oregon, so candidates still take a state-specific Oregon MPJE. The Board has posted a proposed rule on "MPJE & UMPJE" (Divisions 110/115) for a November 24, 2026 rulemaking hearing. A proposal is not law, so check the Board's rulemaking page before you register.
Exam format at a glance
| Feature | Oregon MPJE fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total questions | 120 selected-response items | NABP Candidate Application Bulletin |
| Scored items | 100 scored + 20 unscored pretest items (mixed in, not identified) | NABP Bulletin |
| Testing time | 2.5 hours; total appointment 3 hours (includes pre-screens and NDA) | NABP Bulletin |
| Delivery | Computer-adaptive at Pearson VUE; answer in order, no skipping, no returning to earlier items | NABP Bulletin |
| Breaks | No scheduled breaks; unscheduled breaks use exam time | NABP Bulletin |
| Results | Reported pass/fail; NABP does not publish a numeric cut score for candidates | NABP |
| Oregon validity | A passing MPJE result is valid for 12 months for Oregon licensure | OAR 855-115-0020 |
Because the exam is adaptive and you cannot go back, treat each item as final. Read the stem for the jurisdictional trigger: "in Oregon," "an Oregon-licensed pharmacist," or an Oregon practice setting means you apply Oregon statutes (ORS chapters 689 and 475) and the Board's rules (OAR chapter 855), along with any stricter federal requirement.
Fees, eligibility, and retakes
Oregon uses NABP's Eligibility Service, so the fee stack has three parts:
- $100 nonrefundable eligibility application fee per MPJE jurisdiction (paid in the NABP e-Profile).
- $85 Oregon processing fee. It covers NAPLEX and MPJE processing for one jurisdiction for one year from the initial application.
- $170 MPJE exam purchase fee once eligibility is granted.
That is $355 in NABP fees for an Oregon MPJE candidate. Oregon licensure fees are separate. Oregon also requires that your official transcript be sent directly to the Board, in addition to the copy NABP receives.
Retake rules come from two sources, and the exam can test both:
- NABP policy: wait 30 days after a failed attempt; reapply and pay the $100 application fee and the $170 exam fee again; maximum of 5 attempts per jurisdiction unless a board decides otherwise.
- Oregon rule (OAR 855-115-0020): a candidate may retest after at least 30 days, with no more than three attempts in a 12-month period and a lifetime maximum of 5 failed attempts. The NAPLEX rule is similar but uses a 45-day wait.
Important
Oregon validity is time-limited. Passing NAPLEX and MPJE results are each valid for 12 months for Oregon licensure. If you pass them on different dates, finish the licensure application before the earlier result expires.
What the current blueprint covers
Exams given before March 1, 2027 follow NABP's MPJE Competency Statements, organized into four areas:
| Area | Weight | What it covers (this guide's chapters) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Licensure/Personnel | 22% | Pharmacist, PIC, intern and technician duties; licensure, renewal, discipline, impairment programs (Chapters 2–4) |
| 2. Pharmacist Practice | 33% | Prescriber authority; prescription requirements for non-controlled and controlled drugs; administration and clinical services; counseling; returns; public-health and confidentiality rules (Chapters 5–7) |
| 3. Dispensing Requirements | 24% | Legitimate medical purpose, transfers, DUR and PDMP, dispensing exceptions, labeling, packaging, prohibited products, nonprescription and restricted products (Chapters 8–9) |
| 4. Pharmacy Operations | 21% | Ordering and records, inventories, storage, hazardous drugs, delivery, product selection, compounding, central fill, outlet registration and inspection (Chapters 10–13) |
For exams given on or after March 1, 2027, NABP uses a new MPJE Content Outline with four domains: Pharmacy and Pharmacist Practice (30%), Medication Use Process (30%), Regulatory Authority and Legal Obligations (20%), and Pharmacy Operations (20%). The legal content is largely the same, but the categories are arranged differently. If you test after that date, use the NABP outline that applies on your test date.
How Oregon law is organized for study
Oregon's pharmacy rules went through a major reorganization that took effect March 1, 2024. Many older study aids still cite repealed divisions. The current core divisions of OAR chapter 855 are:
- Division 104: universal rules (duty to report, confidentiality, record retention, inspections).
- Division 115: pharmacists (licensure, responsibilities, DUR, counseling, PIC, clinical services and prescribing).
- Division 120: interns and preceptors. Division 125: Certified Oregon Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacy Technicians.
- Division 135: continuing pharmacy education. Division 183: drug compounding (effective June 17, 2026; Division 045 was repealed).
- Divisions 041, 080, 139, 141, 143: pharmacy operations, controlled substances, remote dispensing sites, kiosks and lockers.
Warning
Old citations such as OAR 855-019 (pharmacists), 855-021 (CE), 855-025 (technicians), 855-031 (interns) and 855-045 (compounding) are repealed. If a practice question cites one of them, answer from the current rule's substance.
Study strategy
- Learn where Oregon is stricter. Examples: Schedule V prescriptions are limited to 6 months and 5 refills (ORS 475.185); pseudoephedrine is Schedule V in Oregon; the annual controlled-substance inventory is due within 367 days; Schedule II reconciliation is due every 93 days.
- Learn where Oregon is more permissive. Examples: there is no technician ratio; licensed technicians may perform final verification and administer vaccines; pharmacists prescribe under statewide protocols.
- Use the NABP Pre-MPJE practice exam and NABP's sample items to get used to the question style, then drill the scenario quizzes in each section of this guide.
A candidate passes NAPLEX on February 10 and the Oregon MPJE on June 5 of the same year. Under OAR 855-115-0020, what is the practical deadline for completing Oregon licensure without retesting?
June 5 of the following year, because the jurisprudence result controls
February 10 of the following year, when the earlier passing result expires
Two years after graduation from the college of pharmacy
There is no deadline once both examinations have been passed
Which statement about Oregon MPJE retakes is consistent with both NABP policy and OAR 855-115-0020?
A candidate may retest the next week if the Board approves a hardship waiver
A candidate must wait 45 days and may test only twice per calendar year
A candidate must wait at least 30 days, may make no more than three attempts in 12 months, and is limited to five lifetime failed attempts
A candidate who fails three times must retake NAPLEX before attempting the MPJE again
A study aid tells a candidate to memorize OAR 855-019 for pharmacist duties and OAR 855-045 for compounding. What is the best response?
Use them; Oregon has not changed its pharmacy rule numbering since 2010
Use OAR 855-019 but replace OAR 855-045 with USP chapters only
Ignore Oregon rules entirely because the MPJE tests only federal law
Study the current divisions instead: pharmacist rules are in OAR 855-115 (effective March 1, 2024) and compounding is in OAR 855-183 (Division 045 was repealed June 17, 2026)
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.