NPQE 2026: Questions, Duration, Passing Score, Syllabus & References
What is the NPQE exam?
The National Pharmacist Qualifying Examination (NPQE) is an examination for pharmacists, with the exam content divided into four main areas.
The official NPQE blueprint provided by the Ministry of Public Health lists the following areas:
- Basic Biomedical Sciences
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences
- Clinical Sciences
The examination contains 150 MCQs and has a 3½-hour duration.
How many questions are there in the NPQE?
The NPQE contains 150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
The questions are divided across four major areas of pharmacy.
| NPQE Content Area | Number of Questions |
|---|---|
| Basic Biomedical Sciences | 7 |
| Pharmaceutical Sciences | 38 |
| Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences | 38 |
| Clinical Sciences | 67 |
| Total | 150 |
This distribution is given in the official National Pharmacist Qualifying Examination Blueprint.
What is the NPQE exam duration?
The NPQE has a duration of 3½ hours.
Candidates need to complete all 150 MCQs within the examination time.
This means students should practise answering questions within a limited time while preparing for the examination.
What is the passing score for the NPQE?
The passing score for the NPQE is 60%.
The official blueprint lists the passing score alongside the examination requirements.
Since the exam contains 150 MCQs, students should prepare across all four sections rather than focusing on only one subject area.
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Talk to Our NPQE TeamWhat is the NPQE syllabus?
The NPQE syllabus is divided into four major content areas:
- Basic Biomedical Sciences – 7 questions
- Pharmaceutical Sciences – 38 questions
- Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences – 38 questions
- Clinical Sciences – 67 questions
Together, these areas make up the total 150 questions in the examination.
The blueprint provides the number of questions for each area but does not provide a detailed topic-by-topic breakdown within each section.
How many questions are asked from Basic Biomedical Sciences?
Basic Biomedical Sciences has 7 questions in the NPQE.
This is the smallest section in terms of the number of questions.
Students should still include this area in their preparation because it forms part of the official examination blueprint.
How many questions are asked from Pharmaceutical Sciences?
Pharmaceutical Sciences has 38 questions in the NPQE.
This makes it one of the larger sections of the examination.
The official references provided by DHP include several resources related to pharmaceutical sciences, pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, biopharmaceutics and drug delivery.
Relevant references listed in the blueprint include:
- Pharmaceutics for Pharmacy Students, 1st Edition
- Basic Pharmacokinetics, 2nd Edition
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics: Concepts and Applications, 4th Edition
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 6th Edition
- Applied Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics, 7th Edition
- Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems, 12th Edition
How many questions are asked from Social, Behavioral and Administrative Sciences?
Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences has 38 questions.
This is another major section of the NPQE.
The official reference list includes resources that cover areas such as:
- Medical ethics
- Communication skills
- Pharmacy management
- Leadership
- Marketing
- Finance
Some of the relevant references listed by DHP are:
- Medical Ethics Manual, 3rd Edition
- JCI Standards for Hospitals, 7th Edition
- Communication Skills in Pharmacy Practice: A Practical Guide for Students and Practitioners, 7th Edition
- Pharmacy Management, Leadership, Marketing, and Finance, 2014
How many questions are asked from Clinical Sciences?
Clinical Sciences has 67 questions in the NPQE.
It is the largest section in the current blueprint.
Students preparing for the NPQE should therefore give significant attention to the clinical science portion of their preparation.
The official reference list includes resources such as:
- Comprehensive Pharmacy Review for NAPLEX, 8th Edition
- The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy, 12th Edition
- Winter’s Basic Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 7th Edition
- Patient Assessment in Pharmacy Practice, 3rd Edition
- Casebook in Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Drug Dosing
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics, 6th Edition
Which section has the highest weightage in the NPQE?
Clinical Sciences has the highest number of questions, with 67 out of 150 questions.
The complete distribution is:
| Section | Questions |
|---|---|
| Clinical Sciences | 67 |
| Pharmaceutical Sciences | 38 |
| Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences | 38 |
| Basic Biomedical Sciences | 7 |
| Total | 150 |
This distribution can help students plan their preparation time.
However, all four areas are included in the official blueprint, so students should not completely ignore the smaller sections.
What are the primary references for the NPQE?
The DHP NPQE blueprint lists the following primary resources:
1. Comprehensive Pharmacy Review for NAPLEX – 8th Edition
This is listed as one of the primary resources for the examination.
2. The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy – 12th Edition
This is another primary pharmacy review resource listed in the blueprint.
3. Qatar National Health Strategy 2024–2030
The blueprint lists the Qatar National Health Strategy 2024–2030 as a primary resource.
4. Qatar National Health Services
Information relating to Qatar National Health Services is also listed as a primary resource.
5. Qatar Dietary Guidelines
The Qatar Dietary Guidelines are included among the primary resources.
6. Departments at the Ministry of Public Health
The blueprint also lists the departments at the Ministry of Public Health as a primary resource.
What are the secondary references for the NPQE?
The official blueprint lists the following secondary resources:
- Winter’s Basic Clinical Pharmacokinetics – 7th Edition
- PTCB Exam Prep, 2023–2024 – Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam Prep, Hanley Publications LLC
- Pharmaceutics for Pharmacy Students – 1st Edition
- Basic Pharmacokinetics – 2nd Edition
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics: Concepts and Applications – 4th Edition
- Patient Assessment in Pharmacy Practice – 3rd Edition by Rhonda M. Jones
- Casebook in Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Drug Dosing
- Ansel’s Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems – 12th Edition
- Clinical Pharmacokinetics – 6th Edition
- Applied Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics – 7th Edition
- Medical Ethics Manual – 3rd Edition
- JCI Standards for Hospitals – 7th Edition
- Communication Skills in Pharmacy Practice: A Practical Guide for Students and Practitioners – 7th Edition
- Pharmacy Management, Leadership, Marketing, and Finance – Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2014
Too many references to cover alone? Get a structured NPQE study plan.
Get a Free Study PlanHow should students use the NPQE blueprint for preparation?
The blueprint gives students a clear idea of how the 150 questions are divided.
A simple preparation approach is to:
- Understand the four examination areas.
- Give appropriate attention to Clinical Sciences because it contains 67 questions.
- Cover Pharmaceutical Sciences and Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences, which contain 38 questions each.
- Include Basic Biomedical Sciences in the study plan.
- Use the primary resources listed in the official blueprint.
- Use the secondary resources for additional study and revision.
- Practise managing time because the examination contains 150 MCQs and has a 3½-hour duration.
Students should use the official blueprint as the starting point for their preparation rather than depending only on old exam materials.
Conclusion
The NPQE 2026 blueprint gives pharmacists a clear structure for the examination.
The exam consists of 150 MCQs, with a 3½-hour duration and a 60% passing score.
The questions are divided into:
- 7 – Basic Biomedical Sciences
- 38 – Pharmaceutical Sciences
- 38 – Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences
- 67 – Clinical Sciences
The blueprint also provides a list of primary and secondary references that candidates can use for preparation.
For students preparing for the NPQE, the best starting point is to understand the official question distribution and then study using the resources listed in the blueprint. This helps keep preparation focused on the areas included in the official examination framework.
Key Takeaways
- The National Pharmacist Qualifying Examination (NPQE) is divided into four main content areas.
- The examination contains 150 MCQs.
- The exam duration is 3½ hours.
- The passing score is 60%.
- Clinical Sciences has the highest number of questions, with 67 questions.
- Pharmaceutical Sciences and Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences each have 38 questions.
- Basic Biomedical Sciences has 7 questions.
- The DHP NPQE blueprint lists both primary and secondary preparation resources.
- The primary resources include pharmacy review books and Qatar-specific healthcare resources.
- The secondary resources include books covering clinical pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutics, patient assessment, medical ethics, communication and pharmacy management.
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Book a Free ConsultationFAQs About NPQE 2026
How many questions are there in the NPQE?
The NPQE has 150 multiple-choice questions.
How long is the NPQE exam?
The examination duration is 3½ hours.
What is the passing score for the NPQE?
The passing score is 60%.
Which section has the most questions in the NPQE?
Clinical Sciences has the highest number of questions, with 67 questions.
How many Pharmaceutical Sciences questions are there?
There are 38 questions from Pharmaceutical Sciences.
How many Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences questions are there?
There are 38 questions from Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences.
How many Basic Biomedical Sciences questions are there?
There are 7 questions from Basic Biomedical Sciences.
What are the main sections of the NPQE?
The four sections are:
- Basic Biomedical Sciences
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Social/Behavioral/Administrative Sciences
- Clinical Sciences
What books are recommended for the NPQE?
The official blueprint lists Comprehensive Pharmacy Review for NAPLEX, 8th Edition and The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy, 12th Edition as primary resources, along with Qatar-specific healthcare resources and several secondary references.
Are Qatar-specific resources included in the NPQE references?
Yes. The primary resources include the Qatar National Health Strategy 2024–2030, Qatar National Health Services, Qatar Dietary Guidelines, and departments at the Ministry of Public Health.
