Independent study reference · BCPS exam
BCPS prep for pharmacists: cases, facts and study plans
The BCPS is the Board of Pharmacy Specialties credential for pharmacists who manage drug therapy across many disease areas at once, and this independent reference prepares you for its exam in three ways: a monograph for every area of the BPS content outline, case rounds that explain every answer option, and exam facts checked against BPS pages with the date we read them.
Pharmacotherapy Exam Prep 2026 is our study app for iPhone and iPad. On other phones or a computer, the practice set on this site is free and needs no account.
Domains at a glance
- Infectious diseasesBPS outline 1A1≈ 3% (est.)
- CardiologyBPS outline 1A2≈ 3% (est.)
- Nephrology and urologyBPS outline 1A3 + 1C7≈ 4% (est.)
- Pain management and palliative careBPS outline 1A4 + 1C4≈ 4% (est.)
- EndocrinologyBPS outline 1A5≈ 3% (est.)
- Critical care, emergency medicine and nutrition supportBPS outline 1B1 + 1B5 + 1C2≈ 5% (est.)
- Older adults, children and women’s healthBPS outline 1B2 + 1C3 + 1C5≈ 5% (est.)
- Pulmonology and gastroenterologyBPS outline 1B3 + 1B6≈ 4% (est.)
- Neurology and psychiatryBPS outline 1B4 + 1B7≈ 4% (est.)
- Oncology, hematology and immunologyBPS outline 1C1 + 1C6≈ 3% (est.)
- Therapeutics and patient managementBPS outline 236%
- Medication safety, quality and practice managementBPS outline 3A + 3C21%
- Biostatistics and evidence-based practiceBPS outline 3B7%
1Who sits the BCPS exam
The Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist credential is the broadest of the BPS specialties, and BPS counts more than 31,580 pharmacists holding it (BPS BCPS page). Eligibility counts practice time across the whole outline instead of one specialty, so the credential fits generalist clinical roles in hospitals and clinics.
To sit the exam you need a pharmacy degree, an active license and, within the past 7 years, either a completed PGY1 residency or at least 3 years of practice with half your time or more in pharmacotherapy (BPS Examination Specifications). The details, including what an employer letter has to say, are on the BCPS eligibility page; the full sequence from application to certificate is in how to become a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist.
2The exam in five lines
| What | BPS figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Items | 150, of which 125 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest items | Examination Specifications; more on the question count |
| Time | 3 hours 45 minutes, including the introduction and tutorial | Candidate’s Guide; more on exam length |
| Score | scaled from 200 to 800; 500 passes | Examination Scoring; more on the passing score |
| Fee | $600 for a first application | Dates and fees; more on exam cost |
| When and where | continuous testing all year at Pearson VUE test centers | Dates and fees; more on exam dates |
3How the site is laid out
- Domain monographs
- One page per area of the outline, from infectious diseases to medication safety and practice management, each with its own case round.
- Concept pages
- Short pages on ideas candidates tend to mix up, such as CrCl or eGFR for renal dosing. The study guide contents lists all of them under their domains.
- Practice and mock
- An untimed mixed practice set you can filter by domain, and a timed mock run at the pace of the real exam.
- Fact checks
- Format, length, score, results, dates and cost, each answered first and cited to the BPS page it came from.
- Path and comparisons
- Eligibility, recertification and retakes, plus side-by-side pages such as BCPS vs BCCCP for pharmacists choosing between BPS credentials.
4Where these figures come from
- BPS, Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist page. As of October 27, 2026.
- BPS, BCPS Examination Specifications (effective September 2024). As of October 27, 2026.
- BPS, Candidate’s Guide. As of October 27, 2026.
- BPS, Examination Scoring. As of October 27, 2026.
- BPS, Upcoming deadlines, dates and fees. As of October 27, 2026.
5Every hub, fact and path page
Concept pages sit under their domains in the study guide; everything else is listed here.
Study guide and facts
Getting certified
Next step
Carry the next round with you
Study on iPhone or iPad between rounds, or stay in the browser and keep practicing here.
Pharmacotherapy Exam Prep 2026 is an app for iPhone and iPad only; there is no Android version. On any other phone or a computer, use the free practice set on this site in your browser.