The CPJE

CPJE (California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination)

Starting April 01, 2016, the California Board of Pharmacy changed the CPJE Content Outline to have more questions on patient medications and patient outcomes. The examination pass rate results posted on the Board website shows that from 4/1/2016 – 9/30/2016 about 18% of the students from California schools failed CPJE (but only 7% failed Naplex). Since the CPJE is very clinical and different than the MPJE, some pharmacists from other states cannot pass the first time. One person told me she passed Naplex but has failed CPJE three times. Indeed the CPJE failing rate is about 40% for test takers outside of California and 53% for foreign graduates. The overall passing rate in 2016 for CPJE is 70%.

I took CPJE 2.5 weeks after the Naplex. The exam is not easy but doable. There were brand name drugs that I didn’t remember, a lot of scenario questions that I just guessed the answers using the elimination technique. I didn’t feel happy after the exam, but surprisingly, I passed CPJE with a good score  (84/90); so here is my feedback about the exam.

1. Timing: I think the time is adequate, I finished the exam about 20 minutes early.
2. Content: The content is heavily clinical with few law questions or they are incorporated in clinical questions. A lot of scenarios are given asking you to decide as a pharmacist. The clinical points I posted to review for Naplex still apply for CPJE.
3. What I used to study:
   • Weissman book: This is an excellent resource to study, including the two supplemental updates for 2015 and 2016. I read from cover to cover and practiced the questions twice. There are 170 questions, but it’s totally worth it to practice all of them.
   • The Rxprep CPJE booklet and question bank. The CPJE test bank questions are good to practice in order to memorize the CPJE booklet.
   • I know that CPJE has more clinical questions, therefore during my last week of CPJE studying, I reviewed Naplex and the important guidelines for hypertension, diabetes, asthma, HIV, etc. I also used the quizlet flashcards to review Naplex.
   • The latest The Script on the BOP website summarizes all the current updates in California pharmacy law.
   • Make sure to read the self-assessment forms. They are real documents of what you have learned from Rxprep CPJE and Weissman. Here are the links:
     Community and outpatient hospital pharmacy: http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/forms/17m_13.pdf
     Compounding: http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/forms/17m_39.pdf

One crazy thing I did to prepare for the CPJE was I registered to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam. I just want to prepare mentally on how to take a 90-questions test. With no doubt, I aced it, but at the same time I got some ideas on the timing of this type of exam. The difference is for the PTCB exam, you can move back and forth to answer the questions, but for CPJE, you cannot go back to review.

There are new law changes in 2017 posted on the California Board of Pharmacy, so make sure to know them.

The Pharmacy Board exams are not easy, they need a lot of work and effort, some luck too. And don’t forget to pray if you are religious. Good luck on CPJE!

-Vivian
12/30/2016