PEBC Ends the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination After October 2026; Alberta Sets a New Pathway for Internationally Educated Graduates

The Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) has confirmed on its certification pathway page (last updated August 10, 2026) that “the October 2026 Pharmacist Evaluating Examination is the last one PEBC will offer.” Effective January 2027, international pharmacy graduates “will no longer be required to successfully complete the Pharmacist Evaluating Examination to become certified by PEBC”; candidates with a valid Document Evaluation go directly to Part I (MCQ) of the Pharmacist Qualifying Examination. The change affects internationally educated pharmacists seeking licensure in every province, and by extension the community and hospital pharmacies that recruit and mentor them.

Dates that matter

PEBC states that the next Pharmacist Qualifying Examination Part I (MCQ) is in February 2027, that the Part I application for candidates with a valid Document Evaluation would be available in the Candidate Portal by August 28, 2026, and that it is increasing the number of Pharmacist Qualifying Examinations in 2027.

What changes in Alberta

On September 8, 2026 the Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) described how the PEBC change fits its own registration requirements. The University of Alberta’s Certificate to Canadian Pharmacy Practice (CCPP) has been replaced by the Diploma in Canadian Pharmacy Practice (DCPP), and “any IEPG candidate who does not pass Parts I or II of the PEBC Qualifying Exams on the first try will be required to complete the U of A’s DCPP program.” ACP notes that the Certificate in Canadian Pharmacy Fundamentals does not satisfy the requirement, and that the changes apply only to new internationally educated pharmacist graduate applicants, not to pharmacists already registered.

Practice guidance for pharmacists

• Tell internationally educated colleagues and interns that the Evaluating Examination disappears after the October 2026 sitting; anyone planning to write it should confirm their registration with PEBC now.
• Candidates with a valid Document Evaluation should check the PEBC Candidate Portal for the February 2027 Part I (MCQ) application.
• In Alberta, a first-attempt failure of Part I or Part II now triggers the DCPP requirement, so build that time and cost into hiring and provisional-registration plans.
• Managers recruiting from abroad should map each candidate to the pathway in their own province, because bridging and registration requirements differ between regulators.
• Keep a copy of the PEBC and ACP notices with your onboarding materials so staff give consistent advice.

PEBC sets the national certification steps, but each provincial regulator decides what else an applicant must complete; watch for similar notices from other colleges as the January 2027 date approaches.