California: CPJE pharmacist exam information

California licenses pharmacists through the CPJE and the NAPLEX, not the MPJE.

Which law exam California uses

California does not use the MPJE; instead, its state pharmacist exam is the California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination for Pharmacists (CPJE) [S1][S2]. To be licensed, you pass both the CPJE and the NAPLEX [S1][S2]. The CPJE is given by PSI, and you pay PSI's administration fee directly to PSI, not to the Board [S1].

California exam rules worth knowing

  • CPJE and NAPLEX together. Business and Professions Code section 4200(a)(6) requires a passing CPJE based on a current occupational analysis, or one replaced no more than one year before you apply. You also need a NAPLEX that is current in the same way, or one passed on or after January 1, 2004 if you hold an active pharmacist license in another state [S2].
  • Current CPJE outline. The current CPJE occupational analysis took effect June 1, 2022 [S2]. Its content outline has three areas: patient information and prescription evaluation, clinical practice, and pharmacy operations [S3].
  • What the CPJE tests. By statute, the CPJE includes patient communication skills and California practice standards that the NAPLEX does not cover (BPC 4200.2) [S3].
  • Order and timing. You may take the NAPLEX and CPJE in any order. You have one year from the Board's eligibility letter to sit for them. After a failed attempt, you file a Retake Application and wait 45 days (BPC 4200.4) [S1].
  • Four-attempt limit. You may take each exam four times. After that, you need at least 16 more semester units of pharmacy education before four more attempts (BPC 4200.1) [S4].

How to plan your CPJE study

  1. Read the Board's application instructions and the PSI CPJE Candidate Information Bulletin [S1].
  2. Study by the three areas of the June 2022 CPJE content outline [S3].
  3. Schedule the NAPLEX with NABP and the CPJE with PSI once the Board makes you eligible [S1].

About this page

Unlimited Practice Guide does not offer CPJE practice questions or a CPJE study package. This page is general exam information from official California sources. Confirm current requirements with the California State Board of Pharmacy.

Sources

Last verified 2026-10-22.

  1. S1: California State Board of Pharmacy, Pharmacist Examination for Licensure application instructions (17M-29 rev 1/2026) — "CPJE: The CPJE is the California state pharmacist examination." / "The CPJE is administered by PSI." / "You may take the NAPLEX and CPJE in any order. You will have one year to sit for the examination(s) from the date of the Board's eligibility letter." / "You will not be allowed to sit for either examination until it has been 45 days from the date of your last examination. (Bus. & Prof. Code § 4200.4.)"
  2. S2: California State Board of Pharmacy, CPJE and NAPLEX Passing Score — "Has passed a version of the California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination (CPJE) for Pharmacists that, at the time of application for licensure, was based on an occupational analysis that is either current or that was replaced by another occupational analysis no more than one year before the application for licensure" / "The current occupational analysis for CPJE went into effect 6/1/2022."
  3. S3: California State Board of Pharmacy, CPJE Detailed Content Outline (effective June 1, 2022) — "(a) Examination items to demonstrate the candidate's proficiency in patient communication skills. (b) Aspects of contemporary standards of practice for pharmacists in California ... that are not evaluated by the North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination." / "1. PATIENT INFORMATION AND PRESCRIPTION EVALUATION ... 2. CLINICAL PRACTICE ... 3. PHARMACY OPERATIONS"
  4. S4: California State Board of Pharmacy, Four Time Failure notice (BPC 4200.1) — "an applicant may take the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination four times, and may take the California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination for Pharmacists four times."