Retired exam
Pearson retired the Pharmacy College Admission Test on 2024-01-10 ('was retired on January 10, 2024, and is no longer available'); transcripts and score reports ended 2024-12-02. No successor exam is named.
No direct replacement is named in the reviewed official sources.
The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) was a standardized assessment used by pharmacy schools to evaluate applicants. Administered by AACP (PCAT), the exam covered biological and chemical processes, reading, and quantitative reasoning. The PCAT was retired on 2024-01-10. No successor exam exists. Prospective pharmacy students should consult their target institutions or the AACP (PCAT) for current admission requirements and updated application procedures following the retirement of this test. The exam consisted of 192 questions and lasted 240 minutes.
This exam is retired and no longer available for registration. It was previously intended for individuals applying to colleges and schools of pharmacy to demonstrate academic readiness for pharmaceutical education programs and to provide data for institutional admissions committees.
Because the PCAT is retired and has no successor, you should not prepare for this exam. If you are applying to pharmacy school, contact the admissions office of your target institution directly to determine their current requirements. Do not rely on legacy study materials for this retired test, as they do not align with current admission standards or any active testing requirements. Focus your efforts on the specific application criteria established by the pharmacy schools you intend to attend.
This domain covers biological processes relevant to pharmacy education. It includes items presented as stand-alone questions or within sets accompanying short passages to test knowledge of biological systems and scientific inquiry methods used in pharmaceutical research.
This domain focuses on chemical processes. It utilizes a format similar to the biological processes section, requiring examinees to apply chemical knowledge to items presented as stand-alone questions or passage-based sets to evaluate their understanding of chemical principles.
This domain evaluates reading comprehension skills across multiple contexts. All items are organized into sets that accompany specific reading passages, requiring the detailed analysis of information provided within those texts to demonstrate adequate comprehension capabilities for academic success.
This domain assesses quantitative reasoning abilities through targeted problem-solving exercises. It consists entirely of stand-alone items, many of which are presented as complex word problems or specific problem-solving scenarios to measure mathematical aptitude and logical reasoning skills.
The PCAT consisted of a total of 192 questions distributed across multiple subject areas, covering biological processes, chemical processes, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning during its active administration period before the retirement date.
The PCAT did not feature a universal passing score established across all institutions. Admission and score requirements were determined independently by individual colleges and schools of pharmacy, meaning there was no single standard for success.
The PCAT was structured as a 240-minute examination designed to evaluate the academic readiness of prospective pharmacy students across its various scored sections and writing components, which were completed in a single sitting.
The standard exam price was set at $210. Additional score reports cost $15 each, and late registration for the examination incurred a $60 surcharge fee, which applicants had to pay during the registration process.
Verified 2026-08-30
This page was built by reviewing official AACP (PCAT) documentation and third-party exam guides to synthesize facts regarding the retirement of the PCAT and its lack of a successor.