PCOA Exam
The PCOA will be proctored solely online at this time due to COVID-19. Contact PCOA@nabp.pharmacy for specific questions regarding administration of the exam.
The Pharmacy Curriculum Outcomes Assessment® (PCOA®) is an essential tool used by colleges to evaluate their doctor of pharmacy curriculum, and it allows students to become familiar with the examination process prior to sitting for the licensure exams after graduation.
The PCOA is suitable for students in all professional years and provides data to the colleges that can be used to help review an individual student’s performance and their year-to-year progress through the curriculum. Colleges will also have access to assessment results from colleges across the country for comparison.
About the PCOA Assessment
The PCOA is comprised of 225 questions that are delivered in a computerized form. The PCOA Content Areas are based on outcomes from the 2015 US Colleges of Pharmacy Curricula Survey. The assessment is administered during the following testing windows:
- November 9, 2020 – December 12, 2020
- January 11, 2021 – February 19, 2021
- March 29, 2021 – May 21, 2021
- June 14, 2021 – June 25, 2021
- August 16, 2021 – September 10, 2021
- November 8, 2021 – December 10, 2021
PCOA Registration Deadlines
Administrators and students have separate registration deadlines within each window.
- Administrators can see their registration deadlines in the Administrator Information section.
- Students can see their registration deadlines in the Student Information section.