Top 5 Free NAPLEX Resources to Ace Your Exam
The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, or NAPLEX, is a standardized exam that all pharmacy graduates must pass in order to become licensed pharmacists in the United States. The exam tests the candidate's knowledge of pharmacy practice, and passing it, as painful as it may be, is essential to begin a career in the field of pharmacy (except in the cases of some industry positions, but you get the idea).
Preparing for the NAPLEX can be a daunting task, as there is a lot of material to cover. I mean, how do you review 4 years of material that you learned in pharmacy school in a reasonable timeframe so you know enough to be deemed a “minimally competent pharmacist”? (whatever that means…) Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you prepare for the exam, and some great ones are free! In this post, we will explore the top five free NAPLEX resources that you can use to ace your exam. Make sure you read until the end because I saved the best for last! It’s so good I can’t believe it is actually free!
1. Free Online Calculator
If you are used to having a physical calculator in your hands at all time, you aren’t alone. My trusty pink TI-30XIIS has been a reliable resource for all my calculation needs since I was in junior high. Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to accompany me on exam day for the NAPLEX. While you can request a physical handheld calculator on exam day (something I HIGHLY recommend you take advantage of), you also get access to an online calculator. If you want to get the most realistic practice exam experience, you can download a free version of the TI-30X/TI-34 scientific calculator here. Make sure you select the correct option (Windows or Mac) and you will be on your way to practicing calculations the right way!
2. tl;dr pharmacy library of resources
I am not exaggerating when I say that tl;dr pharmacy saved me on more than one occasion in my pharmacy career. (If someone from tl;dr pharmacy ever reads this, thank you!) They have a library of great blog posts that simplify difficult clinical concepts. Some of my favorite articles cover vancomycin dosing, vasopressors, and contraception. So, if you are studying and find yourself struggling with a concept, check to see if they have a blog post on the topic! Not only that, you can grab their antibiotics and HIV cheat sheets for free on their website! You can check out the blog and the cheat sheets here.
3. Guideline Central
This resource is a game changer and not just for NAPLEX. If you need to review any guideline, this is the resource for you! While cheat sheets and study guides are incredibly helpful, sometimes you need to go directly to the source. Guideline Central is the largest collection of guidelines in the world which makes it easy to find nearly any clinical guideline you need with a quick search. Once you ace your NAPLEX, you can use Guideline Central to help you answer clinical questions, stay up to date with the latest guideline releases, and create educational presentations. You can get access to this free library here.
4. Free Trial to TrueLean’s Question SmartBank
TrueLearn happens to be one of my favorite NAPLEX study tools. It offers over 1500 questions in its paid test bank with the option to get access to a limited number of questions for 5 days. While you can get much more out of their paid questions (especially when you add on access to Picmonic), if you want to get a few additional questions for free, the trial is a great option! You can start your free 5 day trial here. If you decide you love TrueLearn as much as I do after your free trial, you can use my code HAPPYPHARM to get up to 20% off select plans.
5. Free NAPLEX Practice Exam (225 questions!)
Yes, you read that right. You can get a full length NAPLEX practice exam FOR FREE! One of my top tips for NAPLEX success is to complete as many practice questions as possible and this free resource will help you accomplish that! Even if you plan to pay for other practice questions or exam, having a practice test at your fingertips to get an idea of what test day will be like is HUGE. You can get access to your Free NAPLEX Practice Exam here. (Shout out to Pyrls and MedEd101 for creating this resource)
I know from experience that passing the NAPLEX exam is no easy feat, but with these five free resources, you'll be well on your way to acing it. Remember to pace yourself, take breaks when you need them, and incorporate a variety of study materials into your routine. With dedication and the help of these resources, you can become a licensed pharmacist in no time. And who knows, maybe one day you'll even look back on your NAPLEX preparation with fondness. (Okay, probably not, but maybe you will end up sharing tips for other hopefully pharmacy graduates like I am!) But for now, let's focus on getting that passing score!
P.S. if you haven’t developed a plan for your self-care while you are studying you can grab my free eBook with 100 self-care ideas to get you started.
