BPS Announces Updates for 2026
Washington, D.C. – The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) announces several updates to certification and recertification processes happening in 2026. These changes reflect BPS’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the certification experience for pharmacists and maintaining appropriate standards.
2026 Examination Dates
Registration for the Pain Management Pharmacy (BCPMP) examination will open June 8, 2026 and close July 24, 2026. The testing administration window in 2026 for BCPMP will be open from September 1, 2026 to September 21, 2026.
The other 14 certification programs will continue via the continuously available test administration format. Once a pharmacist’s application is approved, they may select a testing session within their eligibility period.
More about continuous testing can be found here.
Immediate Score Reporting
Beginning January 2026, BPS will provide an immediate preliminary score report following examination sessions in the continuously available format.
Examinees will see on screen whether they achieved a pass or fail outcome immediately upon completion of the test session. Examinees can expect to access their official score report on their MyBPS account within 45 calendar days after the date of the test session.
More information about the scoring process can be found within the Candidates Guide.
New Test Delivery Provider
In July 2025, BPS announced a new strategic partnership with Pearson to provide test delivery services for BPS examinations starting in January 2026. As part of this transition, BPS will conclude its partnership with Prometric. To facilitate the transition to the new test delivery services provider, no examinations will be administered during the dates of December 16, 2025 to January 19, 2026.
BPS will temporarily pause accepting certification applications after September 30, 2025, and will resume January 20, 2026. Recertification applications and extensions will continue to be received and processed. The final date to sit for an exam delivered by Prometric is December 15, 2025.
BPS examinees will begin test delivery services with Pearson and accepting certification applications again on January 20, 2026.
More information can be found here.
Continuous Testing Eligibility Period Update
- Certification Examinations:
- For authorizations to test (ATT) issued before January 1, 2026: Examinees in the continuous testing format will be able to apply after January 20, 2026, and will have 200 calendar days to sit for an examination
- For authorizations to test (ATT) issued after January 1, 2026: Examinees in the continuous testing format will be able to apply after January 20, 2026, and will have 90 calendar days to sit for an examination.
- Recertification Examinations:
- There is no change to the initial recertification examination eligibility period for examinations in the continuous testing format. Examinees will have until October 15, 2026, to sit for an examination in order to achieve a passing score before December 31, 2026.
Examinees who fail their first attempt may retake the certification exam at a reduced fee of $300 USD or retake the recertification examination at $200 USD. Examinees will be allowed up to two retake examinations (three attempts total), and each retake application must be submitted within 200 days of the most recent attempt. A 90-day waiting period is required between attempts, after which examinees have up to 90 days to schedule and sit for their retake.
About the Board of Pharmacy Specialties
The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) was established in 1976 as an autonomous division of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). The mission of BPS is to improve patient care by positioning BPS Board-Certified Pharmacist Specialists as integral members of multidisciplinary healthcare teams, through recognition and promotion of specialized training, knowledge, and skills for pharmacists in the United States and internationally. Board certification is a recognized credential for determining which pharmacists are qualified to contribute at advanced practice levels given the rigorous standards mandated by BPS board certification and recertification. As of the end of 2024, BPS recognized more than 62,250 pharmacist certifications across 15 specialties.
For more information about BPS and its role in advancing pharmacy board certification, please visit www.bpsweb.org. Questions can be submitted to https://bpsweb.org/contact/.