NAPLEX Calculations

Many candidates fear – often justifiably – the many NAPLEX math practice questions that can haunt the exam. With enough preparation, though, there is no reason why you can’t ace this part of the NAPLEX test.

Of course, NAPLEX calculations are an important part of the exam. As a professional pharmacist, you are expected to have a thorough, rounded knowledge of not just the facts but also the figures, too.

The great thing about NAPLEX math practice questions though, is that once you’ve overcome your fear and tackled this section head-on, you’d be surprised how manageable the questions are on the day of your exam.

Here are some of the NAPLEX calculations concepts students are expected to know:

• Conversions – gallons to pints; mg to micrograms; pounds to grams; BSA; BMI; teaspoons / tablespoons; moles and molecular weights; osmolarity; temperature.
• Biopharmaceutics / pharmacokinetics – infusion rates; NaCl equivalents; half-lives; volume of distribution; loading doses; TPN; clearance; creatinine clearance.
• Energy / electrolytes – kcal in fat, dextrose, lipids and protein; acid-base conversions; weak acid / base; acidosis / alkalosis.

This is not an exhaustive list. For a complete list of all NAPLEX formulae you need to know, as well as access to a full range of NAPLEX math practice questions, you must register to one of our online courses.

NAPLEX Math Practice Questions

Below, we’ve put together a collection of ten standard NAPLEX calculations.

These questions give you a realistic idea of the type, style and difficulty of pharmacy calculation questions that appear on exams.

Attempt each question below and see how you perform. Don’t be disheartened if you score a low result. The purpose of NAPLEX questions is to identify your areas of weakness and to remedy and transform those weaknesses into strengths.

If you knew everything, you wouldn’t attempt the quiz! To pass the quiz below, you must attain a result of at least 80 percent.

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The more NAPLEX math practice questions you try, the better.

Try to avoid the ‘cramming’ calculation methods. Instead, review each method and understand why each step is taken. The more you understand method, the greater your ability to work on related, tangential problems. By cramming calculation methods, you carry the grave risk of being ill-equipped to handle similar problems.

If you found these questions helpful and would like access to hundreds more, take a few minutes to become a member of NAPLEX Study Guide. Our program teaches you all formulae you need to know, as well as providing realistic practice questions; the like of which you can expect to see on exam day.

In the meantime, be sure to practice NAPLEX calculations on a consistent basis. These questions take practice, often lots of it. With enough practice though, you will ace this section of the exam more than any other. It may not seem like it now, but by putting in the hours, you will see the results come thick and fast in no time at all.

Check back to our NAPLEX blog soon for more great tips and tricks on how to pass the NAPLEX exam. We bring you the relevant, essential facts that you need to know to maximize your result and become a professional pharmacist.