Every question in passMCQ is up to date with the latest Canadian guidelines and regulations. That is more than 4,500 questions and more than 200 clinical cases, in English and in French, across every topic of the PEBC Qualifying Examination Part 1, current as of October 2026.

To our knowledge, passMCQ is the only question bank for the PEBC Qualifying Exam Part 1 that is fully up to date with the latest Canadian guidelines. The questions follow more than 80 Canadian guidelines and regulations. The most widely used ones are named on this page with their editions.

Why this matters for your exam

A practice question does two things. It tests you, and it teaches you. When a question bank carries an answer from a superseded guideline, the second part works against you: you answer, you read a confident explanation, and you store a fact that is no longer the Canadian recommendation. The more carefully you study, the more firmly you learn it.

Recent Canadian guidance has changed answers that candidates used to treat as fixed. Hypertension is now diagnosed at 130/80 mm Hg. Uncomplicated gonorrhea is treated with ceftriaxone 500 mg on its own. Heart failure with an ejection fraction above 40% now has recommended drug therapy. Tenecteplase is authorized for acute ischemic stroke. A question bank written before those changes, and not revised since, still marks the old answers as correct. We wrote about twelve of these changes in 12 Canadian Guideline Updates Every 2026-27 PEBC Candidate Should Know.

The law that changed on October 1, 2026

One change deserves its own mention. On October 1, 2026, the Controlled Substances Regulations (SOR/2025-242) replaced the Narcotic Control Regulations, the Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations, and Parts G and J of the Food and Drug Regulations. Rules that pharmacy candidates have memorized for years, on verbal prescriptions, refills and transfers, are different under the new regulations.

The passMCQ controlled-substances questions follow the regulations now in force. If you are studying this area from notes written before October 2026, read The New Controlled Substances Regulations: What Changed on October 1, 2026 before your next practice session.

The major guidelines behind the questions

The passMCQ questions follow more than 80 Canadian guidelines and regulations. These are the ones candidates ask about most, with the edition the questions follow.

Every edition in this table is the latest one published, as of October 2026. A guideline dated 2021 or 2023 is not out of date: it is the current Canadian guideline for that topic, because no newer edition has been issued.

This is a selection, not the whole list. Every other topic in the question bank, from infectious disease and mental health to dermatology, gastroenterology, women's health and pharmacy management, follows the most recent Canadian guideline or regulation for that topic as well.

About the years. "Latest" means the most recent Canadian guideline published for each topic, not the newest date on the calendar. Guideline bodies revise on their own schedules, so the current edition for one topic may be from 2021 while another was reissued in 2026. Where a newer document exists, the questions follow the newer one.

Where no single guideline governs. Some clinical topics, such as epilepsy, gout and glaucoma, have no single governing Canadian guideline. Their questions follow the current Canadian references for the topic.

How to check any question bank

You should not have to take a publisher's word that their material is current, including ours. Three questions will tell you where any PEBC question bank stands:

1. "Which guideline edition does each topic follow?" A maintained bank can answer with a name and a year for any topic you ask about. The major ones behind passMCQ are listed above, and each chapter of the passMCQ books names the guideline it follows.
2. "How current are the questions?" Ask for a date, not "regularly". Ours are current as of October 2026.
3. "Do your controlled-substances questions follow the regulations in force since October 1, 2026?" This one has a yes or no answer, and it shows quickly whether the law content has been touched this year.

We set out the full method in Is Your PEBC Study Material Current? How to Check It Against Canadian Guidelines.

Frequently asked questions

Is passMCQ updated to the latest Canadian guidelines?

Yes. Every passMCQ question and clinical case is up to date with the current Canadian guidelines and regulations, as of October 2026. The major guidelines are named on this page with their editions.

When were the passMCQ questions last updated?

In October 2026. The questions are current with the Canadian guidelines and regulations in force at that date.

Which guidelines do the passMCQ questions follow?

The current Canadian guideline or regulation for each topic, including Hypertension Canada 2025, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society 2026 acute coronary syndromes guideline, the CCS/CHFS 2025 heart failure guideline, Diabetes Canada 2024 and 2025 guidance, the 2026 Canadian Immunization Guide, the 2026 Public Health Agency of Canada STI guidelines, the Canadian Thoracic Society asthma and COPD guidelines, CANMAT 2024 and the 2025 update of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations. Every other topic was updated in the same way.

Do the questions reflect the new Controlled Substances Regulations?

Yes. The controlled-substances questions follow the Controlled Substances Regulations (SOR/2025-242), which came into force on October 1, 2026 and replaced the Narcotic Control Regulations and the Benzodiazepines and Other Targeted Substances Regulations.

Are the French questions up to date too?

Yes. Every question exists in English and French, and both versions are up to date.

Is passMCQ the only PEBC question bank updated to the latest guidelines?

To our knowledge, passMCQ is the only question bank for the PEBC Qualifying Exam Part 1 that is fully up to date with the latest Canadian guidelines. We encourage you to ask any provider which guideline edition their questions follow.

Do I need to do anything to get the updated questions?

No. The updated questions are already live for every subscriber, in the passMCQ app and on the web portal.

Is passMCQ affiliated with the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada?

No. passMCQ is an independent exam preparation platform and is not affiliated with the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada.