SPLE Pharmacist Exam Study Plan: 4 and 6 Weeks by Section Weight
An SPLE study plan for 4 and 6 weeks by the weight of the four sections, with calculation and pharmacokinetics practice and a 72-second reading pace per English question.
- Next test
- 1 – 24 November 2026 Add the date to your calendar
- Questions and time
- 200 questions in two parts (100 each) · 240 minutes: two 120-minute parts with a 30-minute break
- Pass mark
- 536 on a 200 to 800 scale
- Exam fee
- Paid when you apply online with SCFHS; the amount is shown in your application
Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
Try 10 free questions and see your levelPut what you just read into practice
Start with 10 free questions to find what needs more work. No sign-up, with answer explanations.
Try 10 free questions and see your levelInformation last checked: 31 October 2026. Exam details can change, so check the SPLE dates page of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and the applicant guide before you start. This is an independent guide with no connection to the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties or any government body.
The SPLE is broad, and every question is in English. This plan orders your time by the weights of the four sections, and sets aside time for calculations and for reading in English. The sections and their weights are explained in the exam content guide, and the application and booking steps in the registration guide.
Numbers to build your plan on
| Item | What it means for your study |
|---|---|
| 200 questions in two parts | 100 questions per part, 120 minutes per part, with a 30-minute break between them. Up to 10% of the questions may be unscored pilot items, and you cannot tell which. |
| 72 seconds per question | 120 minutes for 100 questions is 72 seconds on average. A long English patient case takes more, and a recall question takes less. |
| Pass mark 536 | On a scale of 200 to 800. This is a scaled score, not a percentage, so there is no official number of correct answers you need. Aim to be strong in the big sections and not to collapse in any one. |
| Language | Questions are in English only. Get used to the English terms from day one. |
Order your time by section weight
The applicant guide gives the section weights as 10%, 35%, 20% and 35%, which is roughly this many questions out of 200:
| Rank | Section | Weight | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (tied) | Pharmaceutical Sciences | 35% | 70 |
| 1 (tied) | Clinical Sciences | 35% | 70 |
| 3 | Social, Behavioral and Administrative Sciences | 20% | 40 |
| 4 | Basic Biomedical Sciences | 10% | 20 |
The first two sections alone are 140 of the 200 questions, 70% of the exam. Start with them, and do not leave Clinical Sciences to the last week, because it has twelve sub-topics on this site. The guide allows each section to vary by about 5%, so do not treat the numbers as fixed.
Start by measuring where you are
Before you write any timetable, open the free questions and answer 10 without signing up. At the end you see your score and your weakest section. Write that section on a sheet of paper, since it gets the extra hours in your plan. Then continue in the practice area section by section, and read the explanation of every option, even for questions you got right.
A four-week plan
This suits someone who already knows the syllabus well and wants focused revision. Assume two to three hours a day, with one rest day a week.
| Week | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Free questions to measure your level. Then Pharmaceutical Sciences: pharmacokinetics, compounding and pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacology and toxicology, pharmaceutics. Solve 20 calculation problems a day. |
| 2 | Clinical Sciences: clinical pharmacokinetics, patient assessment and laboratory values, then pharmacotherapy by organ system. End the week with practice on your weakest section. |
| 3 | Social, Behavioral and Administrative Sciences (pharmacy law, ethics, biostatistics, pharmacoeconomics), then Basic Biomedical Sciences, then your mistakes notebook. |
| 4 | Revise the weak sections with ten questions per topic. Two or three days before the exam, sit a full mock exam, with a rest day before it. |
A six-week plan
This suits someone who needs to read the sources before practising, or who works full time. An hour and a half to two hours a day is enough if you keep to it.
| Week | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Measure your level with the free questions, then pharmacokinetics and pharmaceutical calculations, reading and exercises, since they underpin two of the four sections. |
| 2 | Pharmaceutical Sciences: medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, pharmacognosy and supplements, pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics. |
| 3 | Clinical Sciences, part one: drug information, clinical pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, prevention and immunizations, patient assessment. |
| 4 | Clinical Sciences, part two: pharmacotherapy by organ system, then special populations, self-care and patient counselling. |
| 5 | Social, Behavioral and Administrative Sciences, then Basic Biomedical Sciences, with 20 to 30 practice questions a day. |
| 6 | Practice on the weak sections from your mistakes notebook, then a full mock exam three days before your date, then review its mistakes only. |
Pharmaceutical calculations and pharmacokinetics
Calculations appear in more than one place: pharmaceutical calculations inside Pharmaceutical Sciences, and clinical pharmacokinetics and dose calculations inside Clinical Sciences. The applicant guide does not mention a calculator. It mentions a laminated writing surface and a marker for notes and calculations. So practise solving by hand first.
- Put the formulas on one sheet. Half-life and elimination rate constant, clearance and volume of distribution, loading dose and maintenance dose, and creatinine clearance by the Cockcroft-Gault equation. Write them from memory every morning.
- Watch the units. Milligrams and micrograms, litres and millilitres, hours and minutes. Most errors in this kind of question come from a unit that was not converted.
- Short calculation questions collect marks. Practise until you solve them in under a minute, which saves time for the long case questions.
- Pharmaceutical calculations: dilution, concentration, percentages, weight-based dosing and infusion rates. The practice source the guide lists is Ansel and Stoklosa, Pharmaceutical Calculations.
- Link the lab value to the dose. Kidney function changes the dose, so practise questions that give you creatinine and then ask for a dose adjustment.
Reading English and managing time
- Read the question from the end. Look at what is asked in the last sentence, then go back to the case knowing what you are looking for.
- Stay near 72 seconds on average. Flag a question that passes two minutes and move on, and come back if time is left.
- Keep your own term list. Write any term you did not know in practice, in English with its meaning, and review the list every week.
- Practise reading against the clock. Answer 25 questions in 30 minutes once a week and see whether you finish early.
The last week and the full mock exam
Two to three days before your date, sit a full mock exam in the same format: 200 questions in two parts, 120 minutes each, with a break between them. This is the test that shows how tired you get in the second part, and your real speed. Afterwards review every mistake and sort it: missing knowledge, a unit, or a rushed reading. In the last two days review only your formula sheet and your mistakes notebook, and do not start a new topic.
The references the applicant guide recommends include The APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy, DiPiro's Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, Lippincott Illustrated Reviews: Pharmacology, and Shargel's Applied Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics. The guide says the list is a study aid only, and that exam questions are not necessarily taken from these sources.
What this site adds to your plan
- Free questions: 10 questions covering the four sections, with the answer, an explanation and your score at the end, no sign-up.
- Practice area: practise section by section, with every option explained with its source, and a mistakes notebook to return to.
- Full mock exam of 200 questions in two parts of 120 minutes each. The remaining questions and the full mock exam need a paid pass.
Official sources: the SPLE applicant guide and the licensure exam dates and attempts page. For booking and attempts, read the registration guide.
This is an independent exam preparation website with no connection to the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties or any government body. The exam page is SPLE Pharmacist Exam.
Finished reading? Try a set of questions
Start with 10 free questions to find your weakest units. Keep practising with the full question bank and mock exams from SAR 26.
Sources and references
- SCFHS – SPLE Applicant Guide 2025 (PDF) scfhs.org.sa
- SCFHS – Licensure exam dates and attempts scfhs.org.sa