About Naplax
In 1958, Dr. Fred T. Mahaffey of NABP initiated the development of a standardized national examination. Blue Ribbon Committee was eventually established in 1968, and Blue Ribbon Examination was established in 1971, as a result of the effort. In 1975, Naplax replaced the Blue Ribbon Examination. By 1986, NABPLEX was utilized by all state boards of pharmacy, with the exception of California. It was renamed the NAPLEX in March 1997. In 2004, California recognized the Naplax. Until 1997, the exam was administered in a paper-and-pencil format that had been in use since 1976. In its place was a computer-adaptive test that was given at contracted testing centers.