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The ABPI Code of Practice Clause 9.4 states that representatives must take an appropriate examination (this means attempting all unit assessments comprising the exam qualification) within their first year of employment as a representative, and must pass it within two years. 

This time limit does not apply to learners not currently employed in the promotion of medicines to prescribers. However, please note, as per the ABPI Examination Regulations, ‘For those learners for whom the qualification is not being undertaken as a mandatory requirement, passes in any given unit examination expire 3 years after the date of passing. The life span of a pass in Unit M1 Operating in the Pharmaceutical Industry and Unit M5 Understanding working with the NHS and the provision of prescription medicines, are exceptions, for which the expiry date of a pass is considered on a case by case basis, depending on the date and magnitude of the most recent update to the learning content.’

No, it does not. However, please be advised that the content in section M4.2 of Volume 1 of the learning materials (accredited Intermediate Programme and Advanced Programme) may be examined in all other units. 

If you are sitting the Advanced Programme, you are required to sit:

• five Mandatory units (Units M1-5)
• three Optional units

From the optional units, you must select one of the following two combinations:

• 3 units: all from units O1 and O3-12 
• 2 units: Unit O2 (10 credits) and one unit from units O1 and O3-12

The Mandatory units are called:

M1 - Operating in the Pharmaceutical Industry

M2 - Human body systems (Part 1)

M3 - Human body systems (Part 2)

M4 - Development and Use of medicines

M5 - Understanding working with the NHS and the provision of prescription medicines

The Optional Units are called:

O1 - Arthritis

O2 - Cardiovascular disease

O3 - Dermatology disorders

O4 - Diabetes

O5 - Diseases of the CNS

O6 - Disease of bone

O7 - Female Reproductive health and disorders

O8 - Gastrointestinal

O9 - Diseases of the Male genitourinary system

O10 - Oncology

O11 - Psychiatric disorders

O12 - Respiratory diseases

In order to sit the ABPI Exam, you must purchase the learning manuals. You can obtain a free set of the electronic Learning Manuals alongside your Programme registration for a fee of £185. You also have the option to purchase a hard copy set of the Learning Manuals for £61 via the Online Store. There is free postage within mainland UK (international delivery charges apply for overseas delivery). These learning manuals cover all the material for both the Advanced and Intermediate Programmes. 

E-learning is also available at a cost of £139 + VAT

The cost to sit each unit is £142 + VAT

Mandatory units sitting (5 mandatory unit model): £710 + VAT

Optional disease area units sitting: £426 + VAT

The total cost of ordering both types of learning materials and both mandatory and optional units is therefore £1521.00 + VAT (excluding hard copy learning manuals). 

Please note that this does not include any resits which can be booked at the same cost of £142 + VAT per unit.

Yes. When you create your profile, to register for the ABPI Exam, do not tick the box ‘Are you working in industry’. This will indicate to us that you are not currently working as a medical representative.

The ABPI Exams Team recommend not to schedule your exams back-to-back. Very rarely an issue could occur during one of your examinations which could take a short time to resolve. This could affect future exams if they are scheduled close together.

Yes. If you require to transfer to the alternative programme, please contact the ABPI Exams Team at exams@abpi.org.uk.

If you have registered within 14 days and not sat an exam, there is no charge to transfer to the alternative programme. 

If you have registered more than 14 days ago and/or sat an exam and wish to change programme there is a charge of £60 + VAT.

When you create your personal profile you are required to state the date you started working in a promotional role in the pharmaceutical industry, if you do so, for the purpose of compliance with the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice. The Code requires that representatives sit the exam, within their first year (this means attempting all unit assessments comprising the exam qualification) and allows a maximum of 2 years for someone to pass the exam. Once you have exceeded 2 years from the date you started working in a promotional role, you will not be able to book an exam unless you have received permission from the PMCPA to be allowed an extension to the time available to complete the qualification.

If you are not working as a representative this requirement is not relevant to you.

Please note that the date you starting working in industry refers to the date upon which you started in a role where you promote medicines and NOT the date when you first promoted medicines.

The ABPI is committed to managing the ABPI examination to the highest standards of transparency and ethics. We expect all learners and ABPI staff and contractors to be honourable in all aspects concerning the attempting and management of the exam process.  

However, all institutions face the risk of things going wrong from time to time, or of unknowingly harbouring illegal or unethical conduct. ABPI is committed to the highest standards of openness, probity and accountability to prevent such situations occurring, and to address them when they do occur. 

Whistleblowing is the reporting of a suspected wrongdoing in relation to the ABPI examination. The ABPI has a policy for whistleblowing with regards to the ABPI exam. You can access our policies at the footer of this page.

You will be asked a mixture of questions all areas of the unit. All questions in the exam are multiple choice with four possible answers with one correct answer. There is no negative marking. 

The questions will include the following question types: 

A. Remembering - recall of factual information given in the learning materials 

B. Understanding - straightforward questions based on information given in the learning manuals but which require a degree of understanding and/or interpretation of the materials 

C. Applying knowledge 

D. Analysing 

E. Evaluating - interpretation of data in tables or graphs. Understanding of data and some calculations may be required 

The accredited ABPI exam requires understanding of the subject matter, not just recall of key facts. This results in more sustained learning and ability to apply what has been learned in other situations, and is consistent with an equivalent Level 3 qualification. 

You may be examined in the use of the statistical methods covered in section ​​M4.2.4 in all other units.