Exam prep · Free exam prep course
A complete course for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), built against PTCB's content outline that took effect January 6, 2026. It teaches the top 200 drugs by body system and drug class rather than by rank, works pharmacy calculations from conversions through IV rates, and gives the federal law and patient safety material the 2026 outline puts more weight on their own units. Every card cites its sources, among them the Code of Federal Regulations, DEA and FDA guidance, ISMP lists and current drug labeling.
| Questions | 90 multiple choice: 80 scored and 10 unscored |
|---|---|
| Time | 1 hour 50 minutes of exam time (about 2 hours with the tutorial and survey) |
| Fee | $129 for the application and exam |
| Passing score | 1,400 on a scaled score that runs from 1,000 to 1,600 |
| Medications | 35% - generic and brand names, classes, interactions, side effects, indications, strengths and dosage forms, stability and storage |
| Federal requirements | 18.75% - hazardous and non-hazardous waste, controlled substances and DEA schedules, restricted drug programs, FDA recalls, DSCSA |
| Patient safety and quality assurance | 23.75% - high-alert and look-alike/sound-alike drugs, error prevention, pharmacist intervention, event reporting, infection prevention |
| Order entry and processing | 22.50% - calculations, sig codes and abbreviations, supplies, lot numbers, expiration dates and NDCs, returns |
Source: PTCB, Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam page and PTCE Content Outline effective January 6, 2026 (ptcb.org).
Copied straight from the course. In the app, each wrong option also gets its own explanation.
Card 1A technician drops a bottle of oxycodone oral solution while a pharmacist watches, and it cannot be recovered. How is this handled?
Record on Form 41 with 2 witnesses. Witnessed breakage or spillage is not a "loss." If unrecoverable, it is recorded on DEA Form 41 signed by two witnesses.
Card 2An order says to give an oral solution "OD." What should the technician do?
Flag it; OD can be read as right eye. ISMP says OD for once daily can be read as right eye, so the pharmacist should clarify the order.
Card 3A patient on atorvastatin reports new, unexplained muscle pain and weakness. Which statin side effect should the pharmacist hear about?
Myopathy, possibly rhabdomyolysis. Myopathy (muscle damage) that can progress to rhabdomyolysis is the signature statin side effect. Unexplained muscle pain or weakness is referred to the pharmacist.
Encodr is a friendly, game-like flashcard app. Spaced repetition schedules every review for you, and the rest keeps you coming back.
Study a little each day to build a streak. A streak freeze forgives a missed day.
Small goals each day, like finishing a set, with a little celebration when you clear one.
Sessions come in bite-size sets of 15 to 25 answers, so there is always a natural place to stop.
Earn XP and level up, then see friends on a daily leaderboard and send them a nudge.
Yes. Create a free Encodr account and all 18 units and 1,634 cards are yours to study, with spaced repetition scheduling your reviews.
It was built against PTCB's PTCE content outline effective January 6, 2026, and the cards are weighted to that outline's four domains: medications, federal requirements, patient safety and quality assurance, and order entry and processing.
By body system and drug class rather than by rank, across seven units from cardiovascular drugs through urologic, reproductive, skin and eye drugs. Each drug is taught with its class, its brand names where it has them, and the side effects and interactions the exam asks about.
Yes. Unit 4 is a full calculations unit of 164 cards, from conversions through days supply, alligation and IV flow rates. The free pharmacy math calculators below cover the same formulas.