Exam prep · Free exam prep course - in progress
A free course for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), being built against PTCB's content outline that took effect January 6, 2026. The plan: the top 200 drugs taught by body system and drug class rather than by rank, pharmacy calculations from conversions to IV rates, and the federal law and patient safety material the 2026 outline puts more weight on. The course is not published yet. Create a free account now and it will appear on your Exams and Credentials shelf when it is, and use the free pharmacy math tools below in the meantime.
| 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).