PTCB · PTCE
Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) practice exams
The national pharmacy technician certification exam — practice against PTCB's 2026 content outline, with every answer explained.
Or read 15 sample questions with answers.
About the PTCE exam
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) is the exam for PTCB's Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credential. It tests what a technician needs on the job: medications, federal law, patient safety, and order entry and calculations.
PTCB introduced a new content outline effective January 6, 2026. It shifts weight away from medications and toward federal requirements and order entry and processing — so practice written to the older outline under-prepares you for calculations and law. These practice exams follow the 2026 weights.
The real exam
Public information published by PTCB. A ExamWize practice exam matches this format — it is not a copy of the exam's contents.
- Format
- 90 multiple-choice questions (80 scored, 10 unscored and unidentified) in 1 hour 50 minutes, computer-based.
- Cost
- PTCB's published fee is $129 to apply for CPhT certification and take the PTCE — check PTCB for current pricing.
- Scoring
- Scaled score from 1,000 to 1,600; 1,400 is passing. PTCB does not publish a percent-correct equivalent, so practice scores here are an estimate, not a prediction of your scaled score.
- Validity
- CPhT certification is renewed every two years with continuing education, per PTCB's recertification requirements.
Practice by exam topic
ExamWize practice exams draw questions in these same proportions, from a bank of 597 PTCE questions. Open a topic for what it covers and free questions with answers.
Who it's for
- Pharmacy technician students finishing a training program
- Working technicians earning the CPhT credential for a new job or a state requirement
- Anyone retaking the PTCE who wants to target the domains they missed
How to prepare
- Study by the 2026 weights: Medications 35%, Patient Safety and Quality Assurance 23.75%, Order Entry and Processing 22.5%, Federal Requirements 18.75%.
- Drill calculations until they're automatic — days' supply, quantity, dose by weight, and concentration questions are worth more on the 2026 outline.
- Learn the top brand/generic pairs and drug classes together; class suffixes (-pril, -sartan, -olol, -statin) answer many questions.
- Know the controlled substance rules cold: schedules, refill limits, DEA forms, and pseudoephedrine limits.
See the free PTCE cheat sheet for a one-page domain summary, and the content policy for how these questions are written.
Free PTCE practice resources
- 15 free PTCE practice questionsSpread across the exam's topics, each with the answer and an explanation for every option.
- Free 10-question diagnosticA quick, scored check of where you stand, with no account needed.
- PTCE cheat sheetThe topics and the facts that come up most, on one page.
- PTCE study guideHow to plan your preparation.
Common questions about PTCE
- PTCE Passing Score: What 1400 Means on PTCB's 1000–1600 ScaleThe PTCE passing score explained: the scaled 1000–1600 range, unscored questions, the 2026 content weights, and retake waiting periods.
- Is the PTCE Hard? What Makes the Pharmacy Technician Exam TrickyWhich PTCE topics trip people up, how hard the calculations really are, and how long pharmacy technicians usually study.
- PTCE vs ExCPT: Which Pharmacy Technician Exam Should You Take?PTCB's PTCE and NHA's ExCPT compared: format, scoring, content, renewal and how to choose based on your state and employer.
PTCE exam FAQ
- What is the format of the PTCE exam?
- 90 multiple-choice questions (80 scored, 10 unscored and unidentified) in 1 hour 50 minutes, computer-based.
- How much does the PTCE exam cost?
- PTCB's published fee is $129 to apply for CPhT certification and take the PTCE — check PTCB for current pricing.
- How is the PTCE exam scored?
- Scaled score from 1,000 to 1,600; 1,400 is passing. PTCB does not publish a percent-correct equivalent, so practice scores here are an estimate, not a prediction of your scaled score.
- How long is the credential valid?
- CPhT certification is renewed every two years with continuing education, per PTCB's recertification requirements.
- How many PTCE practice questions does ExamWize have?
- 597 original practice questions, drawn into full practice exams in the same format and domain proportions as the real PTCE. Every option has its own explanation.
- Are these real PTCE exam questions?
- No. Every question is original, written from PTCB's public content outline — never copied from the real exam or from exam dumps. They match the real exam's format, not its contents.
- Can I try ExamWize for free?
- Yes. The free diagnostic has 10 PTCE practice questions with a full explanation for every answer, and no account is needed.