United States
Hong KongHarder than the ExCPT?
Comparative difficulty between the two is not something we can establish from published data. What can be said is what PTCB publishes about its own examination.
A question asked constantly and answered confidently by people who cannot know.
Why nobody can tell you reliably
- PTCB publishes no pass rate for the PTCE, so there is no figure to compare
- Different awarding bodies scale and score differently, so a comparison of standards is not straightforward
- The PTCE outline changed on 6 January 2026, so any older comparison describes a different paper
For the PTCE at least, there is no published rate to build a comparison on. A confident number here tells you about the source rather than about the exams.
What PTCB does publish
Ninety questions administered with 80 scored, 110 minutes, a scaled pass of 1,400 on 1,000 to 1,600, USD 129, at a Pearson VUE center, across four domains with published weights.
Compare that against the other body's own current published figures directly.
What is genuinely demanding about the PTCE
- Pace - about 73 seconds a question, the tightest of the exams we build for
- Breadth across four unrelated kinds of knowledge
- Roughly a fifth of the scored paper being arithmetic
- A recent blueprint change that leaves much available material mis-weighted
The better question
Not which is harder but which your state board and employer recognize. If either names one, difficulty is irrelevant.
What difficulty even means here
Two exams can be equally demanding and fail different people. One that rewards recall suits a candidate with a good memory; one that rewards pace suits a fluent one. Asking which is harder in the abstract is asking which is harder for an average candidate who does not exist.
The comparison that would actually help
Sit a full-length timed practice paper for whichever one your state and employer recognize. Your own score against that specific paper tells you more than any comparison of the two examinations could.
Common questions
Is the PTCB exam harder than the ExCPT?
Not answerable reliably. PTCB publishes no pass rate, and the two bodies scale differently.
Why can nobody compare them?
No published PTCE pass rate, different scoring, and a 2026 outline change.
What is demanding about the PTCE?
Pace at about 73 seconds a question, breadth, arithmetic, and stale material after the blueprint change.
What should I ask instead?
Which one your state board and employer recognize.
Where do I get reliable figures?
Each awarding body's own current page.