United States
Hong KongIs it open book?
No. The PTCE is a closed-book examination delivered at a Pearson VUE test center. Personal items including notes, books and phones are stored during the exam.
Closed book, and the consequence for how you prepare is larger than the answer suggests.
What that means in practice
- No notes, no books, no reference materials of your own
- Personal items including your phone and watch go in a locker
- Writing materials are supplied by the center and stay there
- Any calculator is provided by the center or built into the exam software
Why it matters for the federal domain
The regulations behind Federal Requirements are public and free, which makes them wonderful to study from and irrelevant in the room. Fifteen scored questions rest on material you must carry in your head. Candidates who enjoy having the source available while studying sometimes forget they will not have it.
And for the calculations
No formula sheet and no conversion table. Five mL to a teaspoon, 2.2 pounds to a kilogram, a percentage times ten for mg per mL - all recall.
That is why the daily conversions drill matters. It is not about the arithmetic; it is about not needing a reference you will not have.
Compared with other exams
Some licensing exams are open book, and those give more time per question precisely because searching takes time. The PTCE gives the least time per question of the exams we cover and is closed book, which tells you what it is testing.
Check the current rules
Pearson VUE and PTCB publish the candidate rules and they govern. Read them close to your date.
Common questions
Is the PTCB exam open book?
No. It is closed book at a Pearson VUE test center.
Can I bring notes?
No. Personal items go in a locker.
Can I bring a calculator?
Not your own. Any calculator is provided by the center or built into the software.
Do I get a formula sheet?
No. Conversions must be recall.
Why does that matter for federal questions?
The regulations are free to study from and unavailable in the room. Fifteen scored questions rest on memory.