United States
Hong KongThe content outline
The outline effective 6 January 2026 sets four domains: Medications 35 percent, Patient Safety and Quality Assurance 23.75 percent, Order Entry and Processing 22.5 percent and Federal Requirements 18.75 percent, across 80 scored questions.
The single most useful document for this exam, published free by PTCB, and read by a minority of candidates.
The four domains
| Domain | Weight | Scored questions |
|---|---|---|
| Medications | 35% | 28 |
| Patient Safety and Quality Assurance | 23.75% | 19 |
| Order Entry and Processing | 22.5% | 18 |
| Federal Requirements | 18.75% | 15 |
| Total | 100% | 80 |
The weights divide 80 exactly. There is no rounding to argue about, which is unusual and makes the item counts unusually reliable.
Ninety administered, eighty scored
Pearson VUE administers 90 questions. Ten are unscored pilot items that cannot be identified while you sit, and the blueprint weights apply to the 80 that count.
You cannot tell which ten do not, and the pilot items are indistinguishable by design. Treating any question as skippable risks skipping a scored one.
What the outline is actually for
Allocating your time. A domain worth 28 questions deserves roughly a third of your hours and a domain worth 15 deserves under a fifth.
That sounds obvious and almost nobody does it. Study time follows interest and comfort unless something imposes the discipline, and the outline is that something.
Read the knowledge areas, not just the domains
Each domain lists its knowledge areas, and they are specific enough to be a revision checklist. Product serialization and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act is a named area, which tells you it is examinable and roughly how much of the domain it can be.
It changed on 6 January 2026
The current outline followed a 2024 job analysis study, and it moved weight onto Federal Requirements and Order Entry. Material predating it is weighted to a different paper.
Check the date on anything you revise from before you trust its emphasis.
Common questions
What is on the PTCB exam?
Four domains: Medications 35 percent, Patient Safety and Quality Assurance 23.75, Order Entry and Processing 22.5, Federal Requirements 18.75.
How many questions is each domain?
Against the 80 scored questions: 28, 19, 18 and 15 respectively.
How many questions are on the paper?
90 administered, of which 80 are scored and 10 are unscored pilot items.
What is the outline for?
Allocating your study time in proportion to what each domain is worth.
When did it change?
6 January 2026, following a 2024 job analysis study.