The exam, start to finish

What the PTCE is, what it costs, how you book it and what the scaled score means.

What the PTCB exam isThe PTCE is the examination for the Certified Pharmacy Technician credential, awarded by PTCB. It is 90 multiple-choice questions in 110 minutes at a …
The formatThe PTCE is 90 multiple-choice questions delivered in one 110-minute session at a Pearson VUE test center, within a two-hour appointment that also cov…
What it costsThe application fee is USD 129 and it covers the Pearson VUE seat. A retake is a fresh application at the same fee. Preparation and any training progr…
How to applyYou apply to PTCB for CPhT certification, satisfying one of the two eligibility routes. Once approved you schedule a Pearson VUE appointment. The USD …
Eligibility routesEither completion of a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program, or completion within 60 days of application, or a minimum of 500 hours of equivalen…
Exam dayArrive early, present identification, store everything, and sit a 110-minute exam inside a two-hour appointment. A preliminary result appears on scree…
What to bringBring acceptable identification and nothing else you need in the room. Personal items are stored, and the test center supplies any writing materials a…
SchedulingOnce PTCB approves your application you book any open Pearson VUE appointment. There are no fixed sitting dates and more than 1,400 centers.
ResultsA preliminary pass or fail appears on screen at the test center. The official scaled score follows from PTCB, and it is the scaled score that tells yo…
Retake rulesEach attempt is a fresh application at USD 129. Waiting periods apply between attempts and lengthen at the fourth, after which PTCB requires evidence …
AccommodationsTesting accommodations are requested through PTCB as part of or alongside the application, with supporting documentation, and must be approved before …
ReschedulingRescheduling and cancellation are governed by current Pearson VUE and PTCB policies, which set deadlines before the appointment. Acting inside the dea…
The ten unscored questionsTen of the 90 administered questions are unscored pilot items being trialled for future forms. They are indistinguishable from scored questions and mu…
Calculator and materialsYou do not bring your own calculator or writing materials. Any calculator is provided by the test center or built into the exam software, and the cent…
IdentificationYou must present acceptable identification whose name matches your application exactly. Requirements are set by PTCB and Pearson VUE and are applied s…
There is no percentage pass markPTCB reports a scaled score with a pass at 1,400 on a 1,000 to 1,600 scale. It does not publish the number of correct answers that produces 1,400, bec…
What 1,400 meansA scaled score converts a raw count into a value on a fixed range so that the same score means the same standard whichever form was sat. 1,400 is the …
Why there is no pass ratePTCB publishes certification counts but not a per-attempt pass rate for the PTCE. Any percentage quoted for it has been estimated, and the 6 January 2…
How it is scoredYour answers to the 80 scored questions produce a raw score, which is converted onto a 1,000 to 1,600 scale. A scaled score of 1,400 is a pass. There …