United States
Hong KongDo you need experience?
You need either a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program or a minimum of 500 hours of equivalent work experience with a supervisor attestation. One or the other, not both.
Two doors, and candidates regularly assume only one exists.
The two routes
- A PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program, or completion within 60 days of applying
- A minimum of 500 hours of equivalent work experience, complete at application, with a supervisor attestation
Satisfying either makes you eligible. There is no requirement to do both.
If you have no experience
The program route. You cannot accumulate the hours without a job, so this is the way in for a career changer.
If you are already working
Five hundred hours is roughly three months of full-time work. A technician who has been in post for a season likely has the hours, and the free route removes the largest cost in the whole process. Check before enrolling on a program.
What about a degree?
Not required. Typical entry-level education for the occupation is a high school diploma or equivalent, and PTCB does not require a degree for either route.
The bottleneck on the experience route
The supervisor attestation, which covers the same knowledge requirements used to evaluate recognized programs. It depends on someone else's time, so ask early.
Does experience help you pass?
On Patient Safety substantially, on Medications partly, and on Federal Requirements barely - because the job teaches your state's rules and the exam asks about the federal position.
Common questions
Do I need experience for the PTCB exam?
You need one of two routes: a recognized training program, or 500 hours of work experience.
How much experience?
A minimum of 500 hours, complete at application, with a supervisor attestation.
Can I sit it with no experience at all?
Yes, via a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program.
Do I need a degree?
No. Typical entry education is a high school diploma or equivalent.
Does experience help me pass?
Substantially on Patient Safety, barely on Federal Requirements.