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A 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 you how far from the standard you were.
Two results, arriving at different times and answering different questions.
The preliminary result
Pass or fail, on screen at the test center at the end of the session. You leave knowing the outcome. Wait for the confirmation.
It does not include a score, a domain breakdown or anything about which questions were wrong.
The official result
The official scaled score follows from PTCB. The pass standard is 1,400 on a 1,000 to 1,600 scale.
On a pass it confirms what the screen already told you. On a fail it is the difference between a near miss you can repair in a few weeks and a wide miss that needs a different plan, and treating one as the other is why second attempts often repeat the first.
What you cannot get
- A list of the questions you got wrong
- Which ten of the 90 were unscored pilot items
- A percentage, because the standard is not expressed as one
- A comparison against a published pass rate, because PTCB publishes none
Do not reconstruct your score
Candidates leave and try to count the questions they think they missed. With ten unscored items mixed in and unidentifiable, that arithmetic cannot be done. You leave knowing.
The report you receive is the answer, and it is a better one than your memory of the room.
Telling an employer
Wait for the official confirmation before announcing anything. The preliminary result is reliable, and the credential is what an employer will check. Not your memory of the room.
Common questions
When do I get PTCB exam results?
A preliminary pass or fail on screen at the test center, with the official scaled score following from PTCB.
What is on the official result?
The scaled score against the 1,400 pass standard on a 1,000 to 1,600 scale.
Will I see which questions I missed?
No.
Can I work out my percentage?
No. The standard is not expressed as a percentage, and ten of the 90 questions were unscored.
Why does the scaled score matter?
On a fail it tells you whether you need a repair or a rebuild.