How to Pass Pharmacy Technician Certification on First Try

If you are planning to become a pharmacy technician, you need to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE). However, this certification examination requires strategic preparation, focused studying, and understanding what the exam truly assesses.

With a 70% national pass rate, success is certainly achievable, but your approach to study will matter a lot. This guide will help you better understand the PTCB exam format and tips on how to ace it on your first attempt.

What Is the PTCB Exam?

In short, the PTCE is the nationally recognized certification exam administered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) that assesses whether candidates possess the knowledge and skills necessary to work safely and effectively as a pharmacy technician.

What’s the PTCB Exam Format?

What Are the Eligibility Criteria for the PTCB Exam?

To be eligible for the PTCE, you must meet one of two pathways.
Pathway 1: It requires completion of a PTCB-Recognized Education or Training Program (or completion expected within 60 days of application).
Pathway 2: Allows candidates with no formal training to qualify by completing a minimum of 500 hours of work experience as a pharmacy technician in a pharmacy practice setting, with all hours completed at the time of application.

PTCB Eligibility Checklist

• Are you currently residing in the United States of America or its territories (US)?
• Have you completed a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program, or do you have equivalent work experience?
• Full disclosure of all criminal and State Board of Pharmacy registration or licensure actions
• Compliance with all applicable PTCB Certification policies
• Passing score on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam® (PTCE®)

How Hard Is the PTCB Exam?

The PTCB exam is considered moderately difficult but absolutely passable with proper preparation.

However, the difficulty varies by the candidate’s training or previous experience.

What Makes the PTCB Exam Difficult?

• Four Distinct Domains: Medications, Patient Safety & Quality Assurance, Order Entry & Processing, and Federal Requirements.
• Weighted Scoring System: Math and calculation questions are often weighted more heavily than basic recall questions.
• Medication Volume: Memorizing the top 200 drugs but also their generic/brand names, indications, side effects, interactions, and contraindications.
• Time Pressure: With only 110 minutes to answer 90 questions, time management becomes critical.

What are the PTCB Exam Pass Rates?

According to the official PTCB records, the passing rate for the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam is 70%, indicating that roughly 7 out of 10 candidates pass on their first attempt.

Study Tips to Clear the PTCB Exam on the First Attempt

1. Master Pharmacy Math and Calculations First

For first-time test takers, it is highly recommended to focus on pharmacy math first. This is because pharma math questions often carry disproportionate weight, take longer to complete, and have only one correct answer.

Begin by learning the fundamentals: unit conversions, percentages, ratios, proportions, and dosage calculations. Don’t memorize formulas in isolation; instead, understand the logic and reasoning behind calculations. Practice step-by-step methods repeatedly until calculations become second nature. Spend at least 30-40% of your total study time on pharmacy math, ensuring you can solve complex, multi-step problems quickly and accurately.

2. Study Drug Classes and Suffixes, Not Individual Drugs

Rather than attempting to memorize all 200+ individual drugs independently, study drugs by therapeutic class and recognize naming patterns. Drugs within the same class share similar suffixes: statins end in “-statin” (cholesterol-lowering agents), ACE inhibitors end in “-pril,” beta blockers end in “-olol,” and antibiotics end in “-cillin,” “-floxacin,” or “-cycline.”

According to our instructors, this classification approach is far more efficient because once you understand that all “-statin” drugs treat high cholesterol and recognize specific medications within that class (atorvastatin/Lipitor, simvastatin/Zocor, rosuvastatin/Crestor), you can answer many drug-related questions without memorizing every single entry on the Top 200 list.

Spend 30% of study time on medication knowledge, but focus on quality over quantity. Learn 20-30 drugs deeply by class, their indications, side effects, and interactions before attempting to learn more.

Memorizing Tip: Use flashcards organized by class, not alphabetically, to reinforce the connection between drug names, categories, and therapeutic uses.

3. Create a Structured Study Schedule and Stick to It

Consistency trumps cramming. Establish a realistic study schedule that fits your daily life and commit to it. Most candidates require 4-8 weeks of dedicated study time to pass on their first attempt. Break your study plan into phases:

NOTE: If you struggle with creating and sticking to a schedule, we highly recommend enrolling in a structured, online pharmacy technician training program.
Explore the Course

4. Address Weak Areas Immediately

Although instructors can and will help you with this, you can also uncover your weak areas yourself. After each practice test, identify questions you missed and categorize them by topic. Rather than reviewing only the incorrect answer, study the entire topic area to fill knowledge gaps. If you struggled with calculations, work through similar problems. If drug interactions tripped you up, review that drug class thoroughly.

5. Minimize Test Anxiety and Optimize Exam Day Performance

It is natural to feel a little anxious before the exam; however, if you are consistently thinking about the exam and experiencing anxiety, it is crucial to understand it.

According to the research, when you are stressed, working memory decreases, decision-making slows, and simple questions feel impossible.

To overcome this:

• Practicing under timed conditions: Complete full-length practice exams within 110 minutes to build comfort with the actual exam pace.
• Using breathing techniques: Implement 4-second box breathing (inhale 4 counts, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) when you feel panic rising during the actual exam.
• Marking questions for review: Flag difficult questions and return to them after answering easier questions. Don’t spend excessive time on one challenging item.
• Reading carefully: Watch for negatives like “NOT,” “EXCEPT,” and “FIRST” in questions. Misreading keywords causes preventable errors.
• Sleeping well before the exam: Rest the night before more than any last-minute cramming. Cognitive function drops significantly with sleep deprivation.

What If I Don’t Pass The Exam On The First Attempt?

If you don’t pass, know that retakes are possible and many candidates succeed on subsequent attempts. The PTCB retake policy is favorable for the first and second attempts: there is no waiting period after failing your first attempt. You can reapply immediately upon receiving your official score report and schedule another exam attempt within days if desired.

For your second and third attempts, no waiting period applies. You can test again as soon as you’re ready and have paid the $129 exam fee.

NOTE: After three unsuccessful attempts, a six-month mandatory waiting period begins before your fourth attempt. Additionally, after four failed attempts, you must provide the PTCB with documented evidence of adequate preparation activities.

Learn more at the Official PTCB Retake Policy.

How to Know If You’re Ready for the PTCB Exam

Determining readiness requires honest self-assessment using objective measures. Consider yourself ready if you meet these criteria:

• Consistent Practice Test Performance: You consistently score 80-90% or higher on full-length practice exams that mirror PTCE difficulty. Scores in the 65-75% range on practice tests suggest you need additional study time; below 65% indicates significant preparation gaps.
• Passing the Pre-PTCE: If you pass the official PTCB Pre-PTCE with a score above 1,400 (the passing scaled score), you’re very likely ready for the actual exam. Candidates who pass the Pre-PTCE are 3 times more likely to pass the PTCE.
• Mastery of Math: You can solve multi-step pharmacy math problems quickly and accurately without a calculator. You understand the logic behind calculations, not just the formulas.
• Drug Knowledge Coverage: You can identify drugs by class suffix, name common drugs within major therapeutic categories, recognize interactions, and explain indications and side effects for at least 100-150 of the Top 200 drugs.
• Content Outline Completion: You’ve studied all four exam domains and can explain federal pharmacy requirements, identify patient safety issues, and discuss order entry procedures without significant gaps.
• Time Management: During practice exams, you complete all questions with 5-10 minutes remaining, not rushing through the final questions.

Learn how to become a pharmacy technician after completing your certification.