Pharmacy technician (PTCE, ExCPT)
Pharmacy technician exam: PTCE or ExCPT?
Pick either exam in the calculator to see the time per question. Below, the two national exams compared point by point.
Time per question on the real exam
Seconds per question
60
- Questions
- 120
- Time allowed
- 2 h 10 min
- Average with no review
- 65 s
ExCPT: 120 questions, of which 100 count toward the score.
Two national exams certify pharmacy technicians. The PTCE, written by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, has 90 questions (80 scored) in 1 hour 50 minutes, is delivered by Pearson VUE, costs $129 and is scored from 1,000 to 1,600 with 1,400 to pass. The ExCPT, written by the National Healthcareer Association, has 120 questions (100 scored) in 2 hours 10 minutes, is scored from 200 to 500 with 390 to pass, and its fee was not shown on a public NHA page on October 26, 2026. Both lead to a certified pharmacy technician credential. The PTCE gives its largest domain to medications; the ExCPT to the dispensing process, at 43%. Eligibility differs: the PTCB accepts a recognized program or 500 hours of work; the NHA a program within five years or 1,200 hours of supervised work in three years. Retakes differ too, from no wait at the PTCB to 30 days at the NHA.
ExCPT · practice
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| Study target: 4 of 5 (80%), not the official passing score |
Practice questions written by Radif Partners from the public outline; not questions from the real exam. Progress stays in this browser.
Questions, formats and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Side by side
| PTCE | ExCPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Certifier | PTCB | NHA |
| Questions | 90 (80 scored) | 120 (100 scored) |
| Time | 1 hour 50 minutes | 2 hours 10 minutes |
| Score | scaled score of 1,400 (scale 1,000 to 1,600) | scaled score of 390 (scale 200 to 500) |
| Fee | $129 | Not published on a public page |
| Wait after a failure | None for the 2nd and 3rd attempts | 30 days |
How the content is weighted
The PTCE outline has four domains: medications 35%, federal requirements 18.75%, patient safety 23.75% and order entry 22.5%. The ExCPT test plan has five: dispensing 43%, role and duties 15%, laws 15%, safety 14% and drugs 13%. In short, the PTCE asks more about drugs, the ExCPT more about the workflow of dispensing and the technician's duties.
Eligibility
For the PTCE, the PTCB guidebook accepts a PTCB-recognized education or training program, or 500 hours of work as a technician. For the ExCPT, the NHA candidate handbook (archived copy) accepts, after a high school diploma or equivalent, a training program completed within five years or 1,200 hours of supervised work in the last three years. If you trained in a program, check whether it is PTCB-recognized; if you trained on the job, compare the hours you have with each threshold.
Retakes and renewal
The PTCB lets you retake twice without waiting, then asks six months before a fourth attempt. The NHA asks 30 days between attempts and a year after 3 attempts. Both credentials renew every two years with 20 hours of continuing education.
Choosing
- Check your state board of pharmacy: if it names one exam, the choice is made.
- Check local postings and your employer.
- If both are open, take a short practice set of each on the combined practice test and see which weighting suits you.
The PTCB exam guide and the ExCPT page go further on each.