PTCB – Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. PTCE Review Questions

PTCB Test Questions

What is the PTCB exam?

PTCB stands for “Pharmacy Technician Certification Board.” PTCB is a national organization promoting medication and patient safety.

PTCB is playing a pivotal role by certifying individuals who can assist pharmacists and patient care teams in all pharmacy practice settings.

What is the PTCE exam?

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) is a computer-based exam administered at Pearson VUE test centers nationwide. PTCE is developed by PTCB to test and certify whether individuals have demonstrated the knowledge necessary to practice as pharmacy technicians in the United States.

Starting in 2020, PTCB will need future technicians to complete a PTCB-recognized education/training program or have equivalent work experience to be qualified to apply.

What does the PTCB exam consist of?

The PTCE is a 120 minute long, multiple-choice exam that comprises of 90 questions. Ten questions are unscored and do not impact the final score. Unscored items are randomly distributed throughout the exam, and test-takers can’t identify them. One hour and 50 minutes are allowed for answering the exam questions and 10 minutes for a tutorial and post-exam survey.

PTCB publishes the PTCE blueprint that outlines the topics.

1) Pharmacology for Technicians

2) Pharmacy Law and Regulations

3) Sterile and Non-Sterile Compounding

4) Medication Safety

5) Pharmacy Quality Assurance

6) Medication Order Entry and Fill Process

7) Pharmacy Inventory Management

8) Pharmacy Billing and Reimbursement

9) Pharmacy Information System Usage and Application

PTCE blueprint is available at the link below:

https://www.ptcb.org/docs/default-source/get-certified/new_ptce_blueprint.pdf?sfvrsn=15

What score do you need to pass the PTCB?

The scaled passing score for the new PTCE is 1400, with a range of possible scores of 1000 to 1600.

PTCB uses multiple sets of questions, administered around the year, and these sets fluctuate in the level of difficulty.

The scores obtained by students are then statistically equated to convert into a scaled score which ranges between 1000 to 1600.

How many questions are on the PTCB?

PTCE comprises of 90 questions. Ten questions are not scored and do not impact the final score. Unscored items are placed in the test to qualify for future exams and are randomly distributed throughout the exam and cannot be identified by test takers.

How many times can you take the PTCB exam?

There is no limit on how many times PTCE can be applied; however, candidates need to apply and pay for each PTCE try. Candidates who do not succeed the PTCE must wait at least 60 days from the most recent attempt to apply for the second and third attempts.

A candidate failing on the third attempt must wait for six months and must provide complete evidence of acceptable preparation activities to PTCB for review and approval before applying for additional attempts.

How much does it cost to take the PTCB exam?

The cost to apply for certification and appear for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) is $129.

Students can apply at the following link on the PTCB portal:

https://portal.ptcb.org/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fProfile%2fDefault.aspx

Can I take the PTCB pharmacy tech exam without going to school?

Starting in 2020, PTCB requires future technicians to complete a PTCB-recognized education/training program or have equivalent work experience to be qualified to apply and take the exam.

How to Pass the PTCB the First Time?

Passing the PTCB exam is the last major milestone standing between you and your ultimate prize — a Certified Pharmacy Technician license. It’s difficult to stop the fear from setting in, but you have been preparing for this test for months! You are more ready than you feel.

Many students have come before you and know precisely how nerve-wracking this time can be. Rest assured, we will help you pass the PTCB examination and become a Certified Pharmacy Technician on the first attempt.

First Steps

Congratulations! You’ve graduated from a rigorous pharmacy technician program. After months of tedious studying and long clinical days, you have earned the ability to take a week or two off from the grind of education. Give yourself a break to unwind and make time to treat yourself.

What can you do with all of your newfound time? Rest! Sleep in past sunrise or connect with family and friends that you’ve missed during your pharmacy school journey. Focus on wellness activities like yoga, meditation, long walks, massages, or warm baths. Nurture your soul, so you are relaxed and open to focusing on the PTCB.

Don’t take too much time off from pharmacy study material. Staying fresh will allow you to retain the knowledge you gained in school. However, the PTCB will require additional training and learning.

Once you are ready, you’ll need to apply to the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board(PTCB) and register with Pearson VUE for an Authorization to Test (ATT). Schedule the PTCB a couple of months out so that you can work towards this target date. Plan to spend about two months of studying for the PTCB.

Preparing for the PTCB

You want to review enough Pharmacy technician information to pass the exam without frying your brain. Choose a schedule that identifies which days of the week you plan to study and how long you plan to work.

Students differ in the amount that they can comfortably achieve in one day. Previous success stories show that between three to four hours of study each day is ideal.

Your studying agenda should also describe when you will take practice exams. You can set any goal that works with your strengths and weakness, so long as you are intentional.

Do not cram! It’s appropriate to take a few days off each week, as long as you make the days that you work worthwhile. Set a goal to complete a specific number of questions a day or complete a certain amount of practice tests. Engage in active studying, rather than passively staring at pages of notes or rewriting information from PTCB prep books.

Study With Mnemonics

Mnemonics are a memorization technique that allows you to remember complex concepts quickly. These are typically a short phrase or acronym that you can call on utilizing flashcards.

Study by Teaching

Reciprocate study sessions with your peers by teaching lessons to each other and quizzing each other. If you don’t have any classmates willing to study, educate a layperson all about pharmacy topics. If you can teach your grandmother about pharmacy operations and the inventory process, you’re killing it!

Keep Practicing

Schedule at least two online mock PTCB exams into your plan to help you become accustomed to long stints of computer testing. Being able to sit and mull over pharmacy questions for extended periods will simulate the endurance that you need for the PTCB.

Dealing with Low Practice Test Scores

Are you panicking about low practice test scores? Preliminary exams are not the official PTCB so don’t take the results so harshly. Use them as a tool to help develop your strengths and tease out your weaknesses.

Unsure where to start? Study our free PTCB practice questions for 2019.

Start Studying Now

 

Go through each one of our free PTCB practice questions. If you feel reasonably confident in the information, you are miles ahead.

If you missed a question or were unsure of the answer, review the question bank rationales. Also, with the help of our question bank, the items you miss are ready for you to study at a moments notice. If you still do not fully understand, use your pharmacy school material for diving into that particular material and creating an additional plan for review.

Relax the Night Before the Exam

Use the morning before the exam to relax your mind and avoid studying. Instead, exercise or meditate, have a leisurely breakfast and take a nice shower. Focus on the present and do not allow your mind to wander into fear.

The PTCB is evidence-based, and all questions come from journals, textbooks, and scientific data. Forget about anecdotal data from the front lines of pharmacy. As difficult as it may be, do not draw from your history as a Pharmacy Technician’s aide or pharmacy student!

Positivity is Key

The exam is tough and will require studying! You may have moments during the exam when you are questioning everything from your knowledge, to your future as a Pharmacy Technician. It’s not unusual to be frustrated — it’s a challenging exam. If it wasn’t difficult, anyone could be a Pharmacy Technician. Trust your abilities and picture yourself as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. Passing this test is just the last step.

Test-Taking Skills

Keep in mind that 10 sample test questions are unscored and evaluate how well candidates perform. They are questions that may appear on a future PTCB exam. Do not try to gauge where you are difficulty-wise during the test. If you got a few easy questions, it does not mean that you are below the pass line. You could be getting easy questions because of the random samples.

Focus on each question. Do not worry about the questions you’ve already submitted or what’s to come. Stop worrying about the level of difficulty. Think of it as a marathon.

When in Doubt

There are a few tried but true PTCB tricks. Remember these tips when you’re unsure of the correct choice.

· Assess the patient and perform the most appropriate pharmacy intervention first. Calling the physician is usually not the best first step.

· Don’t shoot in the dark — use your pharmacy knowledge and logic to make an educated decision, even if you feel clueless.

· You’ve been developing your clinical reasoning throughout your program. Trust your growing “Pharmacy Technician intuition.”

· You will encounter the “select all that apply” questions. Carefully look at each choice and eliminate incorrect answer choices.

You’re Ready to Fly Solo

Since starting pharmacy school, you’ve been training for the moment to become a licensed Pharmacy Technician. It’s time to walk into the exam with the confidence to know that you are meant to be a Pharmacy Technician. Positive thinking can make or break you on the PTCB.

The more you build this test up in your head, the higher your anxiety will climb. Do not view this exam as a hurdle because this test is a chance to show off what you have learned.

Reviewing pharmacy material benefits you in more ways than just acing the PTCB. Every moment that you spend studying is preparing you to be a more qualified Pharmacy Technician.

Most importantly, believe in yourself! You have come so far and demonstrated your worth by completing a pharmacy technician school. Don’t let any doubts creep in your way of achieving your dream!

What is the worst-case scenario? Well, 60 days and $129 later, you can retake it. You still have a pharmacy technician school degree on your wall. Pick yourself up, dry your tears, and hit the books. When you walk into the PTCB, tell yourself, “I will be a Pharmacy Technician today!”

If you are looking for free practice questions to make you an expert at answering on the real thing, click below!

FOR ONLINE PTCB PRACTICE QUESTIONS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, CLICK THIS LINK TO CHECK OUT RPHBUDDY.COM’S PTCB TEST PREP QUESTIONS.