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PTCB · Prep course

PTCB exam prep course

Practice for the 2026 PTCE with 320 questions on all four domains: medications, federal law, patient safety and order entry. Every answer is explained, with a source such as an FDA drug label or the federal rule itself.

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Cancel anytime online · 7-day full refund

320PTCE practice questions
97free to try, no card
24knowledge areas covered
25short lessons

What's inside, section by section

The PTCE has 90 multiple-choice questions (80 scored) in 1 hour 50 minutes. PTCB sets a weight for each of its four domains. The question counts are our math (weight × 80 scored questions), not PTCB numbers.

Free for everyone With a plan

MedicationsOn the PTCE: 35% · ~28 Qs

112 questions · 31 free · 8 lessons
- Generic/brand names and drug classes
- Therapeutic duplications
- Drug interactions and contraindications
- +5 more topics
Federal RequirementsOn the PTCE: 18.75% · ~15 Qs

60 questions · 22 free · 6 lessons
- Storage, handling and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous substances
- Controlled substance prescriptions and DEA schedules
- Controlled substance handling: ordering to destruction
- +3 more topics
Patient SafetyOn the PTCE: 23.75% · ~19 Qs

76 questions · 22 free · 6 lessons
- High-alert and look-alike/sound-alike drugs
- Error prevention strategies
- Issues needing pharmacist intervention
- +3 more topics
Order EntryOn the PTCE: 22.5% · ~18 Qs

72 questions · 22 free · 5 lessons
- Pharmacy calculations, Sig codes and abbreviations
- Drug administration equipment and supplies
- Lot numbers, expiration dates and NDC numbers
- +1 more topic

Built for the 2026 outline

Federal law is 18.75% of the exam. The outline covers federal rules, not state law.
DSCSA is new. Drug supply chain tracing, serial numbers and quarantine. We have 10 questions on it.
Nonsterile compounding is out. PTCB removed it, along with alligations, so we don't test them.

Try 2 questions from the full bank

These come from the paid part of the bank. Answer in your head, then open the answer to see why each choice is right or wrong.

Sample 1Order Entry · Pharmacy calculations, Sig codes and abbreviations · Multiple choice

Rx: albuterol HFA inhaler, 200 actuations per canister. Sig: 2 puffs by inhalation q4-6h prn wheezing. Disp: 1 inhaler. Using the most the Sig allows per day, and dropping any partial day, what is the days' supply?

A16 days
B17 days
C25 days
D33 days

Show the answer and why

Correct answer: A

For as-needed (prn) Sigs, CMS guidance says to use the maximum allowed daily doses. A range of q4-6h means the patient may use it as often as every 4 hours, which is 6 times in 24 hours, so 6 × 2 puffs = 12 puffs a day. 200 ÷ 12 = 16.7, and a partial day is dropped, giving 16 days.

ACorrect: q4h at most = 6 doses × 2 puffs = 12 puffs a day; 200 ÷ 12 = 16.7, which drops to 16 whole days.
BThis rounds 16.7 up, counting a day the canister cannot fully cover.
CThis uses q6h (4 doses, 8 puffs a day) instead of the maximum allowed frequency.
DThis counts 1 puff per dose instead of 2 (200 ÷ 6).

Source: CMS Medicaid Program Integrity, Pharmacy Auditing and Dispensing Job Aid: Billing Oral Products · DailyMed: Albuterol sulfate HFA inhalation aerosol (Teva) label

Sample 2Patient Safety · High-alert and look-alike/sound-alike drugs · Multiple choice

Morphine sulfate oral solution comes as 10 mg per 5 mL and as 100 mg per 5 mL. A prescription is written for morphine 10 mg (5 mL) by mouth every 4 hours as needed, but the technician selects the 100 mg per 5 mL bottle. How much morphine would each 5 mL dose contain compared with the intended dose?

AThe same amount, because the volume is unchanged
BTwice as much morphine as intended
CTen times as much morphine as intended
DOne-tenth as much morphine as intended

Show the answer and why

Correct answer: C

The 100 mg per 5 mL (20 mg/mL) solution is 10 times as concentrated as the 10 mg per 5 mL (2 mg/mL) solution, so 5 mL holds 100 mg instead of 10 mg. The label warns that confusion between concentrations, and between mg and mL, has caused fatal overdoses, and the high-concentration product is only for opioid-tolerant adults. That is why opioids, including oral liquid concentrates, are on ISMP's high-alert lists.

AEqual volume does not mean equal dose; the amount of drug in each mL is what changed.
B20 mg/mL divided by 2 mg/mL is 10, not 2.
CCorrect: 100 mg per 5 mL divided by 10 mg per 5 mL is 10, so each dose holds 10 times the intended morphine.
DThis reverses the ratio; the concentrate holds more drug per mL, not less.

Source: DailyMed: Morphine sulfate oral solution label · ISMP Medication Safety Alert! Acute Care, Jan 11, 2024: high-alert medication list updated for 2024 (PDF; list on last page) · ISMP's List of Confused Drug Names (2015 PDF)

Who it's for

A good fit if

You are applying for PTCB's CPhT credential and will take the PTCE.
You need drug practice: brand and generic names, classes, side effects and storage.
You want practice with Sig codes, days' supply and pharmacy math.
You want federal law questions written for the 2026 outline, including DSCSA.

Look elsewhere if

You are taking the ExCPT from NHA. Our bank follows the PTCE outline.
You need your state's pharmacy law. The PTCE outline covers federal rules, and so do we.
You want PTCB's own practice tools. Only PTCB sells those.

What's free, what a plan adds

Free for everyone

97 questions, including a free full-length practice test in practice mode
All 25 PTCB lessons
A diagnostic test with your score for each domain, and the first 3 days of a study plan
The PTCB cheat sheet PDF
Your last 10 mistakes to retry

Added with a plan

223 more questions, for 320 in all
Timed exam mode, and practice sets on one knowledge area
A score for every knowledge area, weakest first, and your whole study plan with calendar export
Your whole mistake book, brought back on day 1, 3, 7 and 14
The TEAS 7, HESI A2 and NCLEX-RN banks at no extra cost

Not included

Real PTCE questions. Ours are original and follow PTCB's public content outline.
State pharmacy law
A scaled score. Our reports show percent correct, not PTCB's 1,000–1,600 scale.
Hands-on lab or compounding practice

Plans and price

Every plan opens the full PTCB bank, plus the other three exam banks. Plans renew automatically until you cancel. Cancel anytime in your account; you keep access until the end of the period you paid for.

1 month $29 billed monthly Renews automatically at $29 every month until you cancel.
3 months $59 ≈ $19.67 a month Save 32% vs. 1 month Renews automatically at $59 every 3 months until you cancel.
6 months $79 ≈ $13.17 a month Save 55% vs. 1 month Renews automatically at $79 every 6 months until you cancel.

PTCB posts official results in your PTCB account within three weeks. Pick the billing period that covers your test date. You can cancel when you are done. If you may need a retake, the 6-month plan leaves room for it.

Choose a plan Start free first

7-day full refund

Changed your mind? Email us within 7 days of your first payment and we refund all of it. No questions asked.

Didn't pass? +2 months free

Didn't pass the PTCE? Email us your official PTCB score report showing the fail, within 30 days of getting your official result. We give you 2 more months of access for free, so you can prepare for the retake. Auto-renew is turned off, so those months are never charged.

Your access must be active on your test date. One extension per exam. It is extra study time, not a cash refund: we turn off auto-renew and the free months start when your paid period ends. Full terms: refund policy.

Prices in USD. Sales tax or VAT may be added at checkout, depending on where you live. Payment is handled by Creem, our Merchant of Record.

Questions about the PTCB course

How many PTCB practice questions are included?

320 in all, across the four PTCE domains: Medications 112, Federal Requirements 60, Patient Safety 76, Order Entry 72. 97 are free. A plan opens the other 223.

Does it match the 2026 PTCE content outline?

Yes. The bank uses the four domains and the knowledge areas of the outline that took effect in January 2026. That includes the new DSCSA area (10 questions). It leaves out nonsterile compounding and alligations, which PTCB removed.

Which drugs are covered?

PTCB's content outline has no drug list, so we chose commonly dispensed medications. Questions test brand and generic names, drug classes, side effects, interactions and storage. Most drug facts come from FDA-approved labels on DailyMed.

What score do I need to pass the PTCE?

1,400 on a scale of 1,000 to 1,600. Our score reports show percent correct instead, because we can't reproduce PTCB's scaling. Use them to find weak areas, not to predict your score.

Can I take the PTCE online?

Not as of October 2026. PTCB gives the PTCE in person at Pearson VUE test centers, with a live proctor. Pearson VUE offers online testing for other PTCB exams, but not the PTCE. The exam is 1 hour 50 minutes. Plan for about 2 hours with the tutorial and survey. Rules can change, so check ptcb.org when you schedule.

Are these real PTCE questions?

No. HealthcareExams is independent and is not connected to PTCB. Our questions are original practice items. PTCB sells its own practice tools, the Pre-PTCE and the PTCE Practice Bank, on ptcb.org.

Does the plan renew automatically?

Yes. Your plan renews at the same price until you cancel: $29 every month, $59 every 3 months or $79 every 6 months. We email you 7 days before each renewal. To stop it, press "Turn off auto-renew" in your account. You keep access until the end of the period you paid for.

Can I get my money back?

Yes. Ask within 7 days of paying and we refund the full amount, no questions asked.

Sources

PTCB: Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) (accessed October 15, 2026)
PTCB: PTCE Content Outline, effective January 2026 (PDF) (accessed October 15, 2026)
PTCB: PTCE Job Analysis Study (accessed October 15, 2026)
PTCB: Official PTCB practice tools (accessed October 15, 2026)
Pearson VUE: PTCB exams (OnVUE online testing "for all exams except PTCE") (accessed October 15, 2026)

HealthcareExams is independent. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. PTCB, PTCE and CPhT are trademarks of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. Our questions are original practice items; how we write and check them is on our editorial policy page.