Maybe you just saw a pass or fail on the screen and now you're waiting on PTCB. Maybe you're still studying and want to know what it takes. Here is how the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam is scored, straight from PTCB.
You need a scaled score of 1,400, on a scale from 1,000 to 1,600. It isn't a percent.
The PTCE has 90 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour 50 minutes: 80 scored and 10 unscored. PTCB turns your results on the 80 scored questions into a scaled score from 1,000 to 1,600, and 1,400 passes. PTCB doesn't publish how many right answers that takes, because exam forms differ slightly in difficulty.
Checked October 24, 2026 against the official sources listed at the bottom of this page.
Take the free PTCE practice test2026 outline, 90 questions, 110 minutes, no sign-up| Item | The rule |
|---|---|
| Questions | 90 multiple choice: 80 scored, 10 unscored |
| Time | 1 hour 50 minutes, in a 2-hour appointment (5-minute tutorial, 5-minute survey) |
| Score | Scaled, 1,000 to 1,600 |
| To pass | 1,400 |
| Fee | $129 for each attempt |
PTCB gives several versions (forms) of the exam, and they can differ slightly in difficulty. Your scaled score, not your raw count of right answers, decides pass or fail, so everyone is held to the same standard whichever form they get. PTCB keeps the forms equal with a method called IRT pre-equating.
The 1,400 line comes from a modified-Angoff study: panels of experts go question by question and estimate what share of just-qualified pharmacy technicians would get each one right. PTCB's Certification Council reviews and approves the result.
So "how many do I need right?" has no single answer. Our practice test uses 56 of 80 (70%) as a practice mark. That's our number, not PTCB's.
You see a preliminary pass or fail at the end of the exam. It's usually a good sign of how you did, but it isn't official. PTCB checks every exam first, including statistical analysis and a review of candidate comments.
From PTCB's Retake Policy (v1.2, March 2025):
The content outline that took effect January 6, 2026 has four domains:
| Domain | Share |
|---|---|
| Medications | 35% |
| Patient Safety and Quality Assurance | 23.75% |
| Order Entry and Processing | 22.5% |
| Federal Requirements | 18.75% |
Federal Requirements grew (it was 12.5%) and added DSCSA, the drug supply chain law. Nonsterile compounding came out. Older study material may still teach the old outline.
A scaled score of 1,400, on a scale from 1,000 to 1,600.
PTCB doesn't publish a raw number. Your score on the 80 scored questions is converted to a scaled score, and exam forms differ slightly in difficulty, so the raw count needed can differ by form.
No. It is a preliminary result. PTCB checks every exam, and you are certified only once the official result is a pass.
Official score reports are typically ready within 3 weeks of the exam, in your PTCB account.
Once your official score report is out. There is no wait for the 2nd or 3rd attempt, a 6-month wait for the 4th, and after 4 attempts PTCB has to approve proof of new preparation.
No. 10 of the 90 questions are unscored, and you won't know which ones, so treat every question as if it counts.