PTCE Practice Test: Free Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam Questions, 2026 Outline

250 practice questions for the PTCE (Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam), built on the content outline that took effect January 6, 2026. They follow its 4 knowledge domains, weighted the way the real exam is: Medications (35%), Patient Safety and Quality Assurance (23.75%), Order Entry and Processing (22.5%) and Federal Requirements (18.75%, up from 12.5% now that drug supply chain rules are on the exam), and they cover all 24 knowledge areas under them. Most are counter moments: which drug is which, what the DEA rule says, what has to go to the pharmacist, and how many days a prescription will last. Each is tagged to its outline area, so your score report shows exactly where you miss, and every answer works the math or explains why the best choice is best and names its public source.

The real test: 90 multiple-choice questions (80 scored, 10 unscored) in 1 hour 50 minutes, at a Pearson VUE test center. It is scored from 1,000 to 1,600 and 1,400 passes; an expert panel set the passing point, so there is no fixed percent. Since January 6, 2026 it follows an updated 4-domain outline that adds the Drug Supply Chain Security Act. Our practice test is full length, 80 scored questions plus 10 unscored, split by the 4 domains like the outline, passing at 70% (56 of 80).

Here: 250 questions. Our own practice questions, built on the PTCE content outline effective January 6, 2026 and written from public sources (FDA drug labels, the Controlled Substances Act rules, the DEA Pharmacist's Manual, EPA, OSHA, NIOSH, FDA recall and DSCSA rules, ISMP, The Joint Commission and CDC), with every answer's source named. Topics are the 4 knowledge domains of the outline. Not PTCB's test questions. Free.

What's on the test

"On the test" is the rough share of a 80-question test for each topic, following the exam's published weights.

10 sample questions

1. Which brand name goes with atorvastatin?

   • A.Crestor
   • B.Zocor
   • C.Pravachol
   • D.Lipitor
   Show answer

   D. Lipitor

   PTCE-1 · 1. Medications

2. Under EPA's 2019 rule for hazardous waste pharmaceuticals, may a pharmacy pour or flush them down the drain?

   • A.Only on weekends
   • B.No, sewering them is banned
   • C.Yes, if they are diluted first
   • D.Yes, in amounts under 1 kg a month
   Show answer

   B. No, sewering them is banned

   PTCE-89 · 2. Federal Requirements

3. Which of these is on ISMP's list of high-alert medications for community pharmacies?

   • A.Amoxicillin
   • B.Insulin
   • C.Docusate
   • D.Loratadine
   Show answer

   B. Insulin

   PTCE-136 · 3. Patient Safety and Quality Assurance

4. What does the Sig '1 tab po tid pc' mean?

   • A.Take 1 tablet by mouth twice a day before meals
   • B.Take 1 tablet by mouth three times a day after meals
   • C.Take 1 tablet by mouth every 3 hours as needed for pain
   • D.Take 1 tablet under the tongue three times a day
   Show answer

   B. Take 1 tablet by mouth three times a day after meals

   PTCE-195 · 4. Order Entry and Processing

5. Metoprolol succinate belongs to which drug class?

   • A.Calcium channel blocker
   • B.Beta blocker
   • C.ACE inhibitor
   • D.Angiotensin II receptor blocker
   Show answer

   B. Beta blocker

   PTCE-2 · 1. Medications

6. Which drug is on EPA's P-list of acute hazardous wastes when discarded?

   • A.Metformin
   • B.Warfarin
   • C.Amoxicillin
   • D.Lisinopril
   Show answer

   B. Warfarin

   PTCE-90 · 2. Federal Requirements

7. A prescription for methotrexate 2.5 mg tablets for rheumatoid arthritis reads 'take 4 tablets daily.' What is the concern?

   • A.Methotrexate is a Schedule II controlled substance, so it needs a new prescription each time
   • B.The tablets come only in 10 mg
   • C.For arthritis it is usually weekly; daily dosing can be fatal
   • D.It must be taken at bedtime
   Show answer

   C. For arthritis it is usually weekly; daily dosing can be fatal

   PTCE-137 · 3. Patient Safety and Quality Assurance

8. What does 'qhs' mean on a prescription?

   • A.At bedtime
   • B.Four times a day
   • C.Every hour
   • D.Every other day
   Show answer

   A. At bedtime

   PTCE-196 · 4. Order Entry and Processing

9. Synthroid is the brand name of which generic drug?

   • A.Levothyroxine
   • B.Liothyronine
   • C.Methimazole
   • D.Propylthiouracil
   Show answer

   A. Levothyroxine

   PTCE-3 · 1. Medications

10. Which product did EPA's 2019 rule take OFF the P-list?

    • A.Arsenic trioxide (used for leukemia)
    • B.Physostigmine and physostigmine salicylate
    • C.OTC nicotine gum, patches and lozenges
    • D.Warfarin over 0.3%
    Show answer

    C. OTC nicotine gum, patches and lozenges

    PTCE-91 · 2. Federal Requirements

What the study guide does

• Short study rounds and flip cards.
• A practice test built like the real one: 80 questions, 56 to pass.
• Pass Meter: your chance of passing if you sat the test today, worked out from your own answers.
• An explanation for every answer.