Free Practice Test
Free Pharmacy Technician Practice Test
Take our free 10-question PTCE pharmacy technician practice test — covering drug classes and brand/generic names, pharmacy math and days supply, DEA controlled-substance schedules, high-alert medications, and federal law. No signup required. See your score instantly.
10 Free Pharmacy Technician (PTCE) Practice Questions
Q1. Which prescription date practice is illegal for a prescriber to use during community intake?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: Post-dating a prescription
Post-dating prescriptions is illegal. Multiple CII prescriptions may be issued with earliest-fill instructions when legally allowed.
Q2. One insulin vial contains 1000 units. The patient injects 25 units daily. What is the days supply during profile entry?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: 40 days
Days supply = total units / daily units. 1000 units / 25 units per day = 40 days.
Q3. A patient receives 200 mL of suspension with directions to take 5 mL BID. What is the days supply during inventory review?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: 20 days
Daily volume = 5 mL x 2 = 10 mL/day. Days supply = 200 mL / 10 mL/day = 20 days.
Q4. Which element is required on a controlled substance prescription for a DEA-registered prescriber during pharmacist verification prep?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: Prescriber DEA number
Controlled substance prescriptions require the prescriber's DEA number. They also need patient, drug, quantity, directions, date, and signature elements.
Q5. Which high-alert medication class requires caution because of serious bleeding risk during technician training?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: Anticoagulants
Warfarin, heparin, and DOACs are high-alert anticoagulants. Errors can lead to serious bleeding or clotting.
Q6. Which medication group is considered high-alert because wrong dose or type may be fatal during daily workflow?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: Insulin
All insulin products are high-alert medications. Wrong insulin type or dose can cause severe hypo- or hyperglycemia.
Q7. A prescription profile lists Adderall. Which federal DEA schedule applies to this controlled substance?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: Schedule CII
Adderall is classified as Schedule CII. Schedule II drugs have high abuse potential, accepted medical use, and no refills. CIII-CV prescriptions may be refilled up to five times within six months.
Q8. A technician enters Ativan (lorazepam) into the profile. Which classification should be selected?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: benzodiazepine
Ativan contains lorazepam, which is a benzodiazepine. Correct classification supports duplicate therapy checks and patient counseling by the pharmacist.
Q9. A prescription profile lists testosterone. Which federal DEA schedule applies to this controlled substance?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: Schedule CIII
testosterone is classified as Schedule CIII. Schedule III drugs have moderate abuse potential and may have limited refills. CIII-CV prescriptions may be refilled up to five times within six months.
Q10. Which USP chapter governs hazardous drug handling in pharmacy practice settings during profile entry?Show answer
✓ Correct Answer: USP 800
USP 800 addresses hazardous drug handling. It includes containment, PPE, and exposure prevention.
What Does the PTCE Cover?
The PTCB Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) is weighted across four areas: Medications (about 40 percent) — brand and generic names, drug classes, indications, and interactions; Patient Safety and Quality Assurance (about 26 percent) — high-alert drugs, error prevention, and USP 795/797/800 handling; Order Entry and Processing (about 21 percent) — days supply and dosage calculations, sig codes, and profile entry; and Federal Requirements (about 12.5 percent) — DEA schedules, controlled-substance handling, and recordkeeping. Pharmacy math runs through order entry and is a common stumbling block. The competing ExCPT exam (NHA) is a close alternative, so confirm which one your employer or state requires.
How Hard Is the PTCE?
The PTCE is moderately difficult, with first-attempt pass rates that have generally run in the 60 to 70 percent range. The heaviest and most-failed area is Medications, which makes up roughly 40 percent of the exam — the top 200 drugs by brand and generic name, drug class, and common uses. Pharmacy math trips up candidates who skip it: days supply, dosage, IV flow rates, and dilutions all appear. Law and safety round out the exam.
How to Study for the PTCE
- 1.Front-load the top 200 medications — Brand and generic name, drug class, and common use drive the largest block of questions. Build a daily flashcard habit early, because Medications is about 40 percent of the exam and the most-failed area.
- 2.Drill pharmacy math daily — Days supply, dosage calculations, IV flow rates, dilutions, and alligation. Candidates who avoid the math fail it. Practice until the calculations are automatic and you can do them without a calculator crutch.
- 3.Learn DEA schedules cold — Know Schedule II through V, which drugs fall where (for example Adderall is CII, testosterone is CIII), refill limits (CIII-CV up to five times in six months), and what a valid controlled-substance prescription must contain, including the prescriber DEA number.
- 4.Study patient safety and high-alert drugs — Insulin, anticoagulants, and other high-alert classes; error-prevention concepts; and USP 795, 797, and 800 handling (USP 800 covers hazardous drugs). These anchor the Patient Safety and Quality Assurance domain.
- 5.Take timed practice tests until you clear 80 percent — The PTCE has 90 multiple-choice questions in about 1 hour 50 minutes. Practice under time so pacing and math do not cost you points on exam day.
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