The Pre-PTCE® is PTCB’s official practice exam, designed to assess readiness and to familiarize candidates with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam® (PTCE®). It is built to the content outline of the PTCE.
Unlike practice exams from other providers, the Pre-PTCE contains questions formerly used on the PTCE and simulates the same look, feel, and functionality as the actual PTCE experience. This allows you to become familiar with the real exam experience before test day. The Pre-PTCE is also unique in that it provides explanations for the answers after you submit the responses but before receiving a score.
Cost and Bundle Savings
Purchase the Pre-PTCE for a $29 nonrefundable fee by using the link available in your PTCB Account or SAVE $10 by bundling your Pre-PTCE and CPhT application purchases! The discount is applied automatically when both the Pre-PTCE and CPhT applications are added to your PTCB Account cart.
Note: If you purchase a bundle and withdraw the CPhT application, you will still be able to access the Pre-PTCE during your exam authorization period.
90-day Authorization Period
- Once the Pre-PTCE is purchased or a voucher is redeemed, you must start and complete it within 90 days. Once you begin your Pre-PTCE, you must finish it within 48 hours.
- If you purchase an extension for your Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) authorization, the extension does not apply to your Pre-PTCE authorization period.
48-hour Completion Requirement
- After purchasing the Pre-PTCE and clicking the Submit Order button, you must complete the practice exam WITHIN 48 HOURS.
- If you do not complete the Pre-PTCE within 48 hours after starting it, you will forfeit your Pre-PTCE attempt and fee. The Pre-PTCE fee is nonrefundable.
- The 48-hour window begins from the time you click Submit Order. For example, if you click Submit Order at 5 PM Monday, you will have until 5 PM on Wednesday to complete the practice exam.
- You will receive the availability window with specific start and end date and time in the Pre-PTCE appointment confirmation email received from Pearson VUE.
- To close the practice exam but still have access to the solutions within the 90-day delivery window, simply close your browser. If you attempt to exit the solutions by selecting End Review, a warning box will ask you to confirm that you are ready to end your access to this portion of the exam.
1 hour and 50 minutes Exam Length
- Once the Pre-PTCE has begun, you have a maximum of 110 minutes (1 hour and 50 minutes) to answer the questions within the exam itself. Once you begin your Pre-PTCE, you must finish it within 48 hours.
- As with the PTCE, a collapsible timer countdown is in the top right corner of the exam window.
- If you answer all of the questions and there is time remaining, you maygiven the opportunity to review and change answers until the 110 minutes (1 hour and 50 minutes) expire.
- If you start the Pre-PTCE, but stop it before completion of the 110 minutes (1 hour and 50 minutes) and you are still within 48 hours of starting the exam, you can navigate back to the Pre-PTCE to resume. There is a Resume Exam button in place of the Begin Exam button, and you will resume at the time that the exam was stopped.
24-Hour Review Period After Completing the Exam
- The Pre-PTCE is accessible for 24 hours (you can start, stop, return before the timer runs out) after you complete the exam.
- The Pre-PTCE is scored. The score report will show how many questions you answered correctly in each knowledge domain.
Score Report
- Your final score report will be available in your PTCB Account within 1-3 business days following your completion of the Pre-PTCE.
- The Pre-PTCE is scored just like the PTCE to give you a sense of how you might perform on the PTCE. Passing the Pre-PTCE does not guarantee that you will pass the PTCE, however the Pre-PTCE is a strong predictor of success on the PTCE.