PTCB pass rate: 69% in 2025
Updated
PTCB’s official number: 69% of the 49,253 PTCEs administered in 2025 were passed — meaning 31% of attempts failed. Retrieved from ptcb.org and re-checked on the date above; the full year-by-year record is below.
Every year PTCB has published, in one table
PTCB’s live page shows only the current year — prior years disappear at each refresh. We rebuilt the record from PTCB’s own tables preserved in dated archive captures; every row links the exact capture it was read from.
How scared should you be of a 69%?
Less than the number suggests. It counts attempts, not people — retakes are in the denominator, and PTCB permits unlimited attempts, so many who fail in a given year pass in the next. It also averages everyone from graduates of accredited programs to self-studiers taking it cold.
The honest read: preparation quality decides which side of the line you land on. The 2014–2019 era (57–58%) shows what happens when prep material lags the exam; today’s equivalent risk is studying to the retired 2020 outline — the blueprint changed in January 2026 and most sites haven’t caught up.
Marketing pass rates (“83% of our students pass!”) are self-reported vendor numbers with hand-picked denominators — never comparable to PTCB’s official attempt-level figure. We publish neither: our diagnostic tells you your probability, which is the only rate that matters.
Failed once? The actual retake rules
Sites contradict each other here (“60-day wait” is widely repeated and wrong). Verified against PTCB’s Retake Policy v1.2 (March 2025):
- Attempts 2–3: no waiting period — reapply as soon as your official score report posts.
- Attempt 4: 6-month wait.
- Beyond 4: documented preparation activities required, reviewed and approved by PTCB.
- Every attempt: a fresh application and the full $129 fee — the arithmetic that makes “ready before you book” worth taking seriously.
Find out which side of the 69% you’re on
The free 90-question simulation scores you against the 2026 blueprint and hands you a domain-by-domain readiness verdict — before you pay PTCB anything.
Common questions
What percentage of people pass the PTCB exam?
69% of the 49,253 PTCEs administered in 2025 were passed — PTCB’s official figure, retrieved from ptcb.org and dated above. Sites quoting 70–72% without a year are citing older data as if it were current.
Is the PTCB exam hard?
About one in three attempts fails, so it’s a real exam — but the historical table shows pass rates track preparation quality, not exam cruelty. The years after 2014 (57–58%) coincide with a harder blueprint era; rates recovered as prep caught up. The risk today is studying to the retired 2020 outline.
What happens if you fail the PTCB exam?
You can reapply as soon as your official score posts — PTCB’s current retake policy has no waiting period before attempts two and three, then a 6-month wait before attempt four, and required preparation evidence after that. Every attempt costs the full $129.
Why do people fail the PTCE?
Three patterns dominate candidate reports: pharmacy math under time pressure, studying from materials still built on the retired 2020 outline, and never rehearsing the full 1h50m format. All three are fixable — with math drills and a timed simulation that mirrors the current blueprint.