---
title: "PTCE Exam Guide 2026: Blueprint, Questions, Time & Cost"
description: "The 2026 PTCE content outline on one page: exact domain weights, the 90-question format, timing, fees, and what changed in January — verified against ptcb.org."
updated: 2026-08-04
canonical: https://ptcbready.com/ptce-exam
source-hash: 416a1f972eb99a6b
sources:
  - "PTCE Content Outline PDF": https://www.ptcb.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/PTCE-Content-Outline.pdf
  - "PTCB CPhT program page": https://www.ptcb.org/credentials/certified-pharmacy-technician
---

# PTCE Exam Guide 2026: Blueprint, Questions, Time & Cost

> The 2026 PTCE content outline on one page: exact domain weights, the 90-question format, timing, fees, and what changed in January — verified against ptcb.org.

## Exam facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Questions | 90 multiple-choice (80 scored + 10 unscored, unidentified) |
| Time | 1h50m exam inside a 2-hour appointment |
| Cost | $129 (application + one attempt) |
| Passing score | 1,400 on a 1,000–1,600 scale |
| Delivery | In-person at Pearson VUE test centers only (1,400+ centers); Discontinued — OnVUE online/home testing is no longer offered |
| Official results | approximately one to three weeks |

## Content outline (effective 2026-01-06)

| Domain | Weight | ~Scored questions | Knowledge areas |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. Medications | 35% | ≈28 of 80 | 1.1 Names, brands & classes; 1.2 Therapeutic duplication; 1.3 Interactions & contraindications; 1.4 Doses, forms & routes; 1.5 Side effects & allergies; 1.6 Indications; 1.7 Drug stability; 1.8 Storage requirements |
| 2. Federal Requirements | 18.75% | ≈15 of 80 | 2.1 Hazardous handling & disposal; 2.2 Controlled prescriptions & DEA schedules; 2.3 Controlled-substance operations; 2.4 Restricted drug programs; 2.5 FDA recalls; 2.6 DSCSA track & trace |
| 3. Patient Safety & Quality Assurance | 23.75% | ≈19 of 80 | 3.1 High-alert & look-alike drugs; 3.2 Error-prevention strategies; 3.3 Pharmacist-intervention triggers; 3.4 Event reporting; 3.5 Prescription-error types; 3.6 Infection prevention |
| 4. Order Entry & Processing | 22.5% | ≈18 of 80 | 4.1 Calculations & sig codes; 4.2 Administration equipment & supplies; 4.3 NDC, lot & expiration; 4.4 Returns & non-dispensable stock |

## What changed in January 2026

Prior (retired 2020) weights: Medications 40%, Federal 12.5%, Patient Safety 26.25%, Order Entry 21.25%.
Added: DSCSA track-and-trace, drug take-back programs, drug stability. Removed: alligation, NTI medications, non-sterile compounding. Online at-home testing is discontinued — in person only.

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Cite as: PTCB Ready, updated 2026-08-04. Interactive version: https://ptcbready.com/ptce-exam