All About the PTCB Practice Test
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This masterclass will not only give you experience on taking the exams, but they give you a great idea of the content that you will need to know for the exams prior to investing your money on the actual exam.
What is the PTCB?
The PTCB stands for Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. This is the board that certifies pharmacy technicians after they take and pass the PTCE (Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam).
Of course this board is full of governor’s, certified council’s, directors, CEOs, and a host of other “fancy smancy” people with PhD’s, yada yada yada. But don’t let that intimidate you, this exam is not as hard as it seems.
Plus, the good folks over at PTCB are very available, they even have a contact phone number, which is pretty cool.
Just so you know they’re constantly updating the PTCE. One important update is that by the year 2020 the board will require new candidates to complete in ASHP accredited education program.
Now, what does this mean for you? If you get your certification before the year 2020 you won’t have to worry about this.
However, if you get your certification after this rule goes into effect it’s good that you know about PharmacyTechLessons.com because we will offer you accreditation at a super low cost, we believe in affordable education for all.
Anyway, you can enjoy and get more details on updates the PTCB is making from this press release.
Okay so enough about the PTCB let’s talk about the actual exam (PTCE)
The PTCE
Check out these nippy details about the PTCE exam:
90 PTCB exam questions
And just in case you were wondering about 33% of the exam is math, although honestly when I took the exam it seemed like 50% of the exam was math!
About 2 hours long (110 minutes)
You do the math, that’s about one minute and 20 seconds per question.
That’s 3 times the time it takes to warm up a little debbie honey bun. Yummy!
1400 and higher is a passing score.
So the way they scored the test is kind of weird, when you receive your scores in the mail the range will fall between 1,000 and 1600.
FREE?
Too bad you won’t find a free PTCB exam, not unless you are a student at PharmacyTechLessons.com…
The cost of the test is 129 bucks, that’s about how much the average person spends on fast food per month!
And if you live in Houston Texas, you spend that on fast food every week.You have to recertify
If you’re wondering if you will have to recertify later the answer is yes.
The recertification cycle is every two years. And honestly recertifying can get a little frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing (CE’s, etc.), more on that later….HOW DO I APPLY TO TAKE THE PTCB EXAM?
Make sure you are eligible (HS DIPLOMA/GED & NO FELONIES)
Study for the test (Resources Here)
Complete PTCB registration
Pay the Cost ($129 bucks) $$
Schedule your appointment
Pass the PTCB Exam 🙂
REQUIREMENTS TO TAKE THE EXAM
High school diploma or GED
No felonies (sorry but Bonnie and Clyde would not qualify )
WHAT TOPICS ARE COVERED ON THE PTCE?
The troublesome topics that are covered on the PTCB exam are pharmacy math, pharmacology, and Pharmacy law.
But check out this full list below of topics covered on the PTCB exam:
How to Schedule PTCB Exam Dates to Fit You
So the awesome thing about taking the PTCB exam is you can pick the date that you would like to take the test. In the midst of family life, shopping, and hobbies with friends this is a great feature and highly convenient.
One issue that dozens of students run into is they either schedule the test too soon, or they don’t have a plan and prolong their scheduling date. Either case is a goal killer and let me show you why:
”I’ve scheduled to take the PTCB exam in two weeks, and I don’t know what to study.”
So obviously this student has scheduled to take the test way to prematurely, and we know this will lead too so much anxiety and unsureness the usual results of this student is a fail on the exam.
On the other hand…
“I’ve studied 4 books, and I’m still studying… I’m thinking about taking the exam and three months”
Overtime this student usually procrastinates by prolonging when they will schedule to take the test and this is usually because they are not absolutely sure if they are prepared to take the exam and pass.
The usual results of this student is taking months of continuous heart study on the exam, and never really knowing when they are ready which results in unsure earnest.
This method becomes a gamble because if in fact they did waste all of that time studying the wrong information this will result in a fail on the exam.
Now that you know this, make sure to choose your date wisely and with a good balance. Not too soon, not too late, but right in the middle.
So what happens if you need to reschedule? Get all those nippy details here.
Where Are The PTCB Exam Locations?
Now if you didn’t know already you can pick where you take your PTCB exam. Of course you can’t pick to take it at your house!
but let’s talk about how you can pick your PTCB exam location.
I’ll use Houston Texas for example, since that is where PharmacyTechLessons.com originated. If you live in Humble Texas, then you wouldn’t choose to take your exam in Katy or even downtown Houston.
Why? Because you may be adding extra commute time when there may be a testing center right down the street from your house.
Wanna find out how?
It’s easy, just check the PTCB test locations on Pearson Vue. Google it with respect to where you live. Choose the one with the least commute time.
Take it from me, you don’t want to have a commute time of 45 minutes right before you take a test. Unless you have to of course!
And in the event that you have to, just make sure you’re properly prepared, you have everything you need to bring to the test, avoid traffic…
And please please please, have a good Dependable GPS!
Not knocking Siri, but sometimes she loses touch.Sometimes she might get you there in 10 minutes and then there are those times when what should have taken 10 minutes will take 45 minutes after you go the long way.
Personally, I like the Waze app.
Anyway, let’s talk about what you need to bring to the test.
What Can I Bring To The PTCB Exam?
Now this is where things can get it really strict…
You can’t bring your personal items and to take the test. Obviously you might be able to guess:
Cell phones? Not allowed.
Children? Not allowed.
Calculator? Not allowed.
Purse? Not allowed.
Visitors? Not allowed.
Your grandma Sally that makes great potato pie… Not allowed.
You can’t even chew gum, technically.
So what can you bring?
Medical devices and medicine.
And make sure you bring your driver’s license, for the sake of your identity verification.
You can get the rest of do’s and dont’s here.
BUT THERE’S MATH ON THE EXAM! WHAT ABOUT MY CALCULATOR?
No worries, there will be a SUPER BASIC calculator and scratch paper and pen waiting on you at the testing center. Whew!
Is the PTCB exam hard?
The odds of you passing the PTCB exam is roughly 50%.
According to PTCB.org the passing rate of the PTCE has gone down 18% in the last 3 years.
This means either one of two things, people are getting dumber……. Or the test is getting harder.
I’ll bet it’s the second one. Only since Elon Musk just designed a new, faster, better Tesla.
The real question is do you have the right information?
The next question is how sure are you that you are prepared?
As long as you have the right information and you have studied your program correctly you’re in the right shape.
Honestly the answer is the test is not that hard Wendy’s concerns are taken care of.
If they aren’t the exam will be a nightmare.
The PTCB exam is what you make it. No really.
Check out this PTCB Study Guide for a no fluff study tool!
How long should I study before I take the exam?
With the right work ethic and right information, even a total newbie will not take over three months to study for the exam.
In total newbie I mean absolutely knows nothing about college algebra.
On average, our students take one to two months, and students who have failed the test prior range from a couple of weeks 2 one month.
Which is why we give our students the option of in a rolling and using our program for a low monthly fee versus pain $5,000 for a six-month to one-year program.
Ugh! Too much money and too much time… Yuck!
All in all it depends on you, but either way you have options to take advantage of.
What is your #1 goal right now?
If you’re looking to pass the PTCB & ExCPT exam, I have a free class that reveals The EXACT Process Students Use To Pass the PTCB Exam in 3 Months or Less Without Failing. Click here to check it out.
If you’re ready to work with me so I can help you pass the exam, go here.
Thanks for listening to The #AskPTLShow. I love to hear from our listeners! If you have questions you’d like me to answer on the show or topics you’d like me to cover, contact me at pharmacytechlessons@gmail.com.
Be sure to check out other episodes, get more free content and learn more about me at http://pharmacytechlessons.com
Did This Help You? If so, I would greatly appreciate it if you commented below and share on Facebook.
-O’neisha Biggs
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Since its inception, Pharmacy Tech Lessons has helped over 10,000 students nationwide, pass the pharmacy tech exam. Pharmacy Tech Lessons mission is to provide affordable education on the go in a fun, effective, and interactive way.
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