Let’s face it, passing the pharmacy technician exam can be a daunting challenge. You’ve spent months in school working towards getting your pharmacy technician certification and now it’s time to take the actual exam!  But before you do that, here are a few tips that you should know to help you successfully get through the PTCB exam.

1. Know the Pharmacy Technician Test

You’ve learned what material will be expected on the exam, but have you thought to study the exam itself? Learning the details on the actual exam can help you to know what to expect on the test.

PTCB Exam Study Course

Here’s what you need to know:

• There are 90 multiple choice questions on the exam.
• You are given 2 hours to answer the 90 questions. These 2 hours also include 10 minutes for a tutorial and post-exam survey.
• The PTCB exam is in random format; it jumps from one subject to another randomly.

2. Use Flashcards

Flashcards help you to not only understand the principles of a concept but also helps you to know the name of the concept. Using flashcards help you to store terms in your long-term memory which help eliminate the need for cramming for your test the night before. When it comes to the PTCB exam, using flashcards will be a great tool when you’re studying the top 200 drugs.

3. Read Carefully

It’s easy to skim through a question, but when you skim, you don’t always get the information and details you need to make a decision on an answer. Make sure that you read each and every question and answer carefully before making your decision.

4. Schedule Your Studying Time

It’s important to not wait until the last minute to study for the PTCB exam. Schedule time each day to sit down and study for the exam. Doing this will help you retain information better. Plus, the night before the exam should be used to get a good night’s sleep rather than cramming for the exam.

5. PTCB Study Guide

It’s always a good idea to brush up on your key terms and concepts. When you’re ready to brush up, focus on using a study guide that is specifically designed to help you prepare for the PTCB. It’s important to find a study guide that cuts out all of the fluff and gets right to the point of what you need to study.

6. Don’t Linger

It happens. You’re going to get stuck on a question. But when you do, don’t linger on it. Moving on to a different question will free up your mind of the question that you’re stuck on, but your brain will still work on the question in the background. Sometimes you just need to move on to the next question to get that missing link.

7. Take a Practice Test

Part of studying is making sure that you understand the terms and concepts of the exam. Taking a practice test will help you to identify which areas you need to work on. This can also help you to understand more as to what you can expect on the actual exam. A few practice questions can be found on our Academy website: https://www.mometrix.com/academy/ptcb-practice-test/

8. Answer Every Question

Don’t leave anything blank. Leaving a question blank on the PTCB exam will be counted against you. Not answering a question can actually be counted against you more than having a wrong answer.

9. Use Guessing as a Last Resort

It’s not always best to guess, but you can if you absolutely have to. If you decide to guess on a question, the first thing to do is to rule out an answer. Sometimes you’ll come across an answer that is obvious that it doesn’t belong. If there is a word that you have never seen before, chances are that could be the wrong answer. Also, if you’re given two similar answers, it’s probably one of those.

10. Check Your Answers

If you get done with your exam early and you still have time left, go back and check your answers. If you don’t feel confident with the math part of the exam, go back and rework those math problems to verify that you have them correct.

Pharmacy Technician FAQ