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Free PTCE practice questions

Studying for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)? Try eight questions across the four exam domains, check the explanations, and make a short plan for what to review next. No account is required.

Start the practice questions See the 2026 exam outline

RxAce created these fictional exercises for independent study. The questions were AI-assisted and checked against the references linked below. Pharmacy professional review is pending. RxAce has no affiliation with PTCB.

Eight questions with worked answers

Choose one answer before opening each explanation. Record any answer you guessed, even if you got it right. Use the domain headings to see where you need another round of practice.

Medications

1. A practice medication list contains a cold product with acetaminophen and a separate pain product with acetaminophen. What should you flag for the pharmacist?

  1. A storage temperature conflict
  2. A possible duplicate active ingredient
  3. A difference in expiration dates
  4. A mismatch in the patient's identifiers
Show answer 1

B. A possible duplicate active ingredient. The two products serve different purposes, so the duplication is easy to miss if you read only the front of each box. Compare the active ingredient lists and bring the overlap to the pharmacist. See this acetaminophen label in DailyMed.

2. A fictional order specifies an extended-release tablet. The package you pulled has the same ingredient and strength but says immediate-release. What difference should you flag?

  1. Package count
  2. Route of administration
  3. Active ingredient
  4. Release formulation
Show answer 2

D. Release formulation. Extended-release and immediate-release products are designed to release the ingredient at different rates. The name and strength alone are an incomplete product check. See the FDA's explanation of what must match for generic drugs.

Federal requirements

3. In a practice case, a Schedule II prescription has already been filled in full. How many refills can be dispensed on that prescription under the federal rule?

  1. Zero
  2. One in 30 days
  3. Five in six months
  4. As many as the prescriber originally wrote
Show answer 3

A. Zero. Federal rules prohibit refilling a Schedule II prescription. A separate prescription has its own requirements. See 21 CFR § 1306.12.

4. A fictional recall notice lists one affected batch of tablets. The product name and strength on three bottles match the notice. Which additional field identifies the affected batch?

  1. The number of tablets left in each bottle
  2. The purchase date
  3. The lot number
  4. The shelf location
Show answer 4

C. The lot number. Several batches can share a product name and strength. Match the lot on the package to the specific lot in the notice. See the FDA guide to identifying recalled medicines.

Patient safety and quality assurance

5. Which notation most clearly communicates half a milligram in a medication order?

  1. .5 mg
  2. 0.5 mg
  3. 0.50 mg
  4. 5 mg
Show answer 5

B. 0.5 mg. The leading zero makes the decimal point easier to notice. Omit the extra zero after the 5 to reduce the chance that someone reads 50 mg if they miss the decimal point. See ISMP's list of error-prone dose notations.

6. Two records have the same patient name. Neither date of birth matches the incoming order. What is the safest next step in this simulation?

  1. Use the record with the newest prescription
  2. Use the record that appears first
  3. Change the date in the first record to match the order
  4. Pause entry and verify the patient's identity under the pharmacy's procedure
Show answer 6

D. Pause and verify. A matching name leaves the date-of-birth discrepancy unresolved. Choosing or editing a record on that basis can attach the order to the wrong person. Correct patient identification is an error-prevention topic in the PTCE outline, section 3.2.

Order entry and processing

7. A fictional liquid contains 180 mg in 6 mL. What volume contains 75 mg?

  1. 2.5 mL
  2. 0.4 mL
  3. 4 mL
  4. 30 mL
Show answer 7

A. 2.5 mL. First find the concentration: 180 mg ÷ 6 mL = 30 mg/mL. Then divide 75 mg by 30 mg/mL. The milligrams cancel, leaving 2.5 mL. Check by multiplying 2.5 mL by 30 mg/mL to get 75 mg.

8. A fictional order specifies three tablets daily for two days, two tablets daily for three days, then one tablet daily for four days. What is the total quantity?

  1. 9 tablets
  2. 12 tablets
  3. 16 tablets
  4. 27 tablets
Show answer 8

C. 16 tablets. Multiply each daily amount by the number of days at that amount. The three stages use 6, 6, and 4 tablets, respectively. The order lasts nine days and calls for 16 tablets.

What’s on the 2026 PTCE?

PTCB’s official content outline took effect January 6, 2026. The exam has 90 multiple-choice questions, 80 scored and 10 unscored. You have 110 minutes for the questions. The appointment also includes time for a tutorial and survey.

Exam domainWeight
Medications35%
Federal requirements18.75%
Patient safety and quality assurance23.75%
Order entry and processing22.50%

The short set above gives each domain equal space. Use the official weights and your misses to decide where to spend more time. See PTCB’s certification page for exam details, eligibility and its official study tools.

Turn your answers into a seven-day study plan

  1. Day 1. Take this set and mark each item as confident, guessed, or missed. For every guess or miss, write one sentence about the reasoning or calculation you skipped.
  2. Days 2 and 3. Start with the domain where you had the most guesses and misses. Try explaining two related ideas aloud before checking a source. For medications, pair each drug name with its class, formulation and a safety point.
  3. Days 4 and 5. Review your next weakest domain. If the mistake was math, change the numbers and solve again with the units visible. The free pharmacy calculations exercises include unit conversions, quantities and days supply.
  4. Day 6. Mix practice from all four domains. Track which answers you can now explain without looking.
  5. Day 7. Redo your guesses and misses with the explanations closed. For each repeat miss, pick one topic from the official outline to review next.

Continue studying

RxAce includes a separate PTCE study path with lessons and answer explanations. Practice Plus adds two 90-question PTCE-style mock exams. For an official practice exam, see the Pre-PTCE through PTCB. Your result on this short set cannot predict your PTCE score.

Start the 48-hour RxAce trial See RxAce’s PTCE coverage

RxAce’s proposed technician education program is under development and has no PTCB recognition. If you are taking NHA’s exam, see the separate ExCPT study path.