Free Pharmacy Technician Study Guides

Studying for your pharmacy technician certification board exam can be an intimidating task. There is a lot of content to cover and technical names to memorize.

Thankfully, there are plenty of free practice tests available to assist you. There are some valuable and detailed study guides available online too.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for The Exam?

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board runs the exam you take to become a certified pharmacy technician. To be eligible for the exam, you need to have done either of the following:

  • Option 1: Completed a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program or within 60 days of completion. There are over 1400 different registered programs to choose from.
  • Option 2: Complete at least 500 hours working as a pharmacy technician. This gives the option to become qualified to those unable to attend a registered program. Pharmacy work experience is accepted from a range of practice settings.

How Should I Practice For The PTCB Exam?

The recommended method for studying for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam studying is taking practice tests. These will help you to analyze what information you know well and which topics need more study.

After reading through your notes:

  1. Take a practice test and see how you score.
  2. Note this score down, and note any sections that need more work.
  3. Once you have identified these, review your notes and focus on your weak points.

Take another PTCB practice test, and check your score against the previous one to ensure improvement. Keep doing practice tests and studying your weak points until you are happy with your score.

Doing this, with additional note readings, will help you to ace your PTCB exam. If you want to go the extra mile, consider purchasing a study guide for the pharmacy technician certification exam, and this could give you valuable additional insights.

Where Can I Find Free Pharmacy Technician Study Guides?

There are many online free study sites, and we have gathered the best options for you. Some are entirely free, while others have in-depth study guides available for purchase.

Discover More: WHERE CAN I FIND A PRACTICE TEST FOR PHARMACY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION EXAMS?

PTCBPracticeTest.com

https://www.ptcbpracticetest.com/

What are the costs?

If you’re looking for pharmacy technician study guides, free options can be found here. They are an excellent resource for studying for your pharmacy technician certification exam.

The benefit of the guide

Practice tests are an extremely efficient and practical way to test your knowledge. They will make sure that you’re well-prepared for the PTCB exam.

Union Test Prep

https://uniontestprep.com/ptcb-exam/study-guide

What are the costs?

Free when used online, $29 once off membership if you wish to download or have full access.

Table of Contents (Study Guide)

Federal Requirements

Medications

Order Entry and Processing

Patient Safety and Quality Assurance

Benefits of the guide

Online membership is highly beneficial to your PTCB exam preparation. Membership includes pharmacy technician practice tests, a study guide, lessons, and flash cards.

Pharmacy Tech Study

https://www.pharmacy-tech-study.com/

What are the costs?

This site contains free PTCB practice tests and other resources to help you pass your PTCB exam.

Mometrix PTCB Study Guide

https://www.mometrix.com/academy/ptcb-practice-test/

What are the costs?

Free PTCB practice test available. $24.99 for the ebook study guide. $29.99 for the printed version. Online Study Course $79.99 per month.

Table of Contents

Medications

  • Common and Life-Threatening Drug Interactions and Contraindications
  • Dosage Forms and Routes of Administration
  • Drug Stability

Federal Requirements

  • Handling and Disposal of Pharmaceutical Substances and Waste
  • Controlled Substances
  • FDA Requirements

Patient Safety and Quality Assurance

  • High-Alert/High-Risk and LASA Medications
  • Error-Prevention Strategies
  • Event Reporting Procedures

Order Entry and Processing

  • Procedures to Compound Nonsterile Products
  • Formulas and Calculations
  • Equipment/Supplies Required for Drug Administration

Benefits of the guide

This guide is jam-packed with information. And if you think more is needed, the PTCB exam study course is also available. This includes the study guide, PTCB practice tests, flashcards, and a progress tracker. This is a fantastic test prep option for anyone studying for their pharmacy technician certification.

PTCB Test Prep

https://ptcbtestprep.com/online-pharmacy-tech/

What are the costs?

Free PTCB practice tests are available online. Access to the study guide is between $39.99 and $79.99.

The benefit of the guide

There are plenty of free practice tests for pharmacy technician students and an excellent study guide for the pharmacy tech exam.

TestGuide.com

https://www.test-guide.com/free-ptcb-practice-tests.html

What are the costs?

Plenty of free study resources for pharmacy technicians, including guides and practice tests.

The benefit of the guide

There are many links to sites (such as the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board website) that will guide you regarding the structure of the Pharmacy Tech exam. You will also learn how to approach it and what you need to know. 

Test Day Expectations

Questions

There are 90 questions in the PTCB exam, and they are multiple-choice and are split into four different knowledge areas. 

Time Limit

The pharmacy tech exam lasts for two hours. During this time period, you are given 10 minutes for a PTCB practice tutorial and a survey after the exam. The 90 questions must be answered in the remaining one hour and fifty minutes. Each question has four answers from which you can choose. 

Exam Delivery

Your PTCB exam is a computer-based multiple-choice examination. When you register for the exam, you will be given a list of test centers to choose from – choose the most convenient location for your situation. The tests take place at Pearson VUE test centers. 

The tutorial at the beginning of the exam will show you how the test is laid out and will help to familiarise yourself with the program used to run the test. You will learn how to submit your answers correctly and move on to the next question. 

There are additional tutorials available online for free. It would help if you went through these and several PTCB practice tests before exam day to give yourself more confidence. 

How Is The PTCB Exam Scored?

Are all questions scored?

The PTCB exam consists of 90 questions. However, only 80 of these questions are scored. The ten unscored questions are scattered throughout the test to remain undetected, and the unscored questions do not influence your final score. Due to the questions being unidentified, it is essential to answer every question correctly. 

We recommend you go through several PTCB practice tests before the exam to give yourself the best chance of achieving a high score. 

The meaning of the PTCB scores

Your PTCB exam score can range between 1000 and 1600. A passing score is anything above 1400. 

A panel of experts has used a modified version of the Angoff method to establish this score. The panel evaluates each test item and weighs what percentage of qualified pharmacy technicians could correctly answer the question. This technique’s average estimates are used to create the passing score. 

The exam ranges in difficulty from year to year, and the scores are scaled accordingly to compensate for this. 

Receiving Your Exam Score

You will receive your total score and a score for each of the four knowledge areas in a PTCB exam report. You can use this information to analyze where to increase your knowledge and what areas, if any, need more work. 

An opportunity to rewrite the exam will be granted to those who still need to receive a passing grade on their first attempt. If this is your situation, you must review your exam results with the utmost care. Once you know where your problem areas are, it will be easy for you to improve your knowledge for the next attempt. 

THE BENEFITS OF USING PTCB PRACTICE EXAMS TO STUDY

There are several benefits of using PTCB practice exams, tests, and questions while preparing for your Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam. Some of the advantages of using sample tests to prepare for the real exam are:

  • A better understanding of the test layout: As every standardized examination has a unique layout, taking pharmacy tech tests will assist you in familiarizing yourself with the format of the actual PTCB exam itself.
  • The ability to target your study: The more practice exams, tests and questions you complete, the more aware of your weak points you’ll be. With access to answers and being aware of what you’re getting right and wrong, your study awareness improves, and you’ll be able to concentrate more on the areas you need additional work, hence saving time.
  • Learning to identify the exam nuances: Every standardized exam has specific nuances; trick questions to mislead candidates to select incorrect answers if they’re uncertain. The more you practice using tests based on actual exams, the better you’ll become at identifying these trick questions and improving your exam experience.

FAQs

How difficult is the pharmacy technician exam?

The pharmacy tech exam is relatively easy as long as you study hard and do enough pharmacy tech test prep beforehand. The questions should be a breeze if you are well prepared, have put in the necessary study hours, and have paid attention in class. 

Can you self-study for the PTCB exam?

Yes, you can self-study for the pharmacy tech test, and many pharmacy technicians have gained their degrees through self-study. You should pass with flying colors by using the many excellent online study guides and practice tests. 

Final Thoughts

While the pharmacy technician certification board exam can seem like a daunting task, these resources should provide you with the information you need to pass.

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