PTCB Certification Requirements
Earning Your PTCB Certification
To earn the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credential from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, candidates must meet PTCB eligibility requirements and pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).
Current PTCB requirements include:
Reside in the United States or one of its territories
Complete a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program or have at least 500 hours of equivalent pharmacy technician work experience
Fully disclose criminal history and any State Board of Pharmacy registration or licensure actions
Comply with applicable PTCB certification policies
Earn a passing score on the PTCE
Pharmacy Tech Study San Diego is a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program, which means completion of the program can satisfy PTCB's education/training eligibility pathway for first-time certification candidates.
California Pharmacy Technician Licensing Pathways
Earn PTCB Certification
California accepts PTCB certification as a qualifying pathway toward pharmacy technician licensure.
Complete an Approved Training Program
Applicants may qualify by completing an acceptable pharmacy technician education or training program.
Graduate From an Approved School of Pharmacy
Graduates of a qualifying school of pharmacy may also satisfy California's pharmacy technician education requirement.
About the PTCB Exam
The PTCE is a computer-based examination consisting of 90 multiple-choice questions, including 80 scored questions and 10 unscored questions. Candidates are given approximately two hours for the complete testing appointment.
Effective January 6, 2026, PTCE content is organized into four primary areas:
Medications
Federal Requirements
Patient Safety and Quality Assurance
Order Entry and Processing
The 2026 exam places the greatest emphasis on medication knowledge while also testing federal pharmacy requirements, safe pharmacy practices, calculations, prescription processing, and other core pharmacy technician skills.
Start Your Path to PTCB Certification
Get affordable, flexible online pharmacy technician training designed to prepare you for the PTCE. Study at your own pace, start anytime, and get your first PTCB exam payment included with the $750 program.
California Pharmacy Technician Licensing Requirements
PTCB certification and California pharmacy technician licensure are related but not the same. To apply for a California pharmacy technician license, applicants must meet the California State Board of Pharmacy's education requirements and qualify through an approved pathway.
Applicants generally must have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent education and provide the documentation required by the Board. They must then satisfy at least one qualifying pathway.
PTCB Continuing Education & Recertification
PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technicians must recertify every two years. Current PTCB recertification requirements include:
20 hours of continuing education
At least 1 hour of pharmacy law
At least 1 hour of patient safety
All qualifying CE must be completed within the applicable two-year certification cycle
Renewing a California Pharmacy Technician License
California pharmacy technician licenses also renew on a two-year cycle, but the state's CE rules are separate from PTCB recertification requirements. As of 2026, California pharmacy technicians must complete at least 1 hour of approved cultural competency continuing education during each renewal period. The California Board currently states that there are no additional general CE requirements for pharmacy technician license renewal beyond this requirement.