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Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT)
The ExCPT (Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians) is a national certification exam administered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) that leads to the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) credential. The program is overseen by an independent ExCPT Certification Governing Board and is NCCA-accredited; the exam is delivered at PSI testing centers or via live remote proctoring.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions100 scored items plus 20 pretest items (120 total)
Testing time2 hours 10 minutes
ScoringScaled passing score of 390 or higher required (applies to all NHA exams)
Exam feeUSD 129 exam application fee (paid per attempt)
Prep options
Study resources for ExCPT
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NHA
- Category
- Pharmacy Technician Certification
- Current version
- ExCPT test plan based on the 2023 Job Analysis; revised exam in effect for exams scheduled on or after July 9, 2025
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- 200–500 scaled score
- Testing provider
- PSI (test centers and live remote proctoring)
- Format
- Computer-based exam at a PSI testing center or via live remote proctoring (not eligible for on-site testing at an institution)
- Availability
- Exam application submitted online anytime; testing by appointment at a PSI testing center or via live remote proctoring
- Results
- For online exams, official certification results posted to the candidate's NHA account page within two days of scoring the test
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
100 scored multiple-choice items across five domains: Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties of the Pharmacy Technician (15 items), Laws (15: Laws and Regulations 9, Controlled Substances 6), Drugs and Drug Therapy (13), Dispensing Process (43: intake/entry 13, preparing and dispensing 13, calculations 7, sterile/non-sterile compounding 10), and Medication and Patient Safety and Quality Assurance (14); plus 20 unscored pretest items.
Where rules vary
A uniform U.S. national certification exam; acceptance of the CPhT credential by individual state boards of pharmacy is separate from the exam identity.
Eligibility
Possess (or be within 60 days of possessing) a U.S. high school diploma or GED/equivalency, plus either completion of a pharmacy technician training/education program within the last 5 years or at least 1,200 hours of supervised pharmacy-related work experience within a one-year period in the last 3 years
Retake policy
May reapply to retest 30 days after a first or second failed attempt (paying the exam fee for each attempt); after a third failed attempt, must wait 12 months before taking the exam again