Certification under the PTCB actually comprises two cycles for acceptance of an applicant; this means there are two types of PTCB tests. The first test taken is the certification, which an applicant must sit for and pass to be considered a CPhT. Then, within two years of the original certification, or for any two-year re-certification, the applicant must undergo 20 hours of continuing education in the field and pass a second, re-certification PTCB test to remain in good standing with the organization.
The contents of the PTCB tests were written by a Certification Council "composed of pharmacists, CPhTs, and pharmacy technician educators drawn from various practice settings and geographic areas" according to the PTCB. The Board also states that the test questions and answers are supported by a national study of pharmacy technician work. 66 percent of the exam covers questions about assisting the pharmacist in serving patients, while 22 percent asks the tester about maintaining medication and inventory control systems. The remaining 12 percent of the exam comprises questions about participating in the administration and management of pharmacy practice. The PTCBs contain 90 multiple-choice questions, ten of which are random sample questions used in further testing research that do not count against the score.
To be considered as eligible to take the PTCB tests, a person must have already obtained a high school diploma or an equivalent certification, such as passing the General Educational Development (GED) exam or an equivalent diploma from another country. PTCB testers can not have any existing felony convictions; further, they can not have any convictions, either misdemeanor or felony, related to drugs or pharmacy crimes, and must disclose all related cases to the PTCB. According to the PTCB, any "denial, suspension, revocation, or restriction of registration or licensure, consent order or other restriction by any State Board of Pharmacy" will make a person ineligible, as will any on-record regulation violations or misconduct as reported to State Boards of Pharmacy. Denial of eligibility can be reviewed by the Board at their discretion on a case-by-case basis, such as when an applicant is currently working under a Board of Pharmacy or in the case of a drug-related conviction that occurred more than five years ago.
Once an applicant has been approved to take the PTCB, they will receive an "Authorization to Test" letter instructing him on how to get in contact with his nearest testing center. The tester then arranges a time with the center and receives a letter of confirmation. Both these documents, along with a photo identification, are required at the center at the time of testing.