The Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam is a two-hour test that consists of 90 multiple-choice questions. Students may register to take the exam online or in a testing center at any time during the year. Registration and testing fees total $129 as of 2011. Once registration has been approved, applicants have 90 days to take complete the examination process. If a technician wishes to take the exam in a testing center, she must supply a valid form of identification, such as a driver's license or passport.
Very few states do not accept the PTCB as a means of certification. These include: Alaska, Mississippi, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Vermont. States that allow pharmacy technicians to work only if they have passed the PTCB include Arizona, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Nebraska, Oklahoma and Vermont require pharmacist technicians to register with the state and pay a small yearly fee to keep his or her certification. Applications include work history, education and the disclosure of any formal complaints against the technician.
Alaska and Mississippi require pharmacy technicians to pass the NAPLEX, or North American Pharmacy Licensing Exam. The test consists of 185 multiple-choice questions. Thirty-five of these are trial questions for future exams that will not affect the applicant's score. Applicants are given four hours and fifteen minutes with an optional 10-minute break to complete the exam.
Alaska will also accept the Multi-Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam, or MPJE, as a form of certification. The MPJE is similar in nature to the NAPLEX, but the questions are directly related to the laws in the state where the test is administered.
All pharmacist technicians who wish to work in Canada must present a certificate of qualification from the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada when applying for certification.
Technicians in Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island are expected to pass the Pharmacist Examining Board of Canada Qualifying Exam. The exam is given over the course of two days and consists of multiple-choice and written responses.
Technicians applying in British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Labrador and Quebec must pass the Jurisprudence Examination for each territory where they hope to seek employment.