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United States · Certification exam

How to become a certified pharmacy tech

You pass a national exam. A certified pharmacy tech holds the CPhT credential, which you earn by passing PTCB's PTCE or NHA's ExCPT. Before either body lets you sit its exam, you have to qualify through a training program or enough work experience, and the two set different rules. Certification is also separate from registering or getting licensed in your state, which your state board of pharmacy handles.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What is a certified pharmacy technician?

CPhT stands for Certified Pharmacy Technician. PTCB and NHA both use the name: PTCB's CPhT comes from passing the PTCE, and NHA's from passing the ExCPT. Both last 2 years and are kept up with continuing education.

A certificate isn't the same as certification. A training program may give you a certificate when you finish, and PTCB also runs short Assessment-Based Certificates on topics like billing or immunizations. Neither one makes you a CPhT.

PTCB's advanced credentials and certificates →PTCB certification verification →

PTCB's requirements for the PTCE

PTCB asks that you live in the US or a US territory, fully disclose any criminal or state board of pharmacy actions, follow its certification policies, and meet one pathway:

  • Pathway 1: complete a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program, or be within 60 days of finishing one. A pharmacy degree can count instead.
  • Pathway 2: at least 500 hours of work experience as a pharmacy technician, all done by the time you apply.
PTCB: Recognized program directory ↗

NHA's requirements for the ExCPT

You need a high school diploma or an equivalent such as the GED, or be on track to earn one within 12 months, which gets you a provisional certification. Then one of these:

  • Pathway 1: within the past 5 years, complete a pharmacy technician training program from an accredited or state-approved provider, a registered apprenticeship, or military pharmacy technician training.
  • Pathway 2: at least 1,200 hours of supervised pharmacy work during a one-year period within the last 3 years.

How to get pharmacy technician certification, step by step

  1. Ask your state board of pharmacy and your employer which credential they want, if any.
  2. Pick the PTCE or the ExCPT, and check you meet one of its pathways.
  3. Apply in your PTCB or NHA account and pay the fee.
  4. Schedule your exam and study from the official outline.
  5. Pass: a scaled score of 1,400 on the PTCE, or 390 on the ExCPT.
  6. Renew every 2 years with 20 hours of continuing education.
Schedule the PTCB exam →PTCB certification renewal →How many questions are on the PTCB exam? →PTCB certification cost →

Do pharmacy techs need to be certified?

Not everywhere. Some state boards require PTCB or NHA certification, some accept it as one of several ways to qualify, and some don't require it at all. Employers can ask for it even where the state doesn't. The state page compares eight states from their boards' own pages.

Pharmacy tech state certification →
Sources: PTCB · NHA and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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