Free ExCPT Practice Test: 50 Questions with Answers

Work through 50 original questions with answers and explanations, no signup and no email. This unofficial set follows NHA's five-domain test plan for exams scheduled on or after 9 July 2025.

Pick an answer, then reveal the explanation. Every explanation says why the keyed answer fits and why each of the other three does not.

Question 1 of 50

Dispensing Process - Calculations · Item EXCPT-F001

An oral liquid contains 250 mg in 5 mL. The prescribed dose is 375 mg. How many milliliters are needed for one dose?

• A. 2.5 mL
• B. 5 mL
• C. 7.5 mL
• D. 15 mL

Question 2 of 50

Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties · Item EXCPT-F002

A patient picking up a refill says she has felt dizzy since starting the medication and asks whether she should stop taking it. She has no trouble breathing, no chest pain, and no other emergency symptoms. What should the technician do?

• A. Bring the question to the pharmacist and arrange for the pharmacist to speak with her
• B. Tell her dizziness is a common side effect and is nothing to worry about
• C. Tell her to stop the medication until the dizziness goes away
• D. Record the dizziness in her profile and continue the transaction without saying anything

Question 3 of 50

Medication and Patient Safety and Quality Assurance · Item EXCPT-F003

During the final check, the pharmacist notices that a prescription was filled with the 50 mg tablet instead of the ordered 25 mg tablet. The error is corrected and the correct strength is dispensed. The patient never receives the wrong tablets. Under the pharmacy's quality assurance policy, which describes what happened?

• A. An adverse drug reaction
• B. Nothing that needs recording, because no patient was harmed
• C. A medication error that was intercepted before it reached the patient
• D. A drug interaction requiring a report to the manufacturer

Question 4 of 50

Drug and Drug Therapy - Drug Classification · Item EXCPT-F004

Which therapeutic class does amlodipine belong to?

• A. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
• B. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
• C. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin)
• D. Calcium channel blocker

Question 5 of 50

Dispensing Process - Prescription and Medication Order Intake and Entry · Item EXCPT-F005

An electronic prescription arrives for a medication that is made in 5 mg, 10 mg and 20 mg tablets. No strength is given anywhere on the order. The patient's history shows a 10 mg fill last year from a different prescriber. Your pharmacy's workflow states that unresolved clinical details are referred to the pharmacist. What should the technician do?

• A. Enter 10 mg because that is what the patient received before
• B. Leave the strength unresolved and refer the order to the pharmacist for clarification
• C. Enter the strength of the stock bottle on the shelf
• D. Enter the middle strength, since it is the most commonly dispensed

Question 6 of 50

Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties · Item EXCPT-F006

While collecting information for a medication review, a patient tells you she takes a prescription blood pressure tablet, an over-the-counter antacid, and a herbal supplement for sleep. What belongs on the list you pass to the pharmacist?

• A. The prescription only, because the others are not prescribed
• B. The prescription and the antacid, because both are medicines
• C. Only the products the pharmacy has dispensed
• D. All three products, identified as reported by the patient

Question 7 of 50

Dispensing Process - Preparing and Dispensing Prescriptions · Item EXCPT-F007

A verified order reads: amlodipine 5 mg tablets, quantity 30. Four products are on the shelf. Which one matches the order?

• A. Amlodipine 5 mg tablets
• B. Amlodipine 10 mg tablets
• C. Amlodipine 5 mg/5 mL oral solution
• D. Amiodarone 5 mg tablets

Question 8 of 50

Laws - Laws and Regulations · Item EXCPT-F008

A customer buys a box of pseudoephedrine at 10 a.m. and comes back at 4 p.m. the same day for a second box. Under federal law, what is the most pseudoephedrine base your pharmacy may sell that customer in a single calendar day?

• A. 9 grams, no matter how many separate transactions
• B. 7.5 grams, no matter how many separate transactions
• C. 3.6 grams, no matter how many separate transactions
• D. 3.6 grams per transaction, with no daily total

Question 9 of 50

Drug and Drug Therapy - Drug Classification · Item EXCPT-F009

Atorvastatin belongs to which therapeutic class?

• A. Beta blocker
• B. Proton pump inhibitor
• C. Calcium channel blocker
• D. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor

Question 10 of 50

Dispensing Process - Sterile and Non-Sterile Products, Compounding, Unit Dose, and Repackaging · Item EXCPT-F010

A multi-dose container is opened on 8 September. The pharmacy's written procedure gives it an in-use period that would end on 14 September at 4:00 p.m. The manufacturer's printed expiration for that container is 13 September at 4:00 p.m. No other limit applies. What date and time should be written on the container?

• A. 13 September, 4:00 p.m.
• B. 14 September, 4:00 p.m.
• C. Whichever the pharmacist prefers
• D. The later date, since the container was opened while it was still in date

Question 11 of 50

Medication and Patient Safety and Quality Assurance · Item EXCPT-F011

Your pharmacy's policy requires matching both the patient's name and date of birth before release. Two profiles read Maria Santos: one with a date of birth of 4 March 1978, one with 4 March 1987. The person at the counter gives 4 March 1987. What should you do?

• A. Release the prescription filed under the 1978 profile, since it was filled first
• B. Select the profile with the 4 March 1987 date of birth and continue the release check
• C. Ask the patient to pick the profile she recognises
• D. Release either one, because the names match exactly

Question 12 of 50

Dispensing Process - Prescription and Medication Order Intake and Entry · Item EXCPT-F012

A patient says a medicine once gave her a rash that lasted two days. She is not sure whether it counts as an allergy. Which profile entry is most useful to the pharmacist?

• A. Record it as a side effect, since a rash is common
• B. Record it as a confirmed drug allergy
• C. Record the substance and the reaction the patient described, noting that it is patient-reported
• D. Leave it out, because the patient is unsure

Question 13 of 50

Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties · Item EXCPT-F013

FDA classifies a recall as the most serious category when there is a reasonable probability that using or being exposed to the product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death. Which class is that?

• A. Market withdrawal
• B. Class II
• C. Class III
• D. Class I

Question 14 of 50

Dispensing Process - Preparing and Dispensing Prescriptions · Item EXCPT-F014

A verified label for an oral liquid directs the caregiver to give 3.5 mL by mouth twice daily. Which measuring device should be supplied with it?

• A. A calibrated oral syringe marked in millilitres
• B. A household teaspoon
• C. An uncalibrated plastic cup
• D. A tuberculin syringe with a needle attached

Question 15 of 50

Laws - Laws and Regulations · Item EXCPT-F015

Under the federal rules for retail sales of pseudoephedrine, which purchase does NOT have to be entered in the logbook?

• A. Any purchase by a customer who shows a state driver's licence
• B. Any purchase under 3.6 grams
• C. A single sales package containing not more than 60 mg of pseudoephedrine
• D. A purchase made by a health care professional

Question 16 of 50

Drug and Drug Therapy - Drug Classification · Item EXCPT-F016

Which pairing of dosage form and route of administration is correct?

• A. Transdermal patch - oral route
• B. Enteric-coated tablet - topical route
• C. Vaginal suppository - parenteral route
• D. Metered-dose inhaler - inhalation route

Question 17 of 50

Medication and Patient Safety and Quality Assurance · Item EXCPT-F017

Your pharmacy's safety program designates certain medications high-alert, meaning an error involving them carries a greater risk of significant harm to the patient. A prescription for one of these medications is ready for the final check. What does the designation change?

• A. The medication should be dispensed only as a last resort
• B. Extra safeguards apply, such as an additional independent check before release
• C. Errors happen more often with these medications than with others
• D. The prescription requires a new prescriber authorisation each time

Question 18 of 50

Dispensing Process - Prescription and Medication Order Intake and Entry · Item EXCPT-F018

A claim is rejected. The response says to verify the member ID. The insurance card reads RX482761. The submitted claim shows RX482716. Everything else on the claim matches the card. What is the correct next step?

• A. Change the patient's date of birth to match the card
• B. Tell the patient the plan has denied coverage for this medication
• C. Switch to a different product covered by the plan
• D. Correct the member ID to RX482761 and resubmit

Question 19 of 50

Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties · Item EXCPT-F019

Three sealed cartons of the same product are in stock, all stored correctly and all in date. Carton 1 expires 30 November, carton 2 expires 31 March of the following year, and carton 3 expires 31 January of the following year. Carton 2 arrived most recently. Which should be used first?

• A. Carton 1
• B. Carton 2
• C. Carton 3
• D. Any of them, since all three are in date

Question 20 of 50

Dispensing Process - Preparing and Dispensing Prescriptions · Item EXCPT-F020

A product's labelling directs that it be dispensed in a tight, light-resistant container. Which container meets both requirements?

• A. A clear vial with a snap-on lid
• B. A clear zip-seal bag
• C. An amber vial with a securely fitting closure
• D. An amber vial left open on the counter until pickup

Question 21 of 50

Laws - Laws and Regulations · Item EXCPT-F021

A colleague says that because two products carry the same FDA therapeutic equivalence rating, the pharmacy can always substitute one for the other. What is the accurate correction?

• A. A rating means the two products are identical in every respect
• B. Therapeutic equivalence ratings are legally binding substitution orders
• C. Therapeutic equivalence ratings apply only to over-the-counter products
• D. A therapeutic equivalence rating is FDA's evaluation; whether a substitution may be made is governed by state law and the prescriber's instructions

Question 22 of 50

Drug and Drug Therapy - Drug Classification · Item EXCPT-F022

A single-ingredient pseudoephedrine tablet is sold without a prescription but is kept behind the counter and requires photo identification and a logbook entry. Which description fits it?

• A. A behind-the-counter product: available without a prescription but subject to restricted sale
• B. An ordinary over-the-counter product with no restrictions
• C. A prescription-only medication
• D. A Schedule II controlled substance

Question 23 of 50

Dispensing Process - Sterile and Non-Sterile Products, Compounding, Unit Dose, and Repackaging · Item EXCPT-F023

A preparation record states that the finished product must be clear and free of visible particles before release. The technician finishes the preparation and sees small floating particles in the final container. What should happen next?

• A. Shake the container until the particles disperse, then release it
• B. Hold the preparation, do not release it, and refer the discrepancy to the pharmacist
• C. Filter it through the nearest available filter and release it
• D. Release it and add a note to the record describing the appearance

Question 24 of 50

Dispensing Process - Prescription and Medication Order Intake and Entry · Item EXCPT-F024

A verified prescription reads: 1 tab PO BID. Which patient-facing direction preserves the quantity, route and frequency exactly?

• A. Take two tablets by mouth once a day
• B. Take one tablet two times a day
• C. Take one tablet by mouth two times a day
• D. Take one tablet by mouth as needed

Question 25 of 50

Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties · Item EXCPT-F025

Your pharmacy sets a periodic automatic replenishment (PAR) level of 12 bottles for a product, meaning it is reordered whenever on-hand stock falls below 12. A count shows 9 bottles on hand and no order placed. What does the PAR level tell you to do?

• A. Nothing; 9 bottles is enough to keep dispensing
• B. Return 3 bottles to the wholesaler to reach a round number
• C. Raise the PAR level to 9 to match current stock
• D. Place a replenishment order, because on-hand stock is below the PAR level

Question 26 of 50

Dispensing Process - Preparing and Dispensing Prescriptions · Item EXCPT-F026

A long-term care resident is prescribed a Schedule IV controlled substance. Under the federal exception that lets an institutionalised patient's medication be dispensed without the full retail prescription label, what is the most that may be dispensed at one time?

• A. A 34-day supply or 100 dosage units, whichever is less
• B. A 30-day supply
• C. A 34-day supply or 100 dosage units, whichever is greater
• D. A 90-day supply

Question 27 of 50

Laws - Laws and Regulations · Item EXCPT-F027

Which statement about federal 30-day pseudoephedrine limits is accurate?

• A. Every 30-day limit is 9 grams, in every sales channel
• B. Every 30-day limit is 7.5 grams, in every sales channel
• C. An individual may not purchase more than 9 grams at retail in 30 days, and mail-order sellers are limited to 7.5 grams per customer in 30 days
• D. There is no federal 30-day limit, only a daily limit

Question 28 of 50

Drug and Drug Therapy - Frequently Prescribed Medications · Item EXCPT-F028

Norvasc is a brand name for which active ingredient?

• A. Atorvastatin
• B. Metoprolol
• C. Amiodarone
• D. Amlodipine

Question 29 of 50

Dispensing Process - Sterile and Non-Sterile Products, Compounding, Unit Dose, and Repackaging · Item EXCPT-F029

A pharmacist's verified formulation record specifies a dye-free base because the patient has a documented reaction to a colouring agent. Four bases are available. Their ingredient lists show: base 1 contains FD&C Red No. 40; base 2 contains no colouring agents; base 3 contains caramel colour; base 4 contains FD&C Blue No. 1. Which base should be selected for the pharmacist to verify?

• A. Base 1
• B. Base 2
• C. Base 3
• D. Base 4

Question 30 of 50

Dispensing Process - Prescription and Medication Order Intake and Entry · Item EXCPT-F030

While entering a prescription, the system displays an unresolved drug allergy alert. Your pharmacy's workflow states that allergy alerts must be assessed by the pharmacist before processing continues. What should the technician do?

• A. Delete the allergy from the profile so the alert clears
• B. Override the alert to finish the claim and mention it at pickup
• C. Substitute a different medication that does not trigger the alert
• D. Leave the alert unresolved and route it to the pharmacist for assessment

Question 31 of 50

Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties · Item EXCPT-F031

A recall notice covers Product R, 10 mg tablets, lot R62 only. Your shelf holds: Product R 10 mg lot R61; Product R 10 mg lot R62; Product R 5 mg lot R62; and Product S 10 mg lot R62. Which stock is affected by the notice?

• A. Product R 10 mg lot R62 only
• B. Every item carrying lot R62
• C. Both lots of Product R 10 mg
• D. All four items, since they share a product or a lot number

Question 32 of 50

Dispensing Process - Preparing and Dispensing Prescriptions · Item EXCPT-F032

A verified label directs the patient to take the medication with food. Which auxiliary label belongs on the container?

• A. Take on an empty stomach
• B. May cause drowsiness
• C. Take with food or milk
• D. Shake well before using

Question 33 of 50

Laws - Controlled Substances · Item EXCPT-F033

A written prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance is presented for 60 tablets. The pharmacy has only 20 in stock. Under federal law, what is permitted?

• A. Dispense 20 now and refill the remaining 40 later using the same prescription
• B. Refuse the prescription entirely, because Schedule II quantities cannot be split
• C. Dispense 20 now and the rest any time within six months
• D. Dispense 20 now as a partial fill, with the remaining portion filled within 72 hours of the first partial filling

Question 34 of 50

Drug and Drug Therapy - Frequently Prescribed Medications · Item EXCPT-F034

A patient reports mild nausea that started after beginning a new medication. The nausea is listed in the product's labelling as a common effect. It is unpleasant but she is managing it. How is this best described when you pass it to the pharmacist?

• A. A reported side effect, noted for pharmacist review
• B. A drug interaction
• C. A contraindication to the medication
• D. An allergic reaction

Question 35 of 50

Medication and Patient Safety and Quality Assurance · Item EXCPT-F035

A quality review finds that three selection errors in six months all involved two products stored side by side in identical-looking boxes. Which action addresses the cause the review identified?

• A. Remind staff at the next meeting to be more careful
• B. Separate the two products on the shelf and add a selection check for both
• C. Stop recording selection errors, since they are near misses
• D. Order a different quantity of each product

Question 36 of 50

Dispensing Process - Prescription and Medication Order Intake and Entry · Item EXCPT-F036

A patient requests a refill of a non-controlled maintenance medication. The prescription shows zero refills remaining and no new authorisation has been received. There is no emergency. Your pharmacy's workflow assigns renewal requests to the pharmacy team. What is the correct action?

• A. Dispense a short supply and sort out the paperwork afterwards
• B. Tell the patient the prescriber has discontinued the medication
• C. Send a refill authorisation request to the prescriber through the pharmacy's workflow and tell the patient what to expect
• D. Add a refill in the system, since the medication is not controlled

Question 37 of 50

Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties · Item EXCPT-F037

During a shelf check you find a sealed, normal-looking stock bottle whose printed expiration date passed last month. What should happen to it?

• A. Keep it in usable stock until the seal is broken
• B. Use it first so it is not wasted
• C. Dispense it only for over-the-counter requests
• D. Remove it from usable stock and follow the pharmacy's return or disposal process

Question 38 of 50

Dispensing Process - Preparing and Dispensing Prescriptions · Item EXCPT-F038

A product's labelling states that the tablets must be dispensed in the original container with the desiccant left in place. A prescription calls for 30 tablets and the original bottle holds exactly 30. What should be dispensed?

• A. The original sealed bottle, labelled for the patient
• B. 30 tablets counted into an amber vial, with the desiccant transferred across
• C. 30 tablets in a weekly pill organiser
• D. 30 tablets in a zip-seal bag with the desiccant

Question 39 of 50

Laws - Controlled Substances · Item EXCPT-F039

Federal law limits certain controlled substance prescriptions to a maximum of five refills within six months of the date of issue. Which schedules does that limit apply to?

• A. Schedules II through V
• B. Schedules III, IV and V
• C. Schedules III and IV only
• D. Schedules IV and V only

Question 40 of 50

Drug and Drug Therapy - Frequently Prescribed Medications · Item EXCPT-F040

A patient's profile lists a medication whose labelling states that when taken with a second named drug, the daily dose of that second drug should not exceed a stated maximum. A new prescription arrives for the second drug at twice that maximum. What should the technician do?

• A. Reduce the new prescription to the stated maximum and dispense it
• B. Dispense as written; the prescriber has already decided
• C. Tell the patient to stop the first medication while taking the second
• D. Flag the discrepancy for the pharmacist before the prescription goes further

Question 41 of 50

Medication and Patient Safety and Quality Assurance · Item EXCPT-F041

A pharmacy's shelf labels print two similar drug names as predniSONE and prednisoLONE. What is this practice for?

• A. Marking which product is the higher strength
• B. Making the differing part of two similar names stand out so the wrong one is less likely to be picked
• C. Showing that a product is a controlled substance
• D. Indicating that a product is FDA approved

Question 42 of 50

Dispensing Process - Calculations · Item EXCPT-F042

A prescription is filled for 84 tablets. The verified directions are one tablet three times daily, with no as-needed use. What days' supply should be entered?

• A. 21 days
• B. 28 days
• C. 42 days
• D. 84 days

Question 43 of 50

Role, Responsibilities, and General Duties · Item EXCPT-F043

A product's labelling directs storage at 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, with excursions permitted to 15 to 30 degrees Celsius. Which storage area meets the labelled requirement?

• A. A refrigerator held at 5 degrees Celsius
• B. A back room that reaches 40 degrees Celsius in summer
• C. A freezer held at minus 10 degrees Celsius
• D. A stockroom shelf held at 22 degrees Celsius

Question 44 of 50

Dispensing Process - Sterile and Non-Sterile Products, Compounding, Unit Dose, and Repackaging · Item EXCPT-F044

A technician repackages tablets into unit dose containers. The draft label reads: drug name, strength and quantity per package. The pharmacy's repackaging procedure requires the label to allow any staff member to identify the product and determine whether it may still be used. What is missing?

• A. A lot number and a beyond-use date
• B. The wholesaler's account number
• C. The patient's home address
• D. The prescriber's telephone number

Question 45 of 50

Laws - Controlled Substances · Item EXCPT-F045

A prescriber sends an electronic prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance to your pharmacy. It has not been filled, the product is out of stock, and the patient asks that it go to a pharmacy across town. Under federal law, may it be transferred?

• A. No. A Schedule II prescription may never be transferred between pharmacies
• B. Yes, up to five times, provided each transfer is documented
• C. Yes, one time, at the patient's request, if it stays electronic and unfilled
• D. Only if the two pharmacies share a real-time online database

Question 46 of 50

Medication and Patient Safety and Quality Assurance · Item EXCPT-F046

A patient collecting a refill mentions that she has been taking half her prescribed dose to make the bottle last longer because of the cost. What should the technician do?

• A. Tell her halving the dose is a reasonable way to manage the cost
• B. Say nothing, since she is collecting the prescription as written
• C. Tell her to stop the medication until she can afford the full dose
• D. Record what she described and bring it to the pharmacist before she leaves

Question 47 of 50

Dispensing Process - Calculations · Item EXCPT-F047

For this exercise, 2.5% w/w means 2.5 g of active ingredient in every 100 g of finished product. How much active ingredient is in 120 g of the finished product?

• A. 2.5 g
• B. 3 g
• C. 12 g
• D. 30 g

Question 48 of 50

Medication and Patient Safety and Quality Assurance · Item EXCPT-F048

A monthly quality assurance check of the emergency medication supply finds one item three weeks past its expiration date and one item missing from the tray. What should be done?

• A. Replace both items and record the findings under the pharmacy's quality assurance process
• B. Replace the expired item and leave the missing one, since it may turn up
• C. Record the findings and replace the items at the next scheduled check
• D. Replace both items quietly, since the tray was not used

Question 49 of 50

Dispensing Process - Sterile and Non-Sterile Products, Compounding, Unit Dose, and Repackaging · Item EXCPT-F049

Your pharmacy's aseptic procedure requires a new sterile syringe and a new sterile needle for every vial entry. A syringe has already been connected to a patient's intravenous line. A colleague suggests fitting a fresh needle to that syringe and using it to draw from a vial that may be used for another patient. Under the stated procedure, is that acceptable?

• A. Yes, because the new needle is sterile
• B. No. A new sterile syringe and needle are required for the vial entry
• C. Yes, if the syringe barrel still looks clean
• D. Yes, if the vial is used for the same patient within the hour

Question 50 of 50

Dispensing Process - Calculations · Item EXCPT-F050

A verified order is for 750 mL of an intravenous solution to be infused over 6 hours. What is the flow rate in millilitres per hour?

• A. 75 mL/hour
• B. 125 mL/hour
• C. 150 mL/hour
• D. 4,500 mL/hour

What to do with the ones you missed

Reviewing is where the score comes from, and it takes about twenty minutes.

Go back to each question you got wrong, or got right without being sure why. For each one, ask which kind of miss it was. There are really only four:

• Knowledge. You did not know the rule or the fact.
• Reading. You knew it, but missed something in the question, like OU meaning both eyes or whichever is less.
• Setup. You knew the method but arranged the numbers wrong.
• Arithmetic. The setup was right and the maths slipped.

They need different fixes, which is why it is worth naming. A knowledge miss means going back to the material. A reading miss means slowing down on the stem. A setup miss usually means writing the units out. An arithmetic miss often means you were rushing.

Then write the rule or the calculation setup in your own words. Not the answer, the rule. If you cannot write it without looking, you have not learned it yet, and recognising the right answer next time is not the same thing.

Correction log

Copy this into a notebook or print it.

When you are done, pick the two topics that produced the most misses and study those next. Two is deliberate. A list of eight weak areas turns into no studying at all.

What this set covers

This set samples all five domains. It is shorter than the real exam and does not cover every task on the test plan.

NHA publishes the number of scored items in each domain, so those numbers are the official weights rather than anyone's estimate. This set is allocated to match them as closely as 50 questions allows.

Within the Laws domain, 9 of the 15 scored items are Laws and Regulations and 6 are Controlled Substances. Within the Dispensing Process, the 43 items split into 13 for prescription and medication order intake and entry, 13 for preparing and dispensing prescriptions, 7 for calculations, and 10 for sterile and non-sterile products, compounding, unit dose and repackaging. The counts here follow those proportions.

One thing worth noticing in that table. The Dispensing Process is 43 of the 100 scored items, close to half the exam. Inside it, intake and entry carries 13 items and preparing and dispensing carries 13, while calculations carries 7. Plenty of free ExCPT material is built almost entirely out of maths problems, and candidates arrive expecting a maths exam. The published weights say otherwise. Four of the 50 questions here are calculations for the same reason.

That is a statement about where the scored items sit. It is not a claim about which domain is hardest, and it is not a study timetable. How long any of this takes you depends on what you already know.

How this compares with the real ExCPT

The 20 pretest items on the real exam are being trialled for future use and do not count toward your score. You will not be told which ones they are.

If you want to rehearse the pace, the real exam works out at roughly 65 seconds per item. Fifty questions at that rate is about 55 minutes.

What does a passing score of 390 mean?

NHA reports ExCPT results on a scaled score from 200 to 500, and 390 passes. A scaled score is not a percentage and not a count of correct answers. NHA weights the questions by difficulty across different versions of the exam so that 390 means the same standard whichever version you sit.

How many questions can I get wrong?

Nobody outside NHA can tell you. NHA does not publish a conversion from raw correct answers to the scaled score, and because the weighting shifts with the difficulty of the particular form you take, there is no fixed number that works across versions. If a study site gives you a specific number to aim for, they are guessing.

So treat your result on this page as what it is: how you did on these 50 questions. It is not a scaled score, not a prediction, and not a measure of how far you are from passing.

What you do get from NHA after the real exam is a score report showing, for each of the five domains, whether you were above, near, or below the passing standard. Two details in that report catch people out. Near does not mean you did well enough — it means your performance was close to the standard, not that it cleared it. And the domain ratings cannot be added up to explain your overall result, because they account for question difficulty while the overall pass or fail does not. If a domain had five or fewer questions on your form, it shows as N/A, because too few items makes the rating unreliable.

Test day: what you can and cannot bring

This changed recently, so old advice is circulating.

Since 1 June 2026, NHA exams delivered through PSI no longer permit scratch paper. Instead:

• An embedded calculator is built into the exam.
• Testing remotely: you get a digital whiteboard on screen.
• Testing at a PSI test centre: the centre provides a physical whiteboard.

You cannot use your own calculator or your phone's calculator. If you are testing at a school or employer that administers NHA exams itself rather than through PSI, follow the instructions that site gives you, because those arrangements are set separately.

Bring a current government-issued photo ID. The exam runs in one continuous session. Candidates approved for extra time as an accommodation receive 150% of the standard time, and NHA asks for about 30 days to review an accommodation request.

If you are used to scribbling calculations on paper, practise the four calculation questions above using an on-screen whiteboard or a blank page you cannot rearrange. It is a small thing that feels strange on the day.

If you do not pass

You can retake it. Under NHA's current rules, you wait a minimum of 30 days between attempts, and you are allowed three attempts. After a third unsuccessful attempt, you wait a year before each further attempt. You re-register and pay the exam fee again each time.

Results arrive faster than most people expect. If you tested at a PSI centre or through live remote proctoring, your score report is posted to your NHA account within 48 hours. If you tested at a school or employer site, a preliminary report appears as soon as you finish, though preliminary results are not final.

Use the domain ratings to aim your review. Start with anything marked below or near the standard, and do not write off a domain marked above, because that band is wide and being at the bottom of it still looks like above.

Is this practice test current?

The ExCPT changed. NHA ran a job analysis in 2023, rewrote the test plan, and the new exam applies to exams scheduled on or after 9 July 2025. A lot of free ExCPT material online was written against the older plan and has not been updated.

Here is what moved:

You do not have to take our word for whether any given free test is current. Four checks you can run on anything you find:

1. Does it use the domain name "Overview and Laws"? That domain no longer exists. It was split into two.
2. Does it test Roman numerals? The older plan listed Roman numerals under measurement systems. The current one lists metric, household and military time.
3. Does it cite the Orphan Drug Act? That appeared in the older plan and is not in the current one. NHA said the update reduced the focus on historical pharmacy laws and acts.
4. Does NIOSH appear anywhere? NIOSH requirements are now an explicit task and knowledge statement in the safety domain. They were not in the older plan.

Run those same checks on this page a year from now.

Is the ExCPT the same as the PTCB exam?

No. They are two different credentials from two different organisations. NHA owns the ExCPT. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board owns a separate exam called the PTCE. They cover overlapping subject matter, but the question counts, timing, score scales and domain structures are not the same, so a PTCE practice test is not an ExCPT practice test even when it is labelled as one.

That matters more than it sounds. Several pages that rank for "free ExCPT practice test" describe a 90-question, 110-minute exam. That is the PTCE. The ExCPT is 120 questions in 130 minutes.

One more thing candidates ask about: passing the ExCPT gives you a national certification. It does not by itself give you permission to work as a pharmacy technician in your state. NHA says plainly that its requirements are separate from any state requirement to practise, and that you are responsible for checking your own state's rules. Your state board of pharmacy is the only place that can answer that, and it is worth doing before you book.

Sources

Exam facts on this page come from NHA's own published materials. The federal rules behind the practice questions come from the issuing agency in each case. Every link below was opened and read on 11 September 2026.

The exam

• NHA Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) test plan for the ExCPT exam — domains, scored item counts, exam length. Based on the 2023 job analysis.
• NHA: new ExCPT certification exam and study materials — the 9 July 2025 effective date.
• NHA Candidate Handbook — scoring, the 390 scaled passing score, score report timing, domain performance categories, retake rules, eligibility, accommodations. Version updated 1 June 2026.
• NHA product and certification portal updates — the PSI testing tools change effective 1 June 2026.
• NHA Certified Pharmacy Technician page — eligibility summary, exam application and the current exam fee.
• NHA 2016 ExCPT test plan — used only to show what changed.

Federal rules used in the questions

• 21 CFR part 1306, Schedules III, IV and V — refill limits, partial filling, labelling, prescription transfers.
• 21 CFR 1306.12 and 21 CFR 1306.13 — Schedule II refilling and partial filling.
• DEA: transfer of electronic prescriptions for controlled substances and the final rule at 88 FR 48365, effective 28 August 2023.
• DEA: Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act general information and 21 CFR 1314.100 — pseudoephedrine sales limits, logbook and identification requirements.
• DEA: drug scheduling — schedule definitions and examples.
• FDA: recalls background and definitions — recall classes.
• FDA: Orange Book preface — therapeutic equivalence evaluations and what they do and do not decide.
• MedlinePlus: amlodipine and atorvastatin — drug class identification.

On the exam fee. NHA sets and publishes the ExCPT fee in its own shop rather than in the Candidate Handbook, and the figures repeated on third-party sites do not agree with each other. We are not printing a number we cannot verify against NHA. Check the ExCPT exam application page for the current amount.

How this page was made

The 50 questions are original, written from the sources listed above. Each one was drafted against a task on the current test plan, then checked against the underlying rule or reference rather than against another study site's answer key. The four calculations were worked and re-checked independently. Questions are spread across the five domains in the proportions NHA publishes.

No pharmacist or other licensed professional has reviewed these questions. Checking a source is not the same as professional review, and we are not going to describe it as one.

Last verified 11 September 2026: NHA's current test plan, exam update notices, product update notices and Candidate Handbook, and the federal and reference sources cited in the explanations above.

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the National Healthcareer Association. These practice questions are original and unofficial. They are not actual ExCPT exam questions. Exam and credential names are used to identify the subjects discussed, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This resource does not provide patient-specific medical advice, and it does not guarantee an exam result, certification, licensure, employment or income.