What Is the EXCPT?

The EXCPT (Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians) is administered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and leads to the CPhT (Certified Pharmacy Technician) credential recognized in most US states. It is one of two exams — alongside the PTCB's PTCE — that pharmacy technicians can take to earn national certification.

Most states that require pharmacy technician certification accept either the EXCPT or the PTCE. The NHA developed the EXCPT to offer an accessible, comprehensive certification pathway that tests the full range of pharmacy technician duties across retail, hospital, and specialty pharmacy settings.

For pharmacy technicians looking to advance their careers, earn higher wages, or meet state licensing requirements, the excpt certification is a recognized, employer-valued credential. Passing the EXCPT qualifies you to use the CPhT designation and satisfies certification requirements in all states that mandate certification for pharmacy technicians.

EXCPT Exam Format

The EXCPT consists of 110 multiple-choice questions with four answer choices each. Of the 110 questions, 90 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items that NHA uses to develop future exams — you will not know which questions are pretest items, so answer all questions as if they count.

The exam is taken on computer at an authorized PSI testing center or via remote proctored testing at home. The interface shows one question at a time. You can flag questions for review and return to them before the time expires.

With 120 minutes and 110 questions, you have an average of just over 1 minute per question. Most test-takers complete the exam with time remaining — pharmacy calculation questions take slightly longer, while knowledge recall questions can be answered quickly. The how to pass excpt guide covers time management strategies for the exam.

EXCPT Score Explained

The EXCPT uses a scaled scoring system on a range of 200–500. A scaled score accounts for slight difficulty variations between different exam versions — a score of 390 always represents the same level of pharmacy technician knowledge regardless of which specific questions you received.

The passing score is 390. Test results are reported as Pass or Fail on the day of testing. Within 1–3 business days, you receive a detailed score report showing your performance by domain area — useful for identifying which areas to review if you need to retake.

Candidates who do not pass must wait 30 days before retesting. There is no limit on the number of retake attempts, but each attempt requires a new exam fee. Most candidates who fail do so due to insufficient preparation in pharmaceutical calculations or pharmacy law — the two highest-yield areas for targeted study. For topic-specific practice, our excpt pharmacy calculations practice questions cover the most commonly tested calculation types.

EXCPT Topic Breakdown

The EXCPT covers the full scope of pharmacy technician practice across five content domains. Understanding the weight of each domain helps you prioritize your study time:

• Pharmacology for Technicians (~25%): Drug names (brand/generic), drug classes, mechanisms, common side effects, and therapeutic uses. The largest single domain on the exam.
• Pharmacy Law and Regulations (~12.5%): Federal law (DEA, FDA, HIPAA), controlled substance schedules (I–V), prescription requirements, record-keeping, and state regulatory principles.
• Medication Safety (~12.5%): Error prevention, high-alert medications, look-alike/sound-alike (LASA) drugs, tall man lettering, and patient safety protocols.
• Medication Order Entry and Fill Process (~17.5%): Processing prescriptions, entering orders, drug utilization review (DUR), label accuracy, and workflow management.
• Pharmacy Calculations (~12.5%): Dosage calculations, unit conversions, concentration/dilution, days supply, and compounding mathematics. These questions require the most active problem-solving.
• Compounding (~10%): Sterile and non-sterile compounding principles, USP standards (797/795), aseptic technique, and beyond-use dating.
• Inventory Management and Billing (~10%): Drug ordering, formulary management, insurance claims, third-party billing, and prior authorization processes.

Practice questions for each domain are available through our excpt pharmaceutical fundamentals practice set and topic-specific question banks. For a full set of practice questions with video answer explanations, see our excpt practice test video review series.