How Many Questions Are on the PTCB Exam?

The direct answer

The PTCE has 90 multiple-choice questions. Of those, 80 are scored and count toward your result, and 10 are unscored pretest questions.

The 10 pretest questions are mixed in randomly and look identical to the scored ones — you can’t identify them while testing, so the only sound strategy is to treat every question as if it counts.

Why 10 of the questions don’t count

PTCB uses pretest questions to gather performance data on potential future exam items before those items become scored. It’s a standard testing-industry practice, not a PTCE-specific quirk — it just means the “90” you sit for and the “80” that determine your result aren’t the same number.

How the 80 scored questions break down by domain

The scored questions are distributed across four knowledge domains, weighted per the content outline effective January 2026:

• Medications — 35% (roughly 28 of 80 scored questions)
• Patient Safety and Quality Assurance — 23.75% (roughly 19 of 80)
• Order Entry and Processing — 22.5% (roughly 18 of 80)
• Federal Requirements — 18.75% (roughly 15 of 80)

Those question counts are simple math on PTCB’s published percentages (for example, 35% × 80 ≈ 28) — treat them as approximate, not an official PTCB-published count.

What your score actually means

PTCB doesn’t report a raw “X out of 80” score. Results are reported on a scaled score from 1000 to 1600, and the passing score is 1400. Because the conversion from raw correct answers to scaled score isn’t published, you can’t reliably calculate “how many I can afford to miss” — the safest approach is to aim for as many correct answers as possible rather than doing that math on test day.

For context on where candidates land: in 2025, 69% of PTCE candidates passed (PTCB).

Do all 90 questions count toward my score?

No. 80 are scored; 10 are unscored pretest questions mixed in randomly.

How many questions do I need to get right to pass?

PTCB doesn’t publish a simple “correct answers needed” number — scoring is scaled (1000–1600, passing at 1400), not a raw percentage.

What’s the PTCE pass rate?

In 2025, 69% of candidates passed the PTCE (source: PTCB).

Which domain has the most questions?

Medications — it’s weighted heaviest in the content outline at 35%.