ExCPT Exam information
What it is, what's tested, and how it's scored.
ExCPT exam details
The Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT) assesses the knowledge and skills needed to become a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) in a retail setting.
The ExCPT is administered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), a nonprofit professional certification agency for healthcare workers in the U.S.
As a NHA-certified pharmacy technician, your vital role includes accurately processing prescriptions, managing medications, providing patient counseling, and handling billing and insurance. These tasks are integral to ensuring efficient pharmacy operations and promoting patient safety. The content of the ExCPT emphasizes general, on-the-job knowledge of pharmacy and medication distribution. The NHA certification is primarily targeted at individuals with retail experience seeking to advance their careers, though the CPhT credential can open opportunities in other settings as well.
The ExCPT exam is hosted by NHA and costs $125 to register. Participants have 2 hours 10 minutes to answer 100 multiple-choice questions. The passing score is 390/500.
The ExCPT is a computer-based exam that consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. The length of the ExCPT is approximately 2 hours long, with three sections:
Regulations and Laws
Dispensing Process
Drugs and Therapy
Remember: there are no breaks on the ExCPT, so the time above is the total time you'll have to complete the questions.
The ExCPT exam is scored on a scale of 200 to 500. Scores are calculated based on the number of correct answers, but the difficulty level of each question is also factored in, meaning more challenging questions may carry greater weight. You will receive immediate pass/fail feedback after completing the exam.
To take the ExCPT exam, candidates must first register online through the NHA website. After registering, you can select a Prometric test center, which has locations nationwide. The NHA website provides a test center locator tool to help find the center nearest to you.
The NHA license granted to those who pass the ExCPT is valid for 2 years. Certificate holders must renew their license every two years by completing NHA continuing education requirements.
In order to be eligible for the NHA's CPhT certification, you must have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent credential, and successfully complete one of 3 pathways:
- Training Program:Complete a pharmacy technician training program offered by an accredited or state-recognized institution or provider; orComplete an employer-based training program that:Is recognized by the Board of Pharmacy of the state in which the candidate completes the training program, orHas been verified by the candidate's employer to provide academic preparation that develops the candidate's competence in performing the duties of an entry-level pharmacy technician.
- Military: Completing pharmacy-related training offered by any branch of the U.S. Military will fulfill the training program requirement. Candidates who graduated or completed their training 5 years or more prior to the application date must also have relevant work experience.
- Work Experience: Complete at least 1,200 hours of supervised pharmacy-related work experience within a 1-year timeframe over the past 3 years.
ExCPT exam summary
Overview and Laws
25%
25 questions
The Overview and Laws section of the ExCPT will assess your understanding of the priorities and legal responsibilities of pharmacy technicians. Specifically, this section covers crucial knowledge of controlled substances, laws and regulations, as well as the roles, scope of practice, and general duties of a pharmacy technician.
Drugs and Drug Therapy
5%
5 questions
The Drug and Drug Therapy section of the ExCPT tests your understanding of key qualities of different medications. This relatively small but important section covers drug classification, where you will be asked to match products with their dosage, therapeutic classes, routes of administration, and indications. Frequently prescribed medications are also covered, meaning you must be able to differentiate between brand and generic names of commonly used drugs and therapies. Other knowledge areas include common vaccines and immunization schedules, drug interactions, and the intended and side effects medications have on patients.
Dispensing Process
45%
45 questions
The Dispensing Process section of the ExCPT tests your comprehension of medication administration and dispersal. This includes intake and entry of prescriptions, medication preparation and dispensing, and using prescription data for analysis. You must also be familiar with procedures relating to sterile and nonsterile products, compounding, unit dosage, and repackaging. This section makes up 45% of the exam, making it the most heavily weighted section of the ExCPT.
Medication Safety and Quality Assurance
15%
15 questions
The Medication Safety and Quality Assurance section of the ExCPT assesses your knowledge of best practices for prescription storage and administration. This includes awareness of guidelines, medication warnings, and procedures to ensure the safe and effective delivery of the correct prescriptions. This section will also verify your ability to take corrective action, check stock, and maintain a clean work environment.
Achievable ExCPT content outline
1
Pharmacy Law and Regulations
Provides an overview of federal pharmacy laws, controlled substance schedules, DEA regulations, prescription requirements, recordkeeping standards, and legal responsibilities of pharmacy technicians.
2
Medication Safety
Covers strategies to prevent medication errors, including error-prone abbreviations, medications with similar names, high-alert drugs, safe dispensing practices, and proper documentation of incidents.
3
Sterile and Non-Sterile Compounding
Explains USP 795 and 797 requirements, aseptic technique, beyond-use dating, infection control, equipment use, measurement accuracy, compounding procedures, and quality assurance checks.
4
Medication Order Entry and Fill Process
Focuses on processing prescriptions and medication orders, interpreting provider instructions, selecting the correct drug and dosage forms, labeling, packaging, and preparing medications for dispensing.
5
Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Introduces major drug classes, mechanisms of action, indications, common side effects, contraindications, and drug interactions. Includes basic physiology relevant to pharmacotherapy.
6
Pharmacy Inventory Management
Reviews procurement, storage requirements, handling of hazardous medications, expiration management, recalls, controlled substance inventory procedures, and cost-efficient ordering systems.
7
Billing and Reimbursement
Covers insurance plan types, coordination of benefits, claim processing, prior authorizations, rejection troubleshooting, Medicare and Medicaid basics, and pharmacy financial documentation.
8
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Discusses continuous quality improvement programs, workflow optimization, standard operating procedures, regulatory compliance, and methods to ensure accuracy and safety in pharmacy operations.
9
Professional Practice, Communication, and Ethics
Addresses technician-pharmacist teamwork, HIPAA compliance, patient privacy, professional conduct, cultural sensitivity, conflict resolution, and effective communication with patients and healthcare providers.