Are you planning to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE)? Are you confused about how to prepare for the PTCB math exam and worried about the topics covered in the PTCB math exam? Worry not!
In this article, you will learn more about why math is important for a pharmacy technician, topics covered in the PTCB math exam, how to efficiently prepare for your exam, and how to score well on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).
Why Math Is Important for a Pharmacy Technician?
Being good at PTCB math plays a vital role in the life of a pharmacy technician. Pharmacy technicians are required to have a strong math background and must be well skilled in math computations. Being good at math ensures that patients are receiving the correct dosage of medicine. Even a small error in calculations may lead to injury or death.
The most frequently asked question when discussing the PTCB math exam is the “number of PTCB math questions that will be asked on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE)”. There is no fixed number of questions and the answer is it depends. According to the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), about 33% of the questions on the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) are math questions.
Topics Covered in a PTCB Math Exam
Knowledge in Pharmacy Technician math is essential for a pharmacy technician to have to pass the PTCB exam and practice as a pharmacy technician in the pharmacy. Pharmacy technician math is a type of math that consists of the following main components:
- Weight.
- Volume.
- Time.
- Temperature.
Let’s discuss a few types of math you may need to know to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).
- Decimals.
- Roman Numerals.
- Temperature Conversions.
- Conversions and Measurements.
- Basic accounting and algebra skills.
- Business Calculations, such as net or gross profit, inventory, and markup.
- Pharmacy Allegations, which include the ‘tic-tac-toe’ method.
- Pharmacy Math Conversions (unit breakdown), such as weight, metric, household, and liquid.
- Dosage calculations, such as Young’s rule, body surface area, and Clark’s rule.
Preparing for the PTCB math exam based on these topics can help you efficiently prepare for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE). Now you know which topics to concentrate on. You can now plan and prepare for the PTCB math exam accordingly.
PTCB Math Exam Study Strategies
Preparing for the PTCB math exam to effectively cover all the topics requires proper planning. Proper planning can help you have an idea of how much time is required to complete each topic. Let us now discuss some of the study strategies that might help you your preparation process for the PTCB math exam.
PRACTICE
Practicing PTCB math exam questions and learning math lessons can equip you to become better at solving math problems. It also helps to fill gaps in your knowledge as you practice regularly. It is best to spend a considerable amount of time daily studying and practicing PTCB math exam questions.
PROBLEM-SOLVING
The PTCB math exam helps to test your problem-solving skills and your ability to work through problems and arrive at a solution. As a pharmacy technician, it is necessary to develop the ability to solve problems at a fast pace.
ACCURACY
The role of a pharmacy technician is not just about solving problems, but solving problems with utmost accuracy. Learn to solve problems accurately because a patient’s life depends on the dosage of medication they are provided.
UNDERSTAND AND SOLVE THE MATH PROBLEM
One of the most important parts of preparing for the exam is understanding the problem. Solve the problem by understanding the problem and all the details mentioned on the problem statement.
FLASHCARDS
In the PTCB math exam, when it comes to solving a problem statement, remembering the right formula plays a vital role. You can use flashcards to help you remember math formulas.
USE APPS OR BOOKS
When you start preparing for the PTCB exam, it is important to spend a considerable amount of time every day practicing PTCB math until the examination day. You can make use of books or apps to learn and practice PTCB math whenever you find some free time.
IDENTIFY CORRECT INFORMATION ON THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
Another essential part involved in the preparation for the PTCB math exam is identifying the correct information on a problem statement. Identifying the details helps you understand and solve the problem efficiently.
TIME-MANAGEMENT
When it comes to solving math problems, time management plays an important role. Make sure you do not spend too much time on the same problem. Practice solving PTCB math exam problems by allocating a specific time for each problem.
TEST YOURSELF FREQUENTLY
It is good practice to recall formulas or solve a problem quickly whenever you find free time. It helps improve your speed when solving PTCB math exam problems and also helps you remember formulas.
UNITS
As a pharmacy technician, you will work with lots of different units and conversions. It is essential to remember these units and conversions all through the preparation process for the PTCB math.
RECALL
It is important not to spend more time trying to remember the formulas required to solve a PTCB math problem. Try to recall once in a while the steps involved in solving a problem or the formulas required to solve problems.
Wrapping Up
Math plays a vital role in the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE). As a pharmacy technician, you must equip yourself with problem-solving skills and be good at math to be able to solve PTCB math problems. Strategize and plan properly to cover and prepare all the topics necessary to take the PTCB math exam. Cover the topics that you might find difficulty learning first and work on easy topics towards the end. If you are passionate about taking the PTCB exam, you can try our PTCB practice test to help you prepare for the exam more efficiently. You can also check our PTCB guide to learn more about the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam.
