There is something to be said for immediate gratification. From when we were little kids taking reading, writing and arithmetic tests, all the way through high school and the “make or break” college SATs, what we all wouldn’t have given for immediate results.

How great would it have been to hand in our number two pencils and find out whether our SAT scores qualified us for our dream school, all at the same time? I certainly thought so as I left my nursing boards absolutely convinced that I had failed and thus wasted my entire four years in nursing school.  What I wouldn’t have given for immediate gratification in that moment.

Well, fortunately for pharmacy technicians the wait is over. It has been since April 1st when the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board launched a new version of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) that features immediate “pass/fail” results. The PTCE is widely regarded as the gold standard in certification testing for pharmacy technicians.

Since the new on-demand format was launched on April 1st, the PTCB reports that 6,800 pharmacy technicians have applied to sit for the exam – in one month. To put that number in perspective, PTCB tested 50,000 pharmacy techs in 2008. The immediate gratification testing method seems to be catching on.

One of the motivators for the new results format is the high demand for pharmacy technicians across the country. Pharmacy techs who pass these boards are generally considered the most qualified in the work force. As a reminder, the projected growth rate for pharmacy technicians between 2006 and 2016 is a nearly exponential 32% compared to other professions reviewed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Whether your goal is a career as a pharmacy technician, with a regular paycheck in a field that needs you, or if a pharmacy tech job is a stopover en route to a career as a pharmacist, the new pass/fail testing method is sure to make the process easier.

Pharmacy Technician Certification Board: https://www.ptcb.org