Prometric Exam Questions for Pharmacy Technicians 2026: 15 Practice MCQs with Answers and Rationale for the PHT5451 Paper

The pharmacy technician paper (PHT5451, also used for assistant pharmacist titles) tests safe dispensing under a pharmacist's supervision: reading prescriptions, calculating quantities, knowing dosage forms and storage, recognising common drugs and the rules on controlled medicines. It is usually 100 to 150 single-best-answer questions in 2 to 3 hours, with a pass mark around 55% depending on the authority.

The fifteen questions below follow that blueprint. Allow about 70 seconds each. Calculations and Latin abbreviations are the cheapest marks on the paper, so practise them until they are automatic.

For eligibility and the full syllabus, read the pharmacy technician guide. For timed papers use the Pharmacy Technician bank. Pharmacists sit a different paper: pharmacist sample questions.

Prescriptions and abbreviations

Question 1

A prescription reads "amoxicillin 500 mg caps, 1 cap tid x 7 days". How many capsules are dispensed?

1. 7
2. 14
3. 21
4. 28

Answer: C. "tid" means three times a day; 3 capsules a day for 7 days is 21 capsules.

Question 2

The abbreviation "prn" on a prescription means:

1. Before food
2. When required
3. At night
4. Every morning

Answer: B. "prn" means as needed. "ac" is before food, "pc" after food, "nocte" or "hs" at night, "od" or "mane" in the morning, "stat" immediately.

Question 3

Which part of a prescription must a technician check with the pharmacist before dispensing?

1. Only the patient's name
2. Any dose outside the usual range, an unclear drug name, or a possible interaction
3. Nothing; the technician dispenses exactly as written
4. The colour of the ink

Answer: B. A technician prepares and labels under supervision. Any unusual dose, illegible item, allergy flag or interaction warning is referred to the pharmacist before the medicine leaves the pharmacy.

Calculations

Question 4

A child is prescribed 15 mg/kg of a medicine and weighs 20 kg. The dose is:

1. 150 mg
2. 300 mg
3. 75 mg
4. 600 mg

Answer: B. 15 mg multiplied by 20 kg is 300 mg.

Question 5

A suspension contains 200 mg in 5 mL. The prescribed dose is 300 mg. The volume is:

1. 5 mL
2. 7.5 mL
3. 10 mL
4. 15 mL

Answer: B. 200 mg per 5 mL is 40 mg per mL; 300 mg divided by 40 mg per mL is 7.5 mL.

Question 6

How many grams of dextrose are in 500 mL of a 5% w/v solution?

1. 5 g
2. 25 g
3. 50 g
4. 2.5 g

Answer: B. 5% w/v means 5 g per 100 mL, so 500 mL contains 25 g.

Question 7

A cream is to be made by mixing 20 g of a 1% hydrocortisone cream with 20 g of plain base. The final strength is:

1. 1%
2. 0.5%
3. 2%
4. 0.25%

Answer: B. 20 g of 1% cream contains 0.2 g of hydrocortisone. Diluted to 40 g, the strength is 0.2 g in 40 g, which is 0.5%.

Dosage forms and storage

Question 8

Which dosage form must not be crushed or chewed?

1. A plain immediate-release tablet
2. An enteric-coated or modified-release tablet
3. A chewable tablet
4. A dispersible tablet

Answer: B. Crushing destroys an enteric coating or a modified-release matrix, causing the whole dose to be released at once or in the wrong part of the gut. Counsel patients to swallow these whole.

Question 9

Unopened insulin should be stored:

1. In the freezer
2. In the refrigerator at 2 to 8 °C, never frozen
3. On a shelf at room temperature indefinitely
4. In direct sunlight

Answer: B. Unopened insulin is refrigerated at 2 to 8 °C. A pen in use is kept at room temperature for up to 28 days. Frozen insulin is discarded.

Question 10

Reconstituted antibiotic suspensions such as amoxicillin are usually valid for:

1. 1 year
2. 7 to 14 days, as stated on the label, often refrigerated
3. 6 months
4. 24 hours only

Answer: B. Once water is added, most antibiotic suspensions are stable for 7 to 14 days. Write the date of reconstitution and the discard date on the label.

Common drugs and counselling

Question 11

Metformin is used to treat:

1. Hypertension
2. Type 2 diabetes
3. Asthma
4. Hypothyroidism

Answer: B. Metformin is first-line for type 2 diabetes and is taken with food to reduce stomach upset. Salbutamol is for asthma, amlodipine for hypertension and levothyroxine for hypothyroidism.

Question 12

A patient collecting a salbutamol inhaler should be told that it is:

1. A preventer to be used twice daily even when well
2. A reliever to be used when breathless or wheezy
3. Only for children
4. To be swallowed

Answer: B. Salbutamol is a short-acting reliever. Inhaled corticosteroids are the preventers used regularly. Check the patient's inhaler technique.

Question 13

Which medicine should be taken on an empty stomach, 30 to 60 minutes before breakfast?

1. Ibuprofen
2. Levothyroxine
3. Metformin
4. Amoxicillin

Answer: B. Food, calcium and iron reduce levothyroxine absorption. Ibuprofen and metformin are taken with food.

Controlled drugs and law

Question 14

Which of the following is a controlled (narcotic) medicine that requires a special prescription and register entry in Gulf countries?

1. Paracetamol
2. Morphine
3. Cetirizine
4. Omeprazole

Answer: B. Morphine and other opioids are controlled: they need the authority's controlled-drug prescription form, are stored in a locked cabinet, and every supply is recorded in the register. Each authority publishes its own schedules.

Question 15

A customer asks the technician to sell an antibiotic without a prescription. The technician should:

1. Sell it, since it is a small quantity
2. Refuse, explain that antibiotics are prescription-only, and refer to the pharmacist or a doctor
3. Sell it only if the customer is a regular
4. Sell a different antibiotic

Answer: B. Antibiotics are prescription-only in every Gulf country and over-the-counter sale is an offence that can cost the pharmacy its licence. Refer the customer appropriately.

How to use these questions

• Drill calculations. Thirty problems a week on doses by weight, volumes from concentration and percentage strengths.
• Memorise abbreviations and storage rules. They are pure recall and come up in every paper.
• Learn 50 common drugs with class, use and one counselling point each.
• Practise under time in the Pharmacy Technician bank, and follow the error-log method.

Pharmacists with a B.Pharm or Pharm.D sit the pharmacist paper instead; see the DHA pharmacist preparation guide. When you hold eligibility, join the pharmacy talent pool.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are in the pharmacy technician Prometric exam?

Usually 100 to 150 in 2 to 3 hours. Your eligibility notice gives the exact format.

What is the pass mark for the pharmacy technician exam?

Around 55% depending on the authority, lower than the pharmacist paper.

Can a D.Pharm holder sit the pharmacist exam?

Usually not. Diploma holders are licensed as pharmacy technicians or assistant pharmacists and sit PHT5451.

Which topics come up most?

Dispensing and calculations, dosage forms and storage, common drugs and their uses, and the rules on controlled and prescription-only medicines.

Are these real exam questions?

No. They are original practice questions written to the published blueprint. Real exam content is confidential.