About this test
PTCB Practice Test 8 draws from set 8, the last of the numbered series. If you have worked through Tests 1 through 7, you have now covered a wide spread of the bank with no repeats. Use this one as a clean readiness check, and take it under quiet, timed conditions to mimic the exam.
When you can score consistently well across the numbered mini tests, you are ready to build stamina with the full 90-question exam, which reproduces the real 110-minute sitting.
New to the material? Work through our 2026 PTCB study guide first, then reinforce it with PTCB Practice Test 7 and the full PTCB practice test.
What's in the question bank
| Topic | Questions in bank |
|---|---|
| Brand Generic | 2 |
| Drug Class | 2 |
| Interactions | 2 |
| Side Effects | 1 |
| Expiration | 1 |
| Storage | 1 |
| Dosage Forms | 1 |
| Csa Dispensing | 1 |
Sample questions with answers
These 8 questions come straight from the 27-question bank the timed test above draws from. Work each one before you open the answer: recalling it cold is what moves it into long-term memory.
1. A patient stabilized on warfarin should be monitored most closely for which adverse effect?
- A.Bleeding
- B.High potassium
- C.Dry cough
- D.Ankle swelling
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Bleeding
Because warfarin thins the blood, bleeding is its most significant and potentially serious adverse effect, and dosing is guided by INR testing. A dry cough and high potassium are associated with ACE inhibitors, not with anticoagulants.
2. A patient's profile shows sublingual nitroglycerin for angina. A new prescription for sildenafil arrives. What should happen?
- A.Fill both; the drugs work on different body systems
- B.Fill both but counsel the patient to separate the doses by 2 hours
- C.Dispense a lower sildenafil dose without contacting anyone
- D.Flag the prescription; sildenafil is contraindicated with nitrates because of the risk of severe hypotension
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Flag the prescription; sildenafil is contraindicated with nitrates because of the risk of severe hypotension
Sildenafil is contraindicated with organic nitrates in any form, taken regularly or intermittently, because together they can cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure. Separating the doses by a couple of hours does not remove the contraindication, so that option understates the danger.
3. Which federal office is responsible for enforcing the HIPAA Privacy Rule?
- A.The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- B.The FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
- C.The Federal Trade Commission
- D.The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
Within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) implements and enforces the HIPAA Privacy Rule, including voluntary compliance activities and civil money penalties. The rule itself is codified at 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164.
4. Which drug appears on the ISMP List of Confused Drug Names as commonly confused with busPIRone?
- A.buprenorphine
- B.butalbital
- C.buPROPion
- D.bumetanide
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. buPROPion
BusPIRone, an anxiolytic, and buPROPion, an antidepressant and smoking cessation aid, are a documented LASA pair. Both the FDA and ISMP recommend tall man lettering to emphasize the differing letters. The other options are not listed as confused with busPIRone.
5. Which sig abbreviation indicates that a medication should be taken four times a day?
- A.QD
- B.QOD
- C.Q4H
- D.QID
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. QID
QID (quater in die) means four times a day. QD means daily, QOD means every other day, and Q4H means every 4 hours, which would actually produce six doses across a full 24-hour period rather than four.
6. Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) belongs to which antibiotic class, which carries a boxed warning for tendinitis and tendon rupture?
- A.Macrolides
- B.Fluoroquinolones
- C.Tetracyclines
- D.Cephalosporins
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Fluoroquinolones
Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone, a class whose generic names typically end in -floxacin and that carries boxed warnings including tendon rupture. Macrolides and tetracyclines are separate antibiotic classes without this specific tendon warning.
7. A patient taking spironolactone mentions using a potassium-containing salt substitute at home. What risk does this combination raise?
- A.Hyperkalemia (dangerously high potassium levels)
- B.Hypokalemia (dangerously low potassium levels)
- C.Reduced diuretic effect requiring a higher dose
- D.Severe sodium retention and edema
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Hyperkalemia (dangerously high potassium levels)
Spironolactone itself can cause hyperkalemia, and the labeling warns the risk is increased by potassium supplementation, potassium-containing salt substitutes, or other potassium-raising drugs like ACE inhibitors and ARBs. Hypokalemia is the wrong direction; spironolactone is potassium-sparing, unlike loop or thiazide diuretics.
8. A customer has already purchased 7.2 grams of pseudoephedrine base at retail this month and asks to buy a package containing 2.4 grams more. Which federal CMEA limit would this purchase violate?
- A.The 3.6-gram daily sales limit
- B.The requirement that all sales occur by mail order
- C.The 24-tablet limit for any single transaction
- D.The 9-gram limit on retail purchases per 30-day period
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. The 9-gram limit on retail purchases per 30-day period
The CMEA makes it unlawful for a person to knowingly purchase more than 9 grams of pseudoephedrine base at retail during a 30-day period, and 7.2 plus 2.4 grams would total 9.6 grams. Of the 9-gram monthly allowance, no more than 7.5 grams may be obtained by mail order or private/commercial carrier.
Ready for the full timed run? Scroll back up and start the Practice Test 8, or browse every free PTCB quiz by exam domain.
Key concepts to know
From mini tests to the full exam
The numbered tests build accuracy on a wide range of content. The 90-question exam adds the missing piece: endurance. Once your mini-test scores are steady, switch to full-length attempts in the final stretch.
Review before you book
Turn the weak-spot list you built across the series into a final study plan. Close those specific gaps, take a full-length exam or two, and you will walk in knowing exactly where you stand.
Practice Test 8: FAQ
What should I do after finishing the numbered series?
Move to the full 90-question practice exam to build stamina for the real 110-minute sitting, and close any remaining weak spots you noted across Tests 1 through 8.
How do practice-test scores relate to passing?
The real PTCE is scored on a 1,000 to 1,600 scale with 1,400 to pass, and does not publish a fixed percentage equivalent. Consistently scoring above 80% on full-length practice exams is a strong readiness signal.
Official sources checked
This quiz's content and explanations are built from and cross-checked against primary sources. Verify current exam facts directly with PTCB.