100+ Free TCM Pharmacy Qualification (China) Practice Questions
Prepare for the China National Health Professional Qualification Examination - Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy Series (全国卫生专业技术资格考试 - 中药学 102/202/367) exam with instant access — no signup required.
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Key Facts: TCM Pharmacy Qualification (China) Exam
4 Papers
Examination Subjects (基础知识, 相关专业知识, 专业知识, 专业实践能力)
National Health Commission Examination Blueprint
360 Minutes
Total CBT Duration (90 Minutes per Paper across 4 Sessions)
21wecan Official Examination Schedule
60 / 100
Standard Passing Score per Paper (60% Minimum)
NHC Talent Exchange Center Standard-Setting
2 Years
Rolling Examination Result Validity Period (2年滚动管理制)
National Health Professional Qualification Rules
102 / 202 / 367
Official Subject Specialty Codes (士 / 师 / 主管中药师)
National Health Commission Specialty Classification
CBT
Computer-Based Testing Format (人机对话机考)
Chinese Health Talent Examination Network (21wecan)
The National Health Professional Qualification Exam for TCM Pharmacy is China's official hospital pharmacist licensing and title examination (Codes 102/202/367). Administered by NHC (21wecan) and MOHRSS, candidates must score 60/100 across four 90-minute CBT papers in a 2-year rolling cycle. This OpenExamPrep module provides 100 verified practice questions with authentic dual-language terminology.
Sample TCM Pharmacy Qualification (China) Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your TCM Pharmacy Qualification (China) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1In Traditional Chinese Medicine basic theory (中医基础理论), which Five Elements (五行) relationship describes the pathological condition where hyperactive Liver Wood (木) impairs and restrains Lung Metal (金)?
2Which of the following physiological functions is uniquely attributed to the Spleen (脾) in Zang-Fu organ manifestation theory (藏象学说)?
3What is the primary physiological mechanism and source for the formation of Pectoral Qi (Zong Qi / 宗气) in the human body?
4According to Chinese Materia Medica properties (中药性能), what primary therapeutic actions are characteristic of medicinal herbs possessing an Acrid (辛) flavor?
5How does processing with liquid adjuvants influence the directional movement of herbal actions (Ascending, Descending, Floating, Sinking / 升降浮沉)?
6Which of the following medicinal herbs specifically enters the Liver and Gallbladder meridians (归肝、胆经) to disperse Liver Qi stagnation and clear Shaoyang heat?
7According to the classical Eighteen Incompatibilities (十八反), which group of medicinal substances is strictly incompatible with Radix Glycyrrhizae (Gan Cao / 甘草)?
8A clinical dispensary receives a prescription containing Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata (Fu Zi / 附子) combined with Rhizoma Pinelliae (Ban Xia / 半夏). Under TCM compatibility taboos, how should this combination be categorized?
9Which of the following herbal pairs represents a prohibited combination according to the classical Nineteen Counteractions (十九畏)?
10Which of the following medicinal herbs is categorized as an ABSOLUTE CONTRAINDICATION in pregnancy (妊娠禁用药) due to its drastic purgative, blood-breaking, or toxic properties?
About the TCM Pharmacy Qualification (China) Exam
The China National Health Professional Qualification Examination in TCM Pharmacy (全国卫生专业技术资格考试 - 中药学) is the mandatory statutory professional qualification and career progression examination for pharmacists practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine across medical institutions, hospital pharmacies, research institutes, and healthcare organizations in the People's Republic of China. Administered by the National Health Commission Talent Exchange Center (21wecan) under unified national planning with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), the examination encompasses three hierarchical career tiers: Junior TCM Pharmacy Technician (中药士, Code 102), Junior TCM Pharmacist (中药师, Code 202), and Intermediate Pharmacist-in-Charge of TCM (主管中药师, Code 367). Candidates are assessed across four comprehensive papers: Basic Knowledge (基础知识: TCM Basic Theory and Chinese Materia Medica), Related Professional Knowledge (相关专业知识: TCM Pharmacy Law, TCM Pharmacology, and General Pharmacology), Professional Knowledge (专业知识: Processing of Chinese Materia Medica and TCM Identification), and Professional Practical Ability (专业实践能力: TCM Pharmaceutics, Clinical Dispensing, and Quality Control). Passing all four papers within a two-year rolling window awards the statutory Qualification Certificate of Healthcare Professional Technical Qualification, enabling formal hospital appointment, institutional prescribing review rights, and clinical dispensing authority nationwide.
Assessment
Paper 1: 基础知识 (Basic Knowledge, 100 MCQs, 90 min); Paper 2: 相关专业知识 (Related Professional Knowledge, 100 MCQs, 90 min); Paper 3: 专业知识 (Professional Knowledge, 100 MCQs, 90 min); Paper 4: 专业实践能力 (Professional Practical Ability, 100 MCQs, 90 min); 360 minutes total CBT.
Time Limit
360 minutes total (90 minutes per subject paper across 4 CBT sessions)
Passing Score
60 / 100 points on each of the 4 subject papers in a 2-year rolling examination cycle (2年滚动管理)
Exam Fee
Set provincially; Hunan's 2026 notice charges RMB 70 per subject (National Health Commission Talent Exchange Center (国家卫生健康委人才交流服务中心 / 21wecan) & Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security)
TCM Pharmacy Qualification (China) Exam Content Outline
Traditional Chinese Materia Medica & TCM Basic Theory (中药学与中医基础理论)
Evaluates fundamental TCM philosophical foundations, organ physiology, and single-herb pharmacology: Yin-Yang balance and Five Elements generating/overcoming relationships (生克乘侮), Zang-Fu visceral manifestation theory (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, gallbladder, stomach, intestines, bladder, triple energizer), Qi, Blood, Fluid dynamics, etiology (six exogenous evils 六淫, seven emotions 七情, phlegm-fluid, blood stasis), Eight Principles pattern differentiation (八纲辨证), herbal properties (Four Natures, Five Flavors, Ascending/Descending/Floating/Sinking), channel tropism, toxicological profiles, incompatibility rules (Eighteen Incompatibilities 十八反, Nineteen Counteractions 十九畏), pregnancy prohibitions, and clinical therapeutic actions of exterior-releasing, heat-clearing, purgative, damp-resolving, interior-warming, qi-regulating, blood-activating, phlegm-transforming, and tonifying medicinal herbs.
TCM Formulas & Herbal Processing (方剂学与中药炮制学)
Covers formula composition principles, structural hierarchy, and pharmaceutical processing mechanics: Sovereign, Minister, Assistant, and Courier (君臣佐使) roles, the Seven Relations of Formula Compatibility (单行, 相须, 相使, 相畏, 相杀, 相恶, 相反), classic prescriptions across twenty categories, modifications based on symptoms/constitution, herbal processing objectives (enhancing efficacy, reducing toxicity, altering channel tropism or nature), dry-frying (清炒: yellow-frying, scorched, charring to carbonize 炒炭止血), adjuvant stir-frying (wine 酒炙 for ascending/blood circulation, vinegar 醋炙 for liver channel/pain relief, honey 蜜炙 for lung moistening/spleen tonifying, ginger 姜炙 for anti-emetic/warming, salt 盐炙 for kidney guidance, bran 麸炒 for spleen invigorating), calcining (煅法: open煅, calcining-quenching 煅淬 for minerals/shells, closed carbonizing 扣锅煅), and detoxification procedures for potent toxic herbs (Aconitum Radix 附子/草乌, Pinelliae Rhizoma 半夏, Strychni Semen 马钱子, Arsenic preparations).
TCM Identification & Chemistry (中药鉴定学与中药化学)
Focuses on herbal authentication, botanical taxonomy, microscopic analysis, and phytochemical constituents: Dao Di authentic geographical sources (道地药材), macroscopic organoleptic identification of roots, rhizomes, barks, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, whole herbs, animal substances, and minerals (characteristic features such as Radix Astragali 'crane-neck head' 鹤膝头, Ginseng 'reed head' 芦头 and pearl dots 珍珠疙瘩, Coptidis Rhizoma 'chicken feet' 鸡爪黄连), microscopic diagnostic characteristics (calcium oxalate crystal morphologies, stone cells, secretory cavities, pollen grains, stomatal types), physicochemical identification (TLC, HPLC, chemical reactions), and the chemical structures, physicochemical properties, extraction methods, and pharmacological actions of primary secondary metabolites including alkaloids (isoquinoline, tropane), flavonoids, anthraquinones (emodin, chrysophanol), coumarins, lignans, terpenoids, volatile oils, saponins (steroidal, triterpenoid), and cardiac glycosides.
TCM Pharmacy Management, Dispensing & Clinical Rational Use (中药药事管理、调剂学与临床合理用药)
Encompasses statutory pharmaceutical regulations, hospital dispensary operations, herbal preparation, and patient medication safety: PRC Drug Administration Law (药品管理法), Regulations for the Implementation of the Drug Administration Law, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Supply Practice (GSP), prescription auditing and dispensing workflow (review 审方, dispensing 计价调配, double-checking 复核, patient counseling 发药), special decocting instructions (先煎 decoct 10-30 min first for minerals/toxic roots, 后下 add 5-10 min before end for aromatics, 包煎 wrap-boil for fine powders/hairs, 烊化 melt/dissolve for colla/gelatins, 另煎 separate decoction for precious herbs like Ginseng, 冲服 take with decoction for powders), herbal warehouse storage and maintenance (insect pest control, mold prevention, moisture control, chemical fumigation alternatives), toxic herb storage and dispensing quotas, herbal adverse drug reactions (ADR) reporting, and herb-drug interactions.
How to Pass the TCM Pharmacy Qualification (China) Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: 60 / 100 points on each of the 4 subject papers in a 2-year rolling examination cycle (2年滚动管理)
- Assessment: Paper 1: 基础知识 (Basic Knowledge, 100 MCQs, 90 min); Paper 2: 相关专业知识 (Related Professional Knowledge, 100 MCQs, 90 min); Paper 3: 专业知识 (Professional Knowledge, 100 MCQs, 90 min); Paper 4: 专业实践能力 (Professional Practical Ability, 100 MCQs, 90 min); 360 minutes total CBT.
- Time limit: 360 minutes total (90 minutes per subject paper across 4 CBT sessions)
- Exam fee: Set provincially; Hunan's 2026 notice charges RMB 70 per subject
Keys to Passing
- Work through all 100 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
TCM Pharmacy Qualification (China) Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TCM Pharmacy Series examination and what credentials does it confer?
The National Health Professional Qualification Examination in TCM Pharmacy (全国卫生专业技术资格考试 - 中药学) is the official statutory qualification exam administered by the National Health Commission Talent Exchange Center (21wecan) and MOHRSS. It confers national professional titles across three progressive levels: Junior TCM Pharmacy Technician (初级中药士, Code 102), Junior TCM Pharmacist (初级中药师, Code 202), and Intermediate Pharmacist-in-Charge of TCM (主管中药师 / 中级, Code 367). These credentials grant statutory dispensing and clinical pharmacy authority within medical institutions and hospitals across China.
What is the difference between this Health Professional Qualification and the Licensed Pharmacist (执业药师) exam?
The Health Professional Qualification Examination (卫生专业技术资格考试 / 职称考试) is organized by the National Health Commission and MOHRSS specifically for pharmacists working in clinical medical institutions, hospitals, and healthcare institutions to determine institutional rank, clinical responsibilities, and professional promotion. In contrast, the Licensed Pharmacist Examination (国家执业药师职业资格考试) is organized by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and MOHRSS primarily as a practicing qualification for community retail pharmacies and pharmaceutical wholesale/manufacturing enterprises.
What is the examination format, timing, and passing score requirement?
The examination comprises four distinct subject papers: Basic Knowledge (基础知识), Related Professional Knowledge (相关专业知识), Professional Knowledge (专业知识), and Professional Practical Ability (专业实践能力). Each paper consists of 100 computerized multiple-choice questions (CBT) lasting 90 minutes. A passing score is 60 out of 100 points on each of the four papers. Candidates are evaluated under a 2-year rolling management cycle (2年滚动管理制), meaning all four papers must be passed within two consecutive calendar years.
What educational backgrounds and work experience prerequisites apply?
Candidates must hold an educational degree in Traditional Chinese Pharmacy (中药学), Pharmacy (药学), or closely related disciplines from an accredited secondary specialized school (中专), junior college (大专), undergraduate university (本科), master's program (硕士), or doctoral program (博士). Work experience requirements vary by level: Junior Technician (士) typically requires 中专/大专 degree; Junior Pharmacist (师) requires 中专 + 5 years as technician, 大专 + 2 years, or 本科 + 1 year internship; Intermediate Pharmacist-in-Charge (主管) requires Bachelor's + 4 years as pharmacist, Master's + 2 years, or PhD with clinical completion.
Why is this OpenExamPrep practice module presented in English with Chinese terminology?
While the official exam in China is administered in Simplified Chinese, this practice bank is crafted in English with authentic Chinese pinyin and Hanzi characters in parentheses (e.g., 附子 Radix Aconiti Lateralis Praeparata, 君臣佐使 Sovereign-Minister-Assistant-Courier, 先煎 Decoct First, 十八反 Eighteen Incompatibilities). This bilingual pedagogical structure supports international TCM practitioners, integrative medicine physicians, bilingual clinical pharmacists, and overseas Chinese medicine students in mastering standardized national examination concepts.