What's Required to take the EMT Exam
The EMT exam can be considered to be moderately difficult, but can be easier with the right amount of Exam prep. In EMT school, you are generally required to complete a final written and practical examination. Technically, the practical examination will serve as the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) skills examination, while the EMT school final serves as either the required state/county final exam. Once these are completed, the student’s successful passing of the EMT course will be forwarded along to the NREMT, along with the program director saying the student completed the practical final exam. At this point, you should be authorized to take the NREMT Cognitive Examination, provided that you meet all the other requirements for your program and for the NREMT.
The 3 Steps of EMT Exams
Let’s go over each of these EMT tests in detail so that you can get a better idea of what you’re up against.
EMT Class Final Written Exam
This is your EMT school final written exam. At EMSU, you will take a bunch of other exams in class that will help you to prepare for your final exam. You will take a bunch of topic quizzes and exams that help you to get ready. Repetition is key in order for you to be successful, not just in the written exam, but in the NREMT Cognitive Exam. We provide you with feedback on correct and incorrect answers so that you can learn from your mistakes and reinforce your knowledge. EMSU even has extra exams, quizzes and supplemental materials that you can use in order to be successful on your EMT examinations. The final EMT exam is anywhere from 100-150 questions in length and multiple choice and you’ll have 3 chances to pass with an 80% or better (as of the writing of this article) in order to pass the class. Test taking preparation can also help you to perform better, so we cover some of these tips in class.
EMT Class Skills Test / State Practical Exam
Technically, this is a state/and or program requirement, but is required to be attested to by your program director that you are competent. This is the EMT exam where you are tested on your ability to perform various skills related to being an EMT. The NREMT has a list of requirements for this particular examination and you can use the NREMT Skills Sheets given in your class to prepare for this exam. It is recommended to study for this exam early on in order to be successful. These are pass/fail tests and you are afforded 3 attempts before you will have to take an EMT Refresher class in order to try again. Your instructor will have more specific information on what’s required on this part.
NREMT Cognitive Exam (Computer Based / National Exam)
This EMT exam is taken on the computer and is based not only upon your knowledge of EMT training, but also on specific areas in which mastery is required. The computer based test (CBT) is adaptive, meaning that if you get a bunch of questions in a particular area correct or incorrect, it will either increase or decrease the length of your exam. You can read more about the NREMT CBT Here.
Hopefully, this quick guide will help you to understand how hard it is to take the EMT exams. As always, if you have questions about the process, feel free to reach out and ask. We’re happy to answer your questions anytime. Good luck on your EMT exam!
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