If you’re thinking about a career as a paramedic or EMT, then you will need to become familiar with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification. The standardized exam must be passed to work in emergency services.
There are four different NREMT exams:
- EMR
- EMT
- AEMT
- Paramedic
Preparing For The Exam
Each level requires you to take a number of required courses. To qualify for the exam, you must be at least 18 years old, be trained in CPR, and have passed an approved course program for the technician level you will be testing for within the last two years. You will want to make sure the course is accredited as well by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Accreditation by CAAHEP assesses the quality of institutions, programs, and services by measuring them against agreed-upon standards and ensuring these standards are met.
When choosing an EMT or paramedic program, it is important to understand that your program choice can have a big impact on your future. Not only are you required to graduate from an accredited paramedic program in order to sit for certification, but accreditation will likely be needed to earn your dream job after graduation.
Tips For The NREMT Test
Once you finish your training, you can take your certification exam. The typical cost for taking the NREMT test isn't chump change, so you'll want to make sure you're prepared when signing up to take it.
Here are some tips:
- Since a lot of questions on the NREMT are scenario-based, they will require critical thinking. The questions will have a small piece of information—just as much as you'll need to answer it—which will require you to think about the big picture before responding. Be sure to read the questions several times so you can properly absorb it before answering.
- Be sure to study all of the EMT medical facts on flashcards before taking the test. The test will have some specific questions, such as: How many breaths per minute does an adult who is in a resting state take? What region of the body does the gas exchange take place in? Which hormone can accelerate labor?
- Don't rush through the questions, but also, be sure to use your time wisely. Depending on what level of exam you're taking and how you answer the questions, it will have anywhere from 70-150 questions. You will be given anywhere from one hour and 45 minutes (first responder exam) to two hours and thirty minutes (paramedic-level exam). The EMT and AEMT NREMT exams allow a max time of anywhere from two hours to two hours and 30 minutes.
National Registry Test Providers
The NREMT can be taken through a number of certified providers. NREMT.org has to be used to register for the exam, but afterward, you may take it at Pearson VUE (Pearson has several local test centers in every U.S. state). The exam is taken at a certified testing center.
