National Registry EMT certification — Requirements & Free Practice

The authority publishes percentage ranges for each content area. The practice percentages below use the midpoint of each range, normalized to 100%; they are not exact percentages published by the authority. Practice question counts may differ slightly because of rounding.

• Scene Size-up and Safety — Official range: 15–19% (Practice allocation: 17.17%)

  • Develop a plan of action prior to arrival using all available information to ensure safe and effective operations.
  • Protect self, other responders, patient, public, and the emergency scene from existing and potential hazards.
  • Don appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) based on known hazards to protect responders from exposure.
  • Investigate the scene to determine potential patients.
  • Triage patients to ensure optimal care.
  • Request appropriate resources based on known hazards and patient conditions to mitigate all facets of the emergency scene.
• Primary Assessment — Official range: 39–43% (Practice allocation: 41.41%)

  • Communicate with the patient and/or bystanders to establish rapport.
  • Determine a general impression of the patient.
  • Assess patient’s level of consciousness.
  • Assess patient’s airway.
  • Assess patient’s breathing status.
  • Assess patient’s circulation.
  • Determine chief complaint and life threats.
  • Obtain results of patient’s baseline vital signs and diagnostic testing.
  • Identify the need for rapid treatment, rapid transport, or additional resources.
• Secondary Assessment — Official range: 5–9% (Practice allocation: 7.07%)

  • Investigate patient’s current condition and needs through focused physical assessment, interviewing, and past medical history to develop a continued treatment plan.
  • Investigate previous findings and interventions through reassessment to determine any changes in the patient’s condition.
• Patient Treatment and Transport — Official range: 20–24% (Practice allocation: 22.22%)

  • Manage patient’s airway, ventilation, and oxygenation.
  • Manage patient’s cardiovascular and circulatory system.
  • Manage motion restriction of patient’s musculoskeletal system.
  • Administer medication.
  • Manage interventions specific to special populations.
  • Manage patient transport.
  • Communicate pertinent patient information.
• Operations — Official range: 10–14% (Practice allocation: 12.12%)

  • Ensure the equipment is in proper working order.
  • Ensure sufficient inventory of medication and supplies utilized in patient care.
  • Ensure that proper documentation is completed.
  • Ensure the well-being of self and other responders.