Question 1
A 59-year-old woman found in a car after a crash opens her eyes only when you squeeze her trapezius, makes moaning sounds but no words, and reaches up to your hand when you apply the pressure. What is her Glasgow Coma Scale score?
The EMT exam format, explained
The National Registry's EMT cognitive exam is computer adaptive. It gives you between 70 and 120 items in 2 hours and stops as soon as it is confident you are above or below the passing standard.
| Format | Computer adaptive |
|---|---|
| Length | 70 to 120 items, 10 of them unscored |
| Time | 2 hours |
| Where | A Pearson VUE test center, or online with OnVUE |
The five content domains
Since 7 April 2025 the exam follows the National Registry's 2023 practice analysis. It is organized by the tasks an EMT does on a call rather than by body system, and pediatric care is mixed into every domain.
- Scene Size-up and Safety: 15-19%
- Primary Assessment: 39-43%
- Secondary Assessment: 5-9%
- Patient Treatment and Transport: 20-24%
- Operations: 10-14%
How the adaptive exam works
After an opening set, the computer picks each item at or above its current estimate of your ability. If it can decide pass or fail with 95% confidence after the minimum number of items, the exam ends there; otherwise it keeps going until it is sure, you reach 120 items, or time runs out.
So a short exam is not a sign of failing, and a long one is not a sign of passing. Ten items are unscored pilot items, and you cannot tell which.
The item types
Every item is scored right or wrong, with no partial credit. A tutorial before the exam shows each type, and it stays available through the Help button.
- Multiple choice: one right answer out of four.
- Multiple response: two right answers out of five, or three out of six.
- Options table: classify several options in a table.
- Build list: put options in the order the item asks for.
- Drag-and-drop: sort options into categories.
Your score
Results usually post to your National Registry account within two business days. If you pass, no score detail is given. If you do not, you see your score on a scale of 100 to 1500, where 950 is the passing point.
Try 3 questions
Question 2
Using JumpSTART, you give 5 rescue breaths to a 4-year-old girl who had a pulse but was not breathing. She begins breathing on her own. Which category does she receive?
Question 3
An 8-year-old boy is having an asthma attack. He has his own prescribed inhaler and spacer but cannot coordinate pressing and breathing in. What should you do?
Next step
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the EMT exam?
Between 70 and 120. The exam is adaptive and stops once it can decide pass or fail; 10 items are unscored pilot items.
How long is the EMT exam?
2 hours.
What are the domains of the new EMT exam?
Scene Size-up and Safety, Primary Assessment, Secondary Assessment, Patient Treatment and Transport, and Operations. They replaced the old body-system domains on 7 April 2025.
Can I take the EMT exam online?
Yes. You can test at a Pearson VUE center or from home or an office with Pearson's OnVUE online proctoring.