Question 1
A 42-year-old woman ejected from a vehicle has a chest wall injury, a deformed thigh and signs of shock. Which approach best fits her needs?
The EMT exam pass rate
In 2025, 80% of the 132,934 EMT certification exams the National Registry delivered were passes, up from 74% in 2024. That figure counts every attempt; the state figures below show first attempts and passes within three attempts.
| Exams passed, 2025 | 80% |
|---|---|
| EMT exams delivered, 2025 | 132,934 |
| First attempt, by state | 57% to 88% |
| Within three attempts, by state | 70% to 91% |
Pass rates in your state, 2025
Every state
| State | First attempt | Within three |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 64% | 73% |
| Alaska | 77% | 79% |
| Arizona | 74% | 82% |
| Arkansas | 73% | 81% |
| California | 78% | 84% |
| Colorado | 80% | 86% |
| Connecticut | 76% | 84% |
| Delaware | 78% | 85% |
| District of Columbia | 84% | 91% |
| Florida | 75% | 85% |
| Georgia | 72% | 83% |
| Hawaii | 81% | 87% |
| Idaho | 71% | 80% |
| Illinois | 72% | 80% |
| Indiana | 64% | 73% |
| Iowa | 65% | 74% |
| Kansas | 71% | 76% |
| Kentucky | 68% | 77% |
| Louisiana | 65% | 74% |
| Maine | 74% | 82% |
| Maryland | 74% | 81% |
| Massachusetts | 71% | 80% |
| Michigan | 73% | 81% |
| Minnesota | 78% | 86% |
| Mississippi | 57% | 70% |
| Missouri | 69% | 79% |
| Montana | 76% | 83% |
| Nebraska | 81% | 86% |
| Nevada | 69% | 77% |
| New Hampshire | 75% | 83% |
| New Jersey | 85% | 90% |
| New Mexico | 73% | 82% |
| New York | 80% | 83% |
| North Carolina | 88% | 91% |
| North Dakota | 74% | 78% |
| Ohio | 72% | 81% |
| Oklahoma | 62% | 73% |
| Oregon | 82% | 88% |
| Pennsylvania | 71% | 79% |
| Rhode Island | 68% | 76% |
| South Carolina | 75% | 82% |
| South Dakota | 65% | 71% |
| Tennessee | 70% | 79% |
| Texas | 70% | 78% |
| Utah | 75% | 82% |
| Vermont | 74% | 84% |
| Virginia | 76% | 82% |
| Washington | 84% | 89% |
| West Virginia | 62% | 72% |
| Wisconsin | 74% | 82% |
| Wyoming | 85% | 91% |
How the National Registry counts it
The annual certification report divides passed exams by all exams delivered in the year. A candidate who tests twice counts twice. The state maps give two other figures: the share who passed on their first attempt, and the share who passed within three attempts.
Year by year
- 2025: 80% of 132,934 exams passed; 102,292 people first certified as EMTs
- 2024: 74% of 115,685 exams passed; 87,213 people first certified as EMTs
What it means for you
Most candidates who keep going pass within three attempts. The surest way to be one of the first-attempt passes is to find your weakest domain early, fix it, and sit at least one full-length timed practice exam.
Try 3 questions
Question 2
A 72-year-old man was found outside on a cold night. He is confused and his skin is cold. What should you do?
Question 3
How does a POLST-type form differ from a basic DNR order?
Next step
Questions people ask
What is the EMT exam pass rate?
In 2025, 80% of the EMT certification exams the National Registry delivered were passes, counting every attempt. First-attempt rates by state ran from 57% to 88%.
What percent pass the EMT exam on the first try?
It depends on the state. The National Registry's 2025 map shows first-attempt pass rates from 57% to 88%.
Where do these figures come from?
From the National Registry's Maps and Data page: the annual certification report and the pass-rate maps by state.