EMT National Training Exam Study Guide and Practice Questions / 250+ Questions with Answers and Explanations
Advice On How To Take And Pass The NREMT Exam And State EMT Tests
This advice has been gleaned from dozens of sources. Information contained here has been compiled from interviews with EMT...
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Taking the NREMT test or State EMT exam can be a painless experience if you
are prepared with the knowledge of the course material AND an understanding of
what to expect of the NREMT test itself. We have created this book to aid in
answering some of the more common questions associated with taking NREMT
and state EMT certification tests. This includes facts and advice related to taking
and passing the exams. It is intended to aid the EMT candidate in his or her
pursuit of certification and registration as an EMT, AEMT, or Paramedic.
Many states have adopted the NREMT cognitive exam for the state exam. There
are a few states that still hold their own exam and do not use the NREMT. The
information given here is more specific for the NREMT Computer Adaptive Test
(CAT), however the test taking tips are useful for any exam. If you are not going
to be taking the NREMT exam, contact the state EMS office where you will be
testing and see if they provide a study guide for their exam. These study guides
are very useful for state specific exams.
Over the years the NREMT exam format has changed from a linear exam (paper
and pencil) to the CAT exam. This is an adaptive exam and will vary in length. It
is not graded like a traditional linear exam.
Facts That You Need To Know About The NREMT Exam
NREMT test questions are multiple choice with 4 potential answers. A committee
of 10-20 EMS experts, who must all agree that the question is in line with the
most current practice analysis study, create all questions. These EMS experts
make sure there is only one "best" or "correct" answer, and "each incorrect answer
has some level of plausibility." Additionally, each question and answer must be
easily found in common text books used in teaching EMS classes.
As of January 1, 2007 the NREMT changed its exam formatting to a CBT
(Computer Based Testing) method. Exams will no longer be delivered via a paper
test and completed with a pencil. All testing will be performed at a computer
workstation. Pearson Vue testing centers all over the United States administer
these tests.
The CBT the NREMT is now utilizing is called CAT (Computer Adaptive
Testing). Each exam is tailored specifically to the individual EMT candidate. This
testing method is considered state of the art and uses a theory called IRT (Item
Response Theory). IRT is a statistical way to measure a person's ability based on
the fact that the probability of a person answering a question correctly is directly
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, related to his/her ability and the difficulty level of the question. Combining CAT
with IRT should make NREMT exams more precise, fair, and accurate. What
does that mean? Basically, each item (question) is given a weighted point value.
This value is based on the difficulty of the question. A harder question has a
higher point value. An easier question has a lower value.
New CAT NREMT tests will deliver questions one at a time to the candidate and
will NOT be randomly chosen. They are rated along the same ability scale as the
candidate is exhibiting proficiency. The first questions on the exam are generally
just below the passing standard. If a question is asked that is below the candidate's
level of ability, the probability is high for the candidate to answer the question
correctly. If a question asked is above a candidate's level of ability, they have a
high probability of answering incorrectly. If the candidate answers the question
correctly then a slightly more difficult question will be delivered. As the difficulty
of the questions increase, eventually the candidate will start to answer questions
incorrectly. The questions then become slightly easier and the candidate will
begin to answer correctly again. At this point in the exam the application
algorithm calculates an ability estimate for this candidate and begins delivering
questions that are slightly harder and slightly easier than the candidate's ability.
As the CAT exam progresses, the ability estimate gets more and more precise as
the pattern of right to wrong answers stabilizes around the candidate’s true ability.
The exam will end at the point when there is a 95% certainty that the candidate's
true ability is above or below the passing standard. It can also end if you run out
of questions or time, however both of these instances are rare.
CAT and IRT match the question difficulty to the candidate's perceived level of
ability. This limits the number of questions delivered as well as increases the
accuracy.
Exam fees can be paid online at the NREMT website. A candidate must first be
registered and then can sign into the account. The exam fee can be paid by credit
card or with a payment voucher if the school attended provides one. A candidate
may also mail in payment, however this will delay the ability to schedule the
exam until the payment has cleared.
If a candidate does not pass the exam he/she may retake it after 14 days. This
period is to provide the candidate with time to study.
NREMT test results are generally available within 1 to 2 business days on the
NREMT website. Check exam results here www.nremt.org
Advice On How To Take And Pass The NREMT Exam And State EMT Tests
This advice has been gleaned from dozens of sources. Information contained here
has been compiled from interviews with EMTs and Paramedics who have taken
and passed the tests multiple times. It has also been gathered from EMS related
discussion forums and nationally recognized test-taking authorities.
What Material To Study For The NREMT Exam
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, Technically, you should know everything that was covered in the EMT course
materials. There aren't any secret methods or insights that can replace proper test
preparation, but some things are common. The tests are heavy in the basics. Know
CPR and shock as well as all of the segment categories of the test itself i.e.
Airway, Ventilation and Oxygenation; Trauma; Cardiology; Medical; and
Operations. Know the major components of the airway and the normal ranges of
respiration for adults and pediatric patients. Know diabetic emergencies and the
various causes of syncope. You will see about 15% of your questions related to
pediatrics, and about 85% related to adults. These will be spread out through the 5
categories listed below.
A large portion of the exam is related to operations and many students overlook
this. Since September 11, 2001 a great effort has been made to incorporate more
education about NIMS and ICS with regard to EMS. Understand how these
systems work and how they apply to a mass casualty and you will be a step ahead
of other candidates. The CDC’s National Trauma Triage Protocol is another good
source to study in preparing for the NREMT exam.
The NREMT exam is NOT based upon the textbook you used in your class. The
exam is based upon the NREMT Practice Analysis done every five years. The
exam questions are written to fall within the Department of Transportation EMT
Curriculum. EMT textbooks only give you their interpretation of those standards.
(NOTE: The new National EMS Education Standards are EMR (Emergency
Medical Responder), EMT, AEMT (Advanced EMT), and Paramedic.)
Remember, although the NREMT exam looks for a minimum entry-level
competency, nobody wants a "just made it by the skin of their teeth" partner.
Know your stuff. The more knowledge you have about EMS, the shorter your test
will be. If you are answering questions well above the competency line, your
exam will end closer to the minimum number of questions rather than the
maximum number of questions.
Obviously take advantage of the EMT and Paramedic Practice Tests here in this
book and on the website. There is detailed score tracking and exam review
features that let you see your strong and weak areas while you continue to take
exams and improve. Identify your strong and weak areas so you can study to
improve all around. Use online information resources like Wikipedia to help
broaden your subject knowledge and branch out from the knowledge of a single
textbook.
Before Taking The NREMT Exam Or State Test
Eat a well balanced diet and drink plenty of water the day before. Include B
vitamin foods like bananas, oatmeal, and raisins, and get plenty of rest.
Reschedule if you are sick. Don't attempt the test if you aren't feeling your best.
Don't cram! If you don't know it the night before the test, you will most likely not
know it for the test. Relax or sleep instead of cramming.
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