Getting An Excellent Education

If you have just completed or are about to complete an Emergency Medical Training course, then you're likely planning to take either the exam administered by the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT) or an equivalent test administered by your state EMT agency. While an EMT course should give you all of the theoretical knowledge you need to demonstrate competency on an exam, all course graduates should spend the weeks before the test making sure that they are as prepared as possible. Take a look below for three helpful tips that will help you streamline your test prep.

Focus Only on Content Areas

No matter what textbook you used in your training course, an EMT exam is certain to align itself only with the major content areas of the most recently published Practice Analysis. The five content areas you should study are:

• Airway, Respiration, & Ventilation
• Cardiology & Resuscitation
• Trauma
• Medical/Obstetrics/Gynecology
• EMS Operations

The majority of the test focuses on adults, though questions about pediatric care are also included.

Be Aware of the Adaptive Format

The NREMT and many state EMT exams take advantage of advances in technology to administer the test in CAT (Computerized Adaptive Testing) format. This means that items on the test are weighted based on difficulty, and then given to a test taker in a unique order based on the time it takes to answer each one correctly. More prepared test takers who can answer hard questions correctly in a short amount of time will actually have to answer fewer questions than someone who is not prepared, and who therefore takes longer to answer more difficult questions. This is because the test does not have a fixed length, but lasts only as long as it takes to demonstrate minimal competency as an EMT.

Take Advantage of Practice Tests

Being prepared for what kind of content you'll see on exam day is great, but it's only half the battle. It's nearly as important to be familiar with the format of questions and get a feel for the kind of answer choices that you'll be asked to select from. As such, it may be worth it to purchase at least one study guide in addition to taking free "simulation", or practice, tests online. While many of these are not adaptive, they can nonetheless be an invaluable tool that allows you to mimic the environment and timed conditions you'll experience on the day of the test.

For more information on EMT exam prep, contact a professional near you.