NHA CPT exam: what's on it and how it is scored

The NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam is the national certification most phlebotomy programs prepare students for. This post sticks to what NHA publishes in its 2025 CPT test plan and its candidate guidance pages, and it leaves out anything NHA does not state publicly, including fees.

The format

The 2025 test plan (based on a job analysis completed in 2024) lists 100 scored items and 20 pretest items, with 2 hours of exam time. Pretest items are trial questions. Only the scored items make up your result, and you cannot tell which is which while you test.

The five domains

Routine blood collections is the biggest slice. Its tasks include choosing equipment, the tourniquet, palpation, antiseptic, anchoring, needle insertion, the order of draw, mixing, dermal (capillary) puncture and labeling. Safety and compliance covers OSHA and bloodborne pathogens, standard and transmission-based precautions, PPE, HIPAA, scope of practice, quality control, emergencies and documentation. Patient preparation covers identification, consent, communication, fasting and site selection. Special collections includes blood cultures, pediatric and geriatric collections, newborn screens and point-of-care testing. Processing covers centrifuging, specimen integrity, chain of custody, critical values and recollection.

The test plan also lists "Core Knowledge" such as blood components, vascular anatomy, hemostasis and pre-analytical error. It is not a domain of its own, but any question can lean on it.

The passing score

NHA reports CPT scores on a scale with a maximum of 500. In the CPT standard setting study, a panel of experts set the cut score in 2017 using a modified Angoff method, and it was scaled to 390 out of 500. That number is not a percentage, so do not read it as "78% correct". The same study reported an 82.3% pass rate for the first 767 candidates. NHA may revise the cut score after a new job analysis, so confirm the current figure in NHA's candidate materials before test day. The exam pass score calculator helps you turn a practice score into a rough read on where you stand.

Eligibility

NHA's eligibility update states that you must provide evidence of a minimum of 30 venipunctures and 10 capillary or finger sticks on live individuals. NHA changed the capillary wording in September 2022 so that finger sticks count. Other requirements, such as education routes, are set out in the candidate handbook, so read it before you register.

Retakes and renewal

• After a failed attempt you can re-apply after 30 days. After a third unsuccessful attempt you must wait 12 months.
• NHA certifications renew every two years with 10 continuing education credits, and 2 hours of continuing education equal 1 credit.

How to prepare

Weight your time toward routine collections and safety, and drill the pieces that are pure recall: tube colors, additives and the order of draw. The free NHA CPT phlebotomy course covers all five domains in 13 units, and the order of draw quiz is a quick daily warm-up. For a study plan, see how to study for the NHA CPT exam, and for the sequence itself read the order of draw, explained. If you want the research behind why scheduled review beats rereading, see what spaced repetition actually does.