Exam prep · Free exam prep course
A complete course for the National Registry EMT cognitive exam, built against the published Spring 2025 EMT test plan. It opens with the foundations the exam assumes: EMS system and law, medical language and anatomy, and physiology across the lifespan. Then it follows the five content areas the way a call runs: scene size-up and safety, primary assessment, secondary assessment, patient treatment and transport, and EMS operations. Cards are weighted to the test plan's percentages, with the most in primary assessment, the largest area, and most are short patient scenarios because the real exam asks what you would do next. Pediatric and geriatric differences sit beside the adult value. Encodr is a study aid and does not replace your EMT program, your protocols or your medical director. EMT scope varies by state; this course follows the national model, so check your own state's scope of practice.
| Format | Computerized adaptive test (CAT) |
|---|---|
| Length | Minimum 70 items, maximum 120, including 10 unscored pilot items |
| Time | 2 hours |
| Scoring | Scale of 100 to 1500 with 950 as the passing point |
| Scene Size-up and Safety | 15-19% |
| Primary Assessment | 39-43% |
| Secondary Assessment | 5-9% |
| Patient Treatment and Transport | 20-24% |
| Operations | 10-14% |
| Attempts | Six total; remedial education is required after three failed attempts, and you wait 15 days between attempts |
Source: National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, EMT Examination Specifications and EMT Candidate Handbook (nremt.org), read September 25, 2026.
Copied straight from the course. In the app, each wrong option also gets its own explanation.
Card 1A chainsaw laceration on the forearm is spurting bright red blood, and direct pressure is not stopping it. On the exam, what is the next best action?
Apply a commercial tourniquet above the wound. When pressure fails or is impractical, a tourniquet 2 to 3 inches above the wound is the next step.
Card 2After the first analysis, the AED advises "no shock advised." What is the best next action?
Resume compressions at once for about 2 minutes. After a shock or a "no shock" message, CPR restarts immediately and continues for about 2 minutes until the AED reanalyzes.
Card 3A START yellow patient loses his radial pulse. What does re-triage give?
Red, by the perfusion rule. Re-triage can move a patient up as well as down.
Encodr is a friendly, game-like flashcard app. Spaced repetition schedules every review for you, and the rest keeps you coming back.
Study a little each day to build a streak. A streak freeze forgives a missed day.
Small goals each day, like finishing a set, with a little celebration when you clear one.
Sessions come in bite-size sets of 15 to 25 answers, so there is always a natural place to stop.
Earn XP and level up, then see friends on a daily leaderboard and send them a nudge.
Yes. Create a free Encodr account and all 24 units and 1,530 cards are yours to study, with spaced repetition scheduling your reviews. The exam itself has a fee paid to the National Registry.
Five content areas from the National Registry test plan: scene size-up and safety (15-19%), primary assessment (39-43%), secondary assessment (5-9%), patient treatment and transport (20-24%) and operations (10-14%). The course puts most of its cards where most of the exam is.
It follows the national model. EMT scope varies by state and by medical director, so where a skill or medication differs locally, your state protocols and your program come first.
No. It is a study aid for memorizing and reviewing. Certification depends on your approved training program and the requirements of the National Registry and your state.
The course is built against the Spring 2025 test plan and current guidelines, and cards on figures that change say "as of 2026". The National Registry and the American Heart Association can revise their requirements, so skim the current test plan before your exam date.