Free tool
Enter an adult systolic and diastolic reading and see which ACC/AHA category it falls in: normal, elevated, stage 1 hypertension or stage 2 hypertension, with the rule that decided it. Adults only; the categories do not apply to children.
Built for NHA CCMA exam prepSystolic must be higher than diastolic. Office readings are usually confirmed with 2 or 3 readings 1 minute apart.
Enter a systolic and a diastolic pressure.
Blood pressure categories, cuff sizing and Korotkoff sounds are all in the vital signs unit of the free NHA CCMA course, scheduled with spaced repetition.
Get started free| Category | Systolic | Diastolic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | below 120 | and | below 80 |
| Elevated | 120 to 129 | and | below 80 |
| Stage 1 hypertension | 130 to 139 | or | 80 to 89 |
| Stage 2 hypertension | 140 or higher | or | 90 or higher |
These are the ACC/AHA guideline categories for adults, and the 2025 guideline kept them unchanged. When the two numbers land in different categories, the higher category wins: 128/84 is stage 1, because 84 sits in the 80 to 89 band even though 128 is only elevated. The "and" in the first two rows matters for the same reason, since a diastolic of 80 or more pulls any reading up to at least stage 1.
Two more lines from the CDC sit above the table. A reading above 180 systolic and/or above 120 diastolic is severe hypertension; with no symptoms the advice is to contact the health care professional, and with symptoms such as chest pain or trouble speaking it is a hypertensive emergency and a 911 call. On an exam stem the medical assistant's action for a reading like that is to recheck and notify the provider immediately.
A common distractor is the older 140/90 cutoff and the word "prehypertension", which come from the JNC7 system. Under ACC/AHA the cutoff for hypertension is 130/80. The reading's pulse pressure (systolic minus diastolic) is normally about 40 mm Hg; the MAP calculator works that side of the numbers. The explainer is blood pressure categories explained, and the whole vital signs unit is in the free NHA CCMA course.
This tool is a study aid for the CCMA exam, not clinical guidance. Real care follows the provider's orders and your facility's protocols. A category is read from a properly taken reading, not a single number, and the provider makes the diagnosis.
Blood pressure categories explained: the four ACC/AHA adult bands, the 180/120 severe line, cuff size and technique errors, and the orthostatic method.
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