EMT Exams in Texas

If the candidate wants to get certified as an Emergency Medical Technician, then first of all, he/she needs to take EMT program from a state-approved institution. After completing the program, he/she will be required to pass the requisite examination. EMT exams in Texas are conducted by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT), a non-profit organization that aims to certify all the eligible candidates of the state.

Components of the EMT Exams

Cognitive Exam

This computer based examination needs to be answered by the student in a duration of 2 hours and consists of around 70-120 questions. The questions are generally asked from the given below topics:

Oxygenation
Cardiology
Airway
EMS Operations
Ventilation
Medical Operations
Trauma

Psychomotor Exam

It is a practical exam, which tests the candidate’s ability and presence of mind in handling out-of-hospital situations. Psychomotor examination includes the following subjects:

IV and Medication Skills
Pediatric Skills
Patient Assessment- Trauma
Random Basic Skills
Cardiac Management Skills
Ventilatory Management
Oral Station

Examination Registration and Scheduling Procedure

If the applicant fulfils all the eligibility requirements for appearing in the test, he/she will receive an eligibility postcard from the PSI, which will contain guidelines for the exam registration, scheduling and payment of the fee. It is mandatory for the candidate to clear the examination within 3 attempts, provided during the authorization period of six months.

Make sure that you fill and sign the registration form correctly along with attaching the right amount of the fee with it (The exam fee must be paid at the time of registration).

Internet Registration and Scheduling

It is suggested that the candidates must do the exam registration through the internet as it is the fastest way to register and schedule. For online registration, students must possess a valid VISA or MasterCard. Online registration is done through the PSI’s website- www.psiexams.com. This facility can be availed anytime. If you want to register via the internet, go through the following instructions:

Begin by signing into the PSI’s website, and then selecting the link of ‘Texas examinations’.
Fill the registration form and submit your details to the PSI.
After filling the form, the aspirant will be provided with the exam dates and locations that are available. He/she can choose the date and location according to his/her choice.

Telephone Registration and Scheduling

Telephone registration is also an excellent method of doing registration and scheduling for the EMT exam. During business hours, registration can be done via live registrars, while in non-business hours; it can be done through the Interactive Voice Response system (IVR). A valid VISA or MasterCard must be owned by the candidate before going for the telephonic registration. Tell the expiry date and number of your credit card, when asked.

Fax Registration and Scheduling

For doing the fax registration also, a valid VISA or MasterCard is a mandatory requirement.

Fill the exam registration form with your details, such as credit card’s expiry date and number. Then, fax it.
If the information make available by you is erroneous or incomplete, the form will be sent back to you for corrections.

Registration and Scheduling through Standard Mail

Standard mail registration is apt for those candidates, who don’t want to divulge their credit card information. In this type of registration, aspirants are allowed to make the payment through cashier’s check or money order. You are required to follow the given below steps in order to do the standard mail registration:

Fill the registration form and submit it to the PSI. At the same time, pay your exam fees.
Fee payment can be done either through cashier’s check or money order. The candidate must print his/her name on the check or money order in order to ensure the proper assignment of the fee.

Important Note- Any other mode of payment, whether it’s a personal check, company check or cash, will not be accepted.

Rescheduling the Examination

If a student wants to appear again in the test, he/she cannot re-apply for a new appointment on the same day of giving the examination, as it takes time in processing and scoring. For instance, if a candidate fails to clear the exam on Tuesday, he/she can call for a re-appointment on Wednesday or Thursday, depending upon the seat availability at the preferred location. The aspirant can re-register via phone, internet or mail, and the registration and scheduling steps will be the same as stated earlier.

Missed Appointment or Late Cancellation

A candidate must apply for the cancellation of the exam at least two days before the scheduled date; otherwise, the examination fee will be forfeited.

However, the applicant’s registration will be considered as invalid, and he/she will not be allowed to give the test on the scheduled date while also losing the fee, if:

The student doesn’t cancel his/her exam appointment 2 days prior to the scheduled date.
If he/she does not provide appropriate ID proof at the examination center.
If he/she does not turn up for the exam.
If the candidate arrives after the exam has started.

Reporting to the Examination Site

If you want to get acquainted with the entire examination procedure properly, you must reach the exam center at least ½ an hour before the scheduled time. This will also provide you time to sign-in, as well as for ID verification.

Important Note- The candidate will not be granted permission to enter the test center, and will also lose the examination fee, if he/she arrives later than the given time.

The following ID proofs must be possessed by the aspirant:

A valid ID proof issued by the government, like a passport, driving license, military ID or a state ID that contains the applicant’s signature, as well as a photograph.
The second identification proof must possess the signature and the pre-printed legal name of the candidate.
Intermediate and Paramedic students of Texas have to show their current EMT certification card at the examination center. If they don’t possess their current certification card, they can also present a reinstatement letter obtained from the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS).

Important Note- The candidate must make sure that his/her name specified on all the identification proofs matches the name on the exam registration form.

Understand the following rules before appearing for the exams:

The candidates cannot bring children along with them at the examination center.
No notebooks, textbooks, large bags, or briefcases are allowed in the exam hall.
The applicants are not permitted to bring electronic devices, like mobile phones, pagers, calculators, etc.
You cannot eat, drink or smoke at the exam center.
Once the examination has started, you will not be allowed to leave the hall without the proctor’s permission. You can only leave the site if you want to go to the restroom.
Activities like cheating during the test or possessing any unauthorized resources are the violation of security rules. Therefore, in such cases, the candidate will be asked to leave the examination hall immediately.
Acts, like copying, etc., strictly come under the breach of security rules and may lead to legal action or termination of the exam results.

Exam Results

If the candidate fails to pass the examination, he/she will receive a performance feedback from the NREMT (National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians). You can apply for re-examination only after 15 days of the last appeared exam.

In total, 6 attempts are provided to crack the tests. But, to avail these opportunities, you are ought to accomplish the prerequisites of national EMS certification. After appearing in 3 attempts, the candidate is required to submit the documents proving that he/she has completed 24 hours of remedial program. Then, he/she can appear in 3 more attempts to clear the examination. The aspirant is supposed to undergo the EMT program again if he/she fails to qualify even after availing all the six attempts.

Tips for Preparing for the EMT Exams

Prepare from different study guides. Reading may be quite boring; therefore, you can buy study guides in different formats, like audio files, which will make the preparation more interesting.
Write down notes when you attend classes. These notes will help you while preparing for the exam.
Practice a lot. Go through different sample papers and test yourself.
Eat healthy and stay fit for a good preparation. Always remember that your profession demands you to be fit in order to take care of others.
Be at ease while you approach for the examination.