The central goal of every Emergency Medical Technician is to provide quality healthcare and attention to patients, especially in the in-field scenarios where emergencies occur more often. The purpose of EMT-B examination is to ensure that the medical technicians are knowledgeable and capable of providing the same through this test. A major part of emergency services in the United States is made up of EMTs. This explains the reputation and value attached to this examination. The test is offered in three stages with the EMT-B being the basic level. EMT-I/85 and EMT-I/99 are for the intermediate levels and the EMT-P is the advanced examination specifically designed for paramedics. If you have the inherent dedication and love for challenging situations and prepare for the exam by diligently incorporating these tips, this exam is no rocket science.

Study aids for the EMT-B basic tests can be found in our EMT exams and their questions

First, it is important that you understand the medical lingo. In order to understand the terminology and the names of different conditions, you need to be proficient in the basic terms which are commonly used in chemistry, biology and other sciences. As you get used to such terms, they will definitely begin to make sense. Once you know that ‘resuscitation’ means ‘to revive’ or ‘to bring back to life’, you will easily know what they mean when they say Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

Gather as many images, study cards and videos as you can for studying concepts related to anatomy. Since this involves knowing the inner workings of the human body and half of the medical lingo refers to Latin and Greek names of these parts, it is important that you are able to visualize a part on hearing the name. Also, make notes after reading a concept so that when you write the exam, your answers are based on your understanding and not on your memory.

Next, start preparing for the Cognitive abilities examination. This computerized examination usually consists of 70 to 120 questions and has to be completed within 2 hours. This examination will contain questions related to the airway, traumatic scenarios, cardiology, ventilation and EMS concepts. Over 80 percent of the questions will be related to providing healthcare to adult patients and the remaining questions will be about pediatric patients/ infants and children. There is no fixed benchmark for passing this exam. The cut-off is relative and a student’s performance is judged based on the quality of beginner-level healthcare he/ she can provide.

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The psychomotor examination comes next. This examination is the process of attesting the skills exhibited by you in various aspects of providing emergency healthcare such as managing a trauma affected patient or a patient who has suffered a cardiac arrest, acoustic reflex test, association test, immobility due to joint dislocation etc. Your instructor will test your expertise in such domains during the course. On successful completion of this course, the instructor will also guide you in taking up a state-run EMT-Basic psychomotor test.

Join one of the paramedics programs available. Several states have such programs for aspiring students. Also, start preparing months before the examination. Stacking up subjects for the last moments can be fatal to your performance. Therefore, it is always better to start early than repent later. Study using as many preparatory manuals and guides as possible. Apart from knowing the right answers, it is important to know how to answer within the stipulated time.

The EMT national training website and several other websites offer online mock tests for students preparing for the exam. These are very helpful in assessing your strengths and weaknesses and in recognizing areas which need improvement.

As the exam gets closer, avoid getting stressed and anxious. There are several techniques available for reducing anxiety. Make sure that you have enough sleep and employ these techniques in order to stay calm and clear-headed during the exam.

If necessary, visit the examination hall frequently and get used to the environment so that you don’t feel nervous or uncomfortable on the day of examination. With sufficient preparation, following these tips will definitely help you achieve a good score in the EMT-B examination. To see how you can fair on the EMT test now, try taking the EMT-B practice test at www.emt-bpracticetest.com.