Pass your phlebotomy exam on the first try
173 practice questions on safety and infection control, patient identification, order of draw, tubes and additives, special collections and specimen processing, each with a plain-English explanation.
Practice by section
The NHA CPT exam covers five domains, weighted as shown by the questions in each practice exam. Practice one domain at a time, or take a full 100-question practice exam.
Safety and Compliance 45 questions
The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, sharps and exposure incidents, PPE and isolation precautions, hand hygiene, HIPAA, scope of practice and legal issues, quality control for equipment and waived tests, and emergencies such as fainting, seizures and CPR.
Patient Preparation 34 questions
Patient identification, requisitions and test priority, consent, communication, fasting and timed draws, positioning, site selection around mastectomies, fistulas and IVs, and instructions for urine, sputum and other non-blood specimens.
Routine Blood Collections 49 questions
Equipment and needle gauges, tube colors, additives and tests, order of draw, inversions and fill, tourniquet use, vein selection and needle insertion, troubleshooting and complications, labeling, and capillary collection.
Special Collections 21 questions
Blood cultures, newborn screening on filter paper, blood donation, pediatric volume limits, throat swabs, glucose tolerance tests, blood alcohol and drug screen collection, and point-of-care testing.
Processing 24 questions
Centrifuging, aliquoting, chilled, warm and light-protected specimens, separation times, rejection and recollection, hemolysis, chain of custody, packaging and transport, and lab information systems.
What full access includes
- All 173 questions on safety, patient preparation, routine and special collections and processing
- An explanation for every answer, with the CLSI standard, OSHA rule or guideline behind it
- Unlimited full 100-question practice exams, with each domain in its real share
- Practice exams for each domain
- A review of every question you missed at the end of each exam
- Works on your phone, tablet or computer, with no app or account
About the NHA CPT exam
Who takes the NHA CPT exam?
Phlebotomy students and working phlebotomists who want the Certified Phlebotomy Technician credential from the National Healthcareer Association. You need a high school diploma or equivalent and either a phlebotomy training program or supervised work experience, plus documented live collections: at least 30 venipunctures and 10 capillary sticks. Check NHA's site for the current eligibility rules.
How is the exam structured?
The CPT exam has 100 scored questions and 20 unscored pretest questions, with a 2-hour limit. Under NHA's test plan from its 2024 job analysis, the scored questions come from five domains: Safety and Compliance (26), Patient Preparation (20), Routine Blood Collections (28), Special Collections (12) and Processing (14).
What score do I need to pass?
NHA reports a scaled score from 200 to 500, and 390 or higher passes. Because the scale adjusts for differences between exam forms, there is no fixed number of questions you need right. Our practice exams use 70% correct (70 of 100) as a benchmark. Aim higher than that before your test day.
Where do I take the exam?
You can take it at your school if it is an NHA testing site, at a PSI test center, or online with live remote proctoring. Check the NHA Candidate Handbook for current fees, retake waiting periods and ID rules.
Which standards do your questions follow?
Collection questions follow the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards for venipuncture, capillary collection and specimen processing, including the order of draw. Safety questions follow the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and CDC guidelines. Your lab's procedures may add details, so follow them at work.
Is this the official exam?
No. This is practice material to help you prepare. The CPT exam is given by the National Healthcareer Association. This site is not affiliated with NHA, and our questions are not taken from the real exam.