The Certified EKG Technician (CET) credential from the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is a common certification for EKG techs, monitor techs and medical assistants. This guide covers eligibility, the exam, scoring and how to prepare.

Who can take it

You need a high school diploma or equivalent and either an EKG training program or supervised work experience, plus documented EKGs: at least 10 performed on live individuals. Check NHA’s site for the current eligibility rules.

The format

The CET exam has 100 scored questions and 20 unscored pretest questions, with a 2-hour limit. Under NHA’s current test plan, the scored questions come from three domains:

Domain	Scored questions
Safety, Compliance, and Coordinated Patient Care	32
EKG Acquisition	44
EKG Analysis and Interpretation	24

Passing score

NHA reports a scaled score from 200 to 500, and 390 or higher passes. Because the scale adjusts for differences between exam forms, there’s no fixed number of questions you need right.

Where to test and renewal

• Where: at your school if it’s an NHA testing site, at a PSI test center, or online with live remote proctoring.
• Renewal: certification lasts two years. To renew, you complete 10 continuing education credits and pay the renewal fee.

Check the NHA Candidate Handbook for current fees, retake waiting periods and ID rules.

How hard is the CET exam?

Students often worry most about rhythm interpretation, but it’s only 24 of the 100 scored questions. EKG Acquisition is the biggest domain, at 44: lead placement, patient preparation, recognizing and fixing artifacts, and equipment. Knowing exactly where each of the 12-lead electrodes goes is worth a lot of points.

How to study

If you have two weeks: master lead placement and artifact troubleshooting first, since Acquisition is the largest domain. Then learn the five-step method for reading strips and the common rhythms. See our rhythm strip practice.

If you have four weeks: add a week on safety, infection control and HIPAA, and a week of timed full practice exams.

Start with free practice on the home page.