Free EKG Practice Test
Answer NHA CET-style EKG technician questions on electrode placement, machine settings, artifacts, heart rate calculation and rhythm recognition, read why each answer is right, then take a full timed exam at the real exam’s pace.
100 questions in 100 minutes, the real NHA CET pace, scored by test-plan domain with a worked explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillArtifact appears in leads I and II, while lead III is clean. Which electrode is the most likely source of the artifact?
NHA CET exam format
The NHA Certified EKG Technician exam has 100 scored questions in three domains. EKG Acquisition is the largest, at 44. Your score report rates each domain, and our full practice exam scores you the same way.
| Test-plan domain | Scored questions | What it covers | Drill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Safety, Compliance, and Coordinated Patient Care | 32 | HIPAA, infection control, scope of practice, communication, vital signs, stress-test and ambulatory-monitor instructions, EHR and cardiopulmonary emergencies. | 10-question drill |
| 2. EKG Acquisition | 44 | Equipment and settings, skin prep, positioning, 12-lead, Holter, stress-test and telemetry electrode placement, artifacts, mounting and stress-test monitoring. | 10-question drill |
| 3. EKG Analysis and Interpretation | 24 | Heart rate and rhythm regularity, intervals and waveforms, sinus, atrial, junctional and ventricular rhythms, heart blocks, pacemaker spikes, ischemia and infarction. | 10-question drill |
Each linked domain has a free ten-question drill with the explanation after each answer. Create a free account to save your results; each drill’s first attempt is free.
CET exam at a glance
- Questions
- 120: 100 scored and 20 unscored pretest questions
- Time
- 2 hours
- Eligibility
- High school diploma or equivalent, an EKG technician training program in the last 5 years or 1 year of supervised EKG work in the last 3 years, and at least 10 EKGs performed on live individuals
- Passing score
- Scaled score of 390 on a 200–500 scale
- Retakes
- Wait 30 days between attempts; after three attempts, wait one year. Each retake is a full fee.
- Where
- At your school, at a PSI test center, or online with live remote proctoring
- Renewal
- Every 2 years with 10 continuing education credits
- Pass rate
- 69.66% of 19,241 CET exams passed in 2024
The 20 pretest questions are mixed in and not marked, so treat every question as scored. Our full practice exam gives you the 100 scored-question count in 100 minutes, the same pace as the real 2-hour exam.
How rhythm questions work here
The real exam shows rhythm strips. Our questions describe each strip in words the way you would read it: rate, regularity, P waves, PR interval, QRS width and how P waves relate to QRS complexes. Calculation questions use the standard paper at 25 mm/s, where a small box is 0.04 seconds and a large box is 0.20 seconds.
12-lead EKG placement guide: electrode sites, artifacts and EKG paper
Common questions
How many questions are on the NHA EKG (CET) exam?
120 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours. 100 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest questions mixed in with the rest, so answer every question as if it counts.
What is on the CET exam?
Three domains from NHA’s CET test plan: EKG Acquisition (44 scored questions), Safety, Compliance, and Coordinated Patient Care (32) and EKG Analysis and Interpretation (24). Acquisition covers electrode placement, machine settings, artifacts, Holter and stress testing; analysis covers rates, intervals and rhythm recognition.
What score do you need to pass the CET?
A scaled score of 390 on a 200–500 scale, the same standard for every NHA exam and every version of it.
What do I need to qualify for the NHA EKG exam?
A high school diploma or equivalent, an EKG technician training program completed in the last 5 years or supervised EKG work experience, and proof of at least 10 EKGs performed on live individuals.
Is the CET exam hard?
69.66% of the 19,241 CET exams NHA gave in 2024 were passes. Rhythm interpretation and lead placement are the parts to drill: they are scenario questions you cannot answer from memory alone.
Does this practice test match the real CET?
Our full practice exam has the 100 scored-question count in 100 minutes, the real exam’s pace, spread across the three domains by NHA’s official counts, with a score by domain and a worked explanation for every question. Rhythm strips are described in words, with rate, regularity, P waves, PR interval and QRS width.
Ready for exam day?
100 questions in 100 minutes, the real NHA CET pace, scored by test-plan domain with a worked explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillMore healthcare certification practice
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Exam format, domains and policies are from NHA, checked November 2026: NHA: Certified EKG Technician (CET) · NHA CET test plan (2017 job analysis) · NHA Candidate Handbook (updated October 2026) · NHA pass rates for exams administered in 2024.
Original independent practice. Every question is written for practice from NHA’s public test plan. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). CET is a certification of the National Healthcareer Association.