Free PCT Practice Test
Answer NHA CPCT/A-style patient care technician questions on bedside care, safety, infection control, phlebotomy and EKG, 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 CPCT/A pace, scored by test-plan domain with a worked explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free 10-question drillA home-care patient is found in soiled clothing with no food in the house, and the caregiver has not picked up the patient's prescriptions for weeks. What does this situation most likely describe?
NHA CPCT/A exam format
The NHA Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant exam has 100 scored questions in five domains. Patient Care is 45 of them. 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. Patient Care | 45 | Bathing, ADLs, positioning and transfers, vital signs, intake and output, catheter and skin care, nutrition, mobility devices, oxygen equipment and emotional support. | 10-question drill |
| 2. Compliance, Safety, and Professional Responsibility | 20 | Abuse and neglect reporting, OSHA, emergencies, patient identification, Joint Commission safety goals, HIPAA, patient rights, chain of command and scope. | 10-question drill |
| 3. Infection Control | 11 | Standard and transmission-based precautions, PPE, disinfection, biohazard disposal, exposure control, aseptic and sterile technique. | 10-question drill |
| 4. Phlebotomy | 14 | Capillary punctures, venipuncture, order of draw, tube additives, site selection, complications, specimen handling and preanalytical errors. | 10-question drill |
| 5. EKG | 10 | Patient preparation, electrode placement, artifacts, recognizing and reporting dysrhythmias and responding to cardiac symptoms. | 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.
CPCT/A exam at a glance
- Questions
- 120: 100 scored and 20 unscored pretest questions
- Time
- 2 hours
- Eligibility
- High school diploma or equivalent, plus a patient care technician training program in the last 5 years or 1 year of supervised work experience in the last 3 years
- 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
- 73.31% of 17,816 CPCT/A 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.
Phlebotomy and EKG on the PCT exam
Phlebotomy (14 questions) and EKG (10) are almost a quarter of the scored exam. Our phlebotomy and EKG practice tests go deeper on order of draw, tube additives, electrode placement and rhythm recognition.
Common questions
How many questions are on the NHA CPCT/A exam?
120 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours. 100 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest questions.
What is on the patient care technician exam?
Five domains from NHA’s CPCT/A test plan: Patient Care (45 scored questions), Compliance, Safety, and Professional Responsibility (20), Phlebotomy (14), Infection Control (11) and EKG (10).
What score do you need to pass the CPCT/A?
A scaled score of 390 on a 200–500 scale.
What is the difference between a CNA and a CPCT/A?
Both give hands-on patient care. The CPCT/A also covers phlebotomy and EKG, which together are 24 of the 100 scored questions. CNA certification is run by each state; the CPCT/A is a national certification from NHA.
Is the PCT exam hard?
73.31% of the 17,816 CPCT/A exams NHA gave in 2024 were passes. Patient Care is almost half the exam, and the phlebotomy and EKG questions catch candidates whose training focused on bedside care.
Does this practice test match the real CPCT/A?
Our full practice exam has the 100 scored-question count in 100 minutes, the real exam’s pace, weighted to NHA’s five domains, with a score by domain and a worked explanation for every question.
Ready for exam day?
100 questions in 100 minutes, the real NHA CPCT/A 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 Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A) · NHA CPCT/A test plan (2018 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). CPCT/A is a certification of the National Healthcareer Association.