NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) - Test Plan for the CPT Exam - 100 Scored Items/20 Pretest Items - Exam Time: 2 Hours

Sep 29, 2026

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NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam test plan provides a summary and detailed content outline for preparation and review. It maps examination domains to item counts, totaling 100 scored items, and explains that the detailed outline links each domain to task and knowledge statements. Task statements describe duties candidates must perform correctly, while knowledge statements support both recall and critical thinking. Core Knowledge is provided as enabling information across assessment domains.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

CPT Summary Examination Outline

Domain breakdown and item counts

Core Knowledge

Enabling knowledge for phlebotomy

Domain 1: Safety and Compliance

Task and knowledge statements

| NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
Test Plan for the CPT Exam
100 Scored Items/20 Pretest Items Exam Time: 2 hours
*Based on The Results ofa Job Analysis Completed in 2024 | | --- | | This document provides both a summary and detailed outline of the topics that may be covered on the CPT Certification Examination. The summary examination outline specifies domains that are covered on the examination and the number of test items per domain.
The detailed outline adds to the summary outline by including task and knowledge statements associated with each domain on the test plan. Task statements reflect the duties that a candidate will need to know how to properly perform. Knowledge statements reflect information that a candidate will need to know and are in support of task statements. Items on the examination might require recall and critical thinking pertaining to a knowledge statement, a task statement, or both.
Generally, knowledge statements listed immediately after a set oftasks for a domain are only applicable to that domain. Knowledge statements listed under “Core Knowledge” are potentially applicable to any of the assessment domains. | CPT Summary Examination Outline | DOMAIN | \# of Items on Examination | % of Items on Examination | | --- | --- | --- | | 1. Safety and Compliance | 26 | 26 | | 2. Patient Preparation | 20 | 20 | | 3. Routine Blood Collections | 28 | 28 | | 4. Special Collections | 12 | 12 | | 5. Processing | 14 | 14 | | Total | 100 | 100 | Core Knowledge: The following knowledge does not represent standalone domains on the CPT exam. Rather, this is necessary knowledge for a phlebotomist, which could be used in the context of an assessment item, and are being provided for preparation, and review purposes. | Tasks | Knowledge of: | | | --- | --- | --- | | | k1 . | The role of phlebotomy technicians in laboratory testing | | | k2 . | The role of phlebotomy technicians in patient care | | | k3 .
k4 . | Medical terminology related to phlebotomy Blood components (e.g. , serum, plasma, whole blood, RBC, WBC, platelets) | | | k5 .
k6 . | Blood group systems (A, B, AB, O, and Rh)
Cardiovascular system (e.g. , anatomy and physiology of the heart, pulmonary and systemic blood flow, and blood vessels) | | | k7 . | Phlebotomy-related vascular anatomy (e.g. , antecubital fossa, hand, foot) | | | k8 .
k9 .
k10 .
k11 .
k12 .
k13 . | Hemostasis and coagulation process The impact of pre-analytical errors on test results Aseptic techniques
Universal and Standard Precautions Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act
HIPAA regulations, patient privacy guidelines and protocols | | | k14 .
k15 . | Patient Bill of Rights
Verbal and non-verbal communication (e.g. , active listening; pace, tone, and volume of voice; personal space; medical terminology) | | | k16 . | Patient characteristics impacting communication (e.g. , cultural differences, language barriers, cognitive level, developmental stage, hearing impairment) | | | k17 . | Cultural, religious, psychosocial, and economic considerations impacting provision of care | | | k18 .
k19 . | Gender identity and expression, and pronoun use Professionalism (e.g. , integrity, punctuality, etiquette, respect, and professional presentation) | | | k20 . | Practice management systems and software (for example, EMR/EHR, scheduling software, paperbased systems, maintenance logs for
temperature recording) | | | k21 . Administrative skills (e.g. , computer skills, computerized order entry, and inventory management)
k22 . Labeling procedures and requirements
k23 . Documentation and reporting requirements | | --- | --- | Domain 1: Safety and Compliance (26 items) | Tasks | | Knowledge of: | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1A. | Adhere to regulations regarding workplace safety | k24 . | Resources and regulations regarding workplace | | 1B. | (e.g. , OSHA, NIOSH) .
Adhere to regulations regarding operati

FAQs

What is the overall structure of the CPT exam test plan?

The test plan includes a summary outline showing examination domains and the number of items per domain, plus a detailed outline that pairs task and knowledge statements with each domain.

How many scored items are included in the CPT examination?

The plan specifies 100 scored items and also notes 20 pretest items included in the examination.

What does “Core Knowledge” mean in the test plan?

Core Knowledge is necessary enabling knowledge for a phlebotomist, not standalone domains on the exam, and it may apply in the context of assessment items across domains.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Aran