EKG technician exam (NHA CET)

The NHA Certified EKG Technician exam has 100 scored and 20 pretest questions in 2 hours; EKG Acquisition is the largest domain (44 items), and you must document 10 EKGs on live individuals.

Updated 2026-09-23 · 3 sources · By the HealthCert Prep team

If you are a patient, this page is for technician exam prep and is not a way to interpret your own EKG. Ask your clinician about your results, or read MedlinePlus on electrocardiograms.

CET at a glance

Questions
120
100 scored
Time
2 hr
Passing
390
scale 200-500
Live EKGs
10

CET test plan

NHA test plan based on its 2017 job analysis (still the published plan as of September 2026).
DomainScored items
Safety, Compliance, and Coordinated Patient Care32
EKG Acquisition44
EKG Analysis and Interpretation24

Rules

ItemDetail
EligibilityHigh school diploma/equivalent + training or work experience, plus 10 EKGs on live individuals
DeliveryPSI test center or live remote proctoring
Retakes3 attempts, 30 days apart
RenewalEvery 2 years, 10 CE credits

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Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the NHA EKG exam?

120: 100 scored and 20 pretest, in 2 hours.

How many EKGs do I need for the CET?

At least 10 successfully performed on live individuals.

What is on the CET exam?

Safety and coordinated care (32 items), EKG acquisition (44) and analysis/interpretation (24).

Sources

  1. NHA - CET Test Plan (2017 job analysis) (accessed 2026-09-23)
  2. NHA - Certified EKG Technician (CET) (accessed 2026-09-23)
  3. NHA - Candidate Handbook (accessed 2026-09-23)