CCT (CCI) study guide
CCT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Cardiographic Technician (CCT) is one of the credentials administered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), a credentialing body for cardiovascular professionals based in Raleigh, North Carolina. CCT sits alongside CCI's other offerings - including the Certified Rhythm Analysis Technician (CRAT), the Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS), and the Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS) - and is aimed at technicians who record and analyze cardiac electrical activity in clinical settings such as hospitals, clinics, and physician offices. The CCT study guide has 5 sections and about 1,537 words.
01Patient Care and Preparation
Everything that determines whether a tracing is interpretable happens before the first complex is recorded. Confirm identity with two identifiers, verify the order, explain the procedure, and secure privacy and modesty - anxiety raises heart rate and muscle artifact.
321 words, about 2 min02Basic and Advanced Electrocardiography
Read every ECG in a fixed order so nothing is skipped: rate (300 ÷ large boxes between R waves, or 1500 ÷ small boxes; count complexes in a 6-second strip and multiply by 10 when the rhythm is irregular), rhythm (P before every QRS, regular), axis (leads I and aVF), intervals (PR 0.12–0.20 s, QRS <0.12 s, QT corrected for rate), then morphology - P waves, QRS amplitude and precordial progression, ST segment at the J point, T and U waves. Candidates are expected to know: left ventricular hypertrophy (S in V1 + R in V5/V6 ≥ 35 mm; Cornell R aVL + S V3), bundle branch block patterns, fascicular blocks and axis deviation, first-, second- and third-degree AV block, chamber enlargement, and localization of ST elevation (inferior II/III/aVF; anterior V1–V4; lateral I/aVL/V5–V6).
334 words, about 2 min03Cardiac Rhythm Analysis and Arrhythmias
Ask whether the rhythm is regular, and whether every QRS is preceded by a P wave with a constant PR interval. That pair separates most answers.
284 words, about 1 min04Ambulatory Monitoring (Holter and Event Monitoring)
Holter monitors record continuously for 24–48 hours on 2–3 channels; patch monitors extend wear over several days; external loop/event recorders and implantable loop recorders serve symptoms that occur weekly to monthly and may be patient- or auto-triggered. Match the device to symptom frequency and document the reasoning.
298 words, about 1 min05Exercise Stress Testing
Know the indications (chest pain evaluation, functional capacity, arrhythmia provocation, chronotropic response) and the absolute contraindications: acute MI within about 48 hours, unstable angina, uncontrolled symptomatic arrhythmia, severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, decompensated heart failure, acute pulmonary embolism or dissection, and resting hypertension above roughly 200/110 mmHg. Preparation includes fasting, baseline supine and standing 12-lead tracings, and medication review - beta-blockers blunt the heart-rate response and digoxin alters ST segments.
300 words, about 2 min