Phlebotomy

The exam is two hours long. You can sit for it at your school, at a PSI testing center near you, or through live remote proctoring at a location of your choice. An exam payment is required when you select your date and location.

The published source material does not state an item count or a passing score for the CPT exam. Candidates should consult the candidate handbook for the current exam blueprint and scoring details rather than relying on unofficial figures.

You need a high school diploma or equivalent (or be scheduled to earn one within 18 months), completion of a phlebotomy training program within the last five years or supervised work experience, and documented performance of at least 30 venipunctures and 10 capillary or finger sticks on live individuals.

For online exams, results are officially posted to your account page within two days of your test being scored. Plan accordingly if an employer or program is waiting on verification, and keep your account details current so results route correctly.

Expect five broad areas: safety and compliance, patient preparation and identification, blood collection procedures, specimen handling, processing and point-of-care testing, and professional communication and customer service. Safety, identification, and order-of-draw concepts tend to appear throughout rather than in one isolated section.

Start with safety, infection control, and patient identification, since those underpin every later step. Then move to collection procedures and order of draw, followed by specimen handling and point-of-care testing, and finish with communication and customer service scenarios. Take a practice test early to find weak areas.

The certifying body lists an online study guide with games, quizzes, and flashcards; a practice test offering up to six attempts; a preparation package bundling the interactive materials with the practice test; and a free test plan mapping key exam concepts. Preparation materials are optional and do not guarantee a passing score.

Common trouble spots are order of draw, tube additive and inversion requirements, and identification or labeling steps done out of sequence. Scenario questions about difficult draws, patient communication, and handling a rejection or recollect also reward careful reading over memorized lists.

Renew every two years by completing 10 continuing education credits and paying the recertification fee; there is no penalty for renewing early. If your certification lapses, you have one year to reinstate it. The continuing education library is available online around the clock.

The source material for this page does not publish a retake policy or waiting period. Retake rules, fees, and attempt limits are governed by the candidate handbook, so confirm the current policy there before scheduling a second attempt.