NHA CPT Phlebotomy Pass Rate, Format & Study Guide

The NHA CPT exam has 100 scored items plus 20 unscored pretest items and is timed at two hours (NHA test plan, effective January 2026). The test plan covers five areas: Safety and Compliance, Patient Preparation, Routine Blood Collections, Special Collections and Processing. A scaled score of 390 is the passing standard. This portal's practice mock has 100 questions.

The CPT is a national credential that many labs, hospitals and clinics look for when hiring phlebotomists.

Phlebotomy students and graduates and working phlebotomists who want a national certification.

The certifying body does not publicly publish an official pass rate for this exam. Be wary of third-party sites citing a specific number here — treat any pass-rate claim you see elsewhere for this exam as unverified.

The candidate handbook, allows three attempts with at least 30 days between them, then a one-year wait after a third failed attempt; each retake means paying the full exam fee again. The new exam launched January 7, 2026.

A scaled score of 390 is the passing standard on the NHA scale. Format: 100 scored items and 20 pretest items in two hours. No official pass rate is available for this exam, so none is quoted here.

The NHA CPT exam has 100 scored items plus 20 unscored pretest items and is timed at two hours (NHA test plan, effective January 2026). The test plan covers five areas: Safety and Compliance, Patient Preparation, Routine Blood Collections, Special Collections and Processing. A scaled score of 390 is the passing standard. This portal's practice mock has 100 questions. 100 scored items plus 20 pretest items · 2 hours · four-option multiple choice · pass: scaled score of 390. A scaled score of 390 is the passing standard on the NHA scale.

• Safety and Compliance26%
• Patient Preparation20%
• Routine Blood Collections28%
• Special Collections12%
• Processing14%

The content outline spreads questions across 5 areas: Safety and Compliance (26.0%); Patient Preparation (20.0%); Routine Blood Collections (28.0%); Special Collections (12.0%); Processing (14.0%).

The NHA CPT page lists training completed within five years with 30 venipunctures and 10 capillary sticks on live individuals, a work-experience pathway for older training, and a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship. Confirm in the current handbook.

$134 for the exam application was listed on the NHA store page. Each retake requires paying the full exam fee again, and renewal carries its own fee.

NHA certifications are renewed every two years with continuing education and a fee; one NHA page lists 10 credits for renewal. NHA also reported extending provisional certifications to 18 months; confirm the current rules with NHA.

Start with the heaviest areas of the content outline: Routine Blood Collections (28.0%); Safety and Compliance (26.0%); Patient Preparation (20.0%). Then work through the remaining areas, and finish with timed full-length practice runs of 100 questions in one sitting.

Content outlines, fees and passing standards change; this guide follows the materials listed under Verification as of October 2026. Check the National Healthcareer Association before you register.