Find Out About EMT Certification in Texas: Requirements, Application and Certification Process

In the state of Texas, emergency care providers must possess state-approved Certification for offering out-of-hospital medical care and treatments to individuals who are sick or injured in fires, accidents, manmade or natural disasters, drowning and other causes. The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS is responsible for approving and regulating EMT education and Certification is the state. However, individuals must complete the state and local authority specified prerequisites for earning Certification and working as a certified emergency medical care provider in the state. These requisites include:

Minimum age must be 18 years.
Possess a high school diploma or GED.
Complete a DSHS approved 140-hours long EMT training course, consisting of didactic instructions, clinical training, and field training.
Submit a completed certification Application and $60 fee.
Pass the Certification exam.
Submit fingerprints for criminal history check.
Texas DSHS approved training curriculum is based on the National Emergency Medical Services Education Standards. The state also recognizes NREMT exam to evaluate the competencies of EMS service providers. The National Registry (NR) has authorized Pearson VUE, a nationally recognized testing agency to administer the certification examination.

Application Process

The Application process is one of the vital requirements for EMT Certification in Texas. The initial steps require creating a login on the National Registry website and completing a NR online Application. The next step requires paying a non-transferable and non-refundable Application fee of $70.00. The fee is charged for each attempt of the cognitive examination by the candidate. Once an applicant completes Application process successfully, he/she is eligible for the certification examination. Before the scheduling of the exam, the candidate receives an Authorization to Test (ATT). The candidate can find his exam scheduling information and other necessary identification details in the ATT letter.

Certification Process

The National Registry exam has two separate components: a) Cognitive Exam, and b) Psychomotor exam. The Cognitive exam is a computer adaptive test (CAT) and consists of 70 to 120 questions. The candidate will have to complete the exam within 2 hours and obtain the passing score to pass the exam. The unsuccessful candidates will have to apply for retest after 15 days. The candidates are offered six opportunities altogether to pass the examination. However, the candidates must complete 24-hours of remedial training after three attempts.

The Psychomotor exam is a skill exam and evaluates the emergency medical care competencies of the candidates. The testing skills are based on clinical hands-on experiences and field trainings. The instructor must also attest and verify that the candidates have successfully performed required competencies during their practical skill training in school, technical institute or college.

The candidate will have to pass both Cognitive and Psychomotor exam to prove their competencies and certification eligibility. The passed segment of the NREMT exam remains valid for 12 months.

In the state of Texas, emergency care providers must possess state-approved Certification for offering out-of-hospital medical care and treatments to individuals who are sick or injured in fires, accidents, manmade or natural disasters, drowning and other causes. The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS is responsible for approving and regulating EMT education and Certification is the state. However, individuals must complete the state and local authority specified prerequisites for earning Certification and working as a certified emergency medical care provider in the state. These requisites include: