EMT Exams in Montana

In order to gain the Emergency Medical Technician certificate in Montana, you will need to clear the NREMT examination. The EMT-Basic cognitive exam is based on the national syllabus, designed by NHTSA and acceptable by all the states of US. In Montana, the Board of Medical Examiners watches over EMT’s deployment and licensing.

Components of Exam

Cognitive Examination

The cognitive examinations are computer based tests. Students can expect 70-120 multiple-choice questions. Applicant will need to finish the examination within the allotted time of 2 hours. The candidate can expect the questions from the covered syllabus, which includes:

Respiration and Ventilation
EMS Operations
Trauma
Cardiology & Resuscitation
Airway
Medical & Obstetrics/Gynaecology

The questions related to patients care aim 85% towards the paediatric patients and the rest (15%) towards the geriatric patients. In order to pass the examination, the candidate must render secure entry-level emergency medical care.

Psychomotor Examination

During EMT educational program, the applicant must show competence in a wide range of emergency care skills. The instructor must confirm that the applicant has shown the competence in the following skills throughout the course:

Long bone fracture immobilization
Patient management/ assessment of a trauma patient
Traction splinting
Shock management/bleeding control
Spinal immobilization (both seated and supine patient)
Joint dislocation immobilization
Upper airway adjuncts and suction
Mouth-to-mouth ventilation with supplemental oxygen
Supplemental oxygen administration to a breathing patient
Cardiac arrest management/AED
Patient management/assessment of a medical patient
Bag-valve-mask ventilation of an apneic patient

Examination Registration, Payment and Scheduling Procedure

Register via Internet

For getting registered through internet, applicant must have a valid MasterCard or VISA.
Log in PSI’s official registration website, i.e. www.psiexams.com.
Complete the online registration procedure by providing information about VISA or MasterCard (number and expiration date).
After completing the online registration procedure, submit it online. This service is provided 24 hours a day.
You will receive information related to available examination dates and locations. Choose the desired date and center.

Register via Telephone

The second best way to register for the EMT exam is through telephone.

To do registration via telephone, candidate must possess a legal MasterCard or Visa.
Candidates can register via PSI’s IVR (Interactive Voice Response System) during non-business hours.
During non-business hours, applicants can register through registrars.
Complete the examination registration procedure by providing your MasterCard or Visa number and expiration date.
After submitting the form, you will be provided with information regarding the available dates and locations to schedule the examination.

Register via Fax

In order to register via fax, applicants need to complete the following steps:

Before registering via fax, applicants must ensure that they are having a legitimate VISA or MasterCard.
The applicant is required to enter the VISA or MasterCard number and expiry date in order to get the available examination dates and locations.
After completing the registration procedure, the applicant needs to fax the form to PSI.
The forms via fax are acceptable 24 hours a day.

Cancelling and Rescheduling an Examination Appointment

Applicant can also cancel the scheduled examination appointment without forfeiting the examination fee. In order to cancel the scheduled test, applicant must call on PSI’s number to inform about the cancelation. This process has to take place 2 days before the scheduled date. Candidates can also use the automated system.

In order to reschedule the exam, a candidate can call the very next day after the test, and retest the next day. The candidate must re-register via internet, telephone or fax, and complete the registration procedure.

Missed Appointment or Late Cancellation

Your registration will be declared as invalid, and you will not be allowed to appear in the scheduled examination in the following cases:

If you arrive after the examination time.
If you don’t appear in the exam.
If you fail to present the correct identification.
If you fail to inform the cancellation 2 days before the scheduled test.

In all the above cases, you will not be entitled to get a refund of the fees.

Reporting to the Examination Site

The candidate has to reach ½ hour before the scheduled examination time in order to present the proper identification documents for verification and complete the other procedures. The candidates, who arrive late, will not be allowed to sit in the examination, and the registration fee will be forfeited.

The candidate must bring 2 identification forms. The first form must have the candidate’s signature and his/her pre-printed name. The second form must be the valid identification (passport, driver’s license, military identification, or state ID), issued by the government. The second form must contain the signature and the photograph of the candidate. The documents provided by the candidate must match with the examination registration form.

Exam Results & Retest Information

The applicant can view his/her result the very next day of the examination. The results will be available on the NREMT’s official password-secured website. The applicant can log in to see the available results. If the applicant passes the exam, it means he/she has met the criteria and will be sent NREMT’s National EMS Certification credentials.

If the candidate fails the examination, he/she will receive an information sheet regarding performance in the appeared examination. The information sheet will specify whether the applicant’s performance was “below”, “above” or “near”. This will help the applicant to know about his/her weaknesses and prepare accordingly.

Applicants, who are unsuccessful to clear the examination, can apply to retest after 15 days of the last appeared test. You will get 6 chances to clear the EMT exam. After the first three attempts, you will have to submit all the official documents needed for verifying the completion of 24 hours of corrective program. In the additional three attempts, the candidate must fulfil all other requirements for national certification. Applicants, who are unsuccessful in all six attempts, need to repeat the whole EMT course.

Tips for Preparing for Exams

Read the questions carefully.
Make sure to cover the whole coursework, paying special attention to respiration and airway.
Make notes with the correct information, and highlight the key sentences.
Don’t waste too much time on just one question.
Manage your time in such a way that you can attempt all questions.