The NREMT skills exam can be a stressful event for everyone involved. To help ease the stress and keep things organized, here are some DOs and DON’Ts for exam day.
DO: Arrive at least 15 minutes before the exam is set to begin. This will give you time to sign in and fill out the necessary paperwork.
DON’T: Take out your cell phone at all once you enter the building. NREMT rules prohibit the use of cellphones, and anyone caught using one will be dismissed from the exam immediately. It’s best to leave it in your vehicle or turn it off.
DO: Bring a snack or meal. On average the exam lasts about three and a half hours.
DON’t: Talk about the exam with your fellow students. This includes studying skill sheets together, or even asking someone how their last test went.
DO: Feel free to leave the staging area to get a drink of water or go to the restroom. You do not need to ask permission. If you are not in the room when I (the Exam Coordinator) call your name to go to a skill, I will simply go to the next person and call your name again the next time a skill is open.
DON’t: Bring any books or electronic devices of any kind with you to the exam. Nothing can be on your desk except for your skills sheets. We play movies on the projector to help pass the time while you wait to perform the skills.
DO: Feel free to approach me with any issues or questions you have before and during the exam. Even if it’s a question I can’t answer, I can pass the information to the Approved Agent.
DON’T: Psyche yourself out. Perform the skills exactly as you have been taught. No one is there to give you a hard time or deliberately fail you.
DO: Plan to volunteer as an assistant at an NREMT skills exam when given the opportunity. This helps you experience how an exam is managed without the stress of performing.
