EMT training requirements are fairly straightforward, but do sometimes vary depending on which state you will be seeking your EMT certification. The majority of states accept the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) as the certifying body. So long as you take and pass an EMT course certified by the NREMT, pass the NREMT psychomotor skills exam, and pass the NREMT cognitive exam, then you can become a certified EMT.

There are very few prerequisites for beginning your EMT training and gaining your NREMT certification. At a bare minimum, they are:

• Age
  You must be 18 years old to take the NREMT cognitive exam. This does not mean that you have to be 18 to take the EMT course. In fact, we have had several students who have taken our course towards the end of high school and were 17 at the time. They did line up the course so that they would be turning 18 during the course or very soon after in order to be eligible to take the NREMT cognitive exam.
• CPR Certification
  In order to become a certified EMT you must have a CPR certification at the Healthcare Provider level. You do not necessarily have to be CPR certified before applying for the course. Allied Medical Training offers a CPR course for those that aren't yet certified approximately two weeks after beginning the EMT course. So there's no worries if you aren't CPR certified yet and have trouble finding a CPR course.
• Criminal History
  While EMT schools are not required to investigate students' backgrounds, most states require a disclosure of criminal history above a certain offender level. If you do have a criminal history you are encouraged to contact your state EMS board before you apply to an EMT program to verify your eligibility for certification.

Some EMT schools, especially those administered through community colleges and universities may impose a number of other prerequisites and EMT training requirements. But these are not actually necessary to gain NREMT certification and instead are only specific to those schools. Some require an application to the university and submission of transcripts. Some also require prerequisite courses in reading and writing. We don't think that is necessary and instead strive to make the opportunity to become an EMT open to all.

So how does it work to take an EMT course with Allied Medical Training? First you complete a brief online application form and submit your course deposit. Once your course begins you'll start the coursework online and then meet in class to practice patient care skills with our instructors and your classmates. At the end of the course, you will take the NREMT psychomotor skills exam administered by our program. Once you've finished all that and the final exam for the course, you'll be eligible to take the NREMT cognitive exam.

Ready to get started? Check out our Self-Paced Online EMT Course or the 12 Week EMT Course.