NHA Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant
(CPCT/A) Test Plan
100 scored items, 20 pretest
items Exam Time: 2 hours
*Based on the results of a job analysis completed in 2024
This document provides both a summary and detailed outline of the topics and
associated weighting that may be covered on the CPCT/A Certification Examination. The
summary examination outline contains domains that are covered on the examination and
the number of test items per domain
The detailed outline adds to the summary outline by including tasks and knowledge
statements associated with each task. Task statements reflect the duties that a
candidate will need to know how to properly perform. Knowledge statements reflect
information that a candidate will need to know and are in support of task statements.
Items on the examination might require recall and critical thinking pertaining to a
knowledge statement, a task statement, or both.
,Summary CPCT/A Examination Outline
# of Items
DOMAIN on
Examination
1. Patient Care 45
2. Compliance, Safety, and Professional Responsibility 20
3. Infection Control 11
4. Phlebotomy 14
5. EKG 10
Total 100
45
Domain 1: Patient Care Items
A. Provide basic patient care under the direction of nursing staff
(e.g., bathing, bed-making, catheter care, assisting with
activities of daily living [ADLs], positioning).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Proper body mechanics
2. Patient bathing techniques (e.g., partial bath, sitz
bath, full bed bath)
3. Oral care (e.g., denture care, special mouth care)
4. Perineal care (e.g., catheter care)
5. Foley catheter care
6. Types of patient beds (e.g., closed, open,
surgical, occupied)
7. How to operate patient beds
8. Considerations in caring for patients who have
functional
limitations (e.g., physical, sensory, cognitive, or
mental impairment)
B. Provide emotional support for a patient and family while
performing patient care.
Supporting Knowledge
1. Therapeutic communication techniques
2. Culturally competent care
3. Positive and negative coping mechanisms
, C. Set up equipment to be used by a patient (e.g., oxygen
equipment, suction equipment, monitors).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Structure and function of body systems
2. Common disease processes (e.g., myocardial
infarction, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, cancers in general, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
3. Oral suctioning
4. How to operate patient beds
5. Oxygen delivery systems (e.g., rebreather masks, nasal
cannula)
D. Provide care for a patient who has a feeding tube (e.g., take
aspiration precautions, observe tubing for kinks or problems).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Structure and function of body systems
2. Common disease processes (e.g., myocardial
infarction, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, cancers in general, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
3. Types of feeding tubes (e.g., percutaneous endoscopic
gastrostomy [PEG] tube, gastrostomy [G] tube,
nasogastric [NG] tube)
4. Considerations for patients who have feeding
tubes (e.g., recognizing and reporting
complications)
5. Aspiration precautions for patients who have difficulty
swallowing (e.g., patient positioning)
E. Recognize and adapt approach to care for a patient who has
functional limitations (e.g., physical, sensory, cognitive, or
mental impairment).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Structure and function of body systems
2. Common disease processes (e.g., myocardial
infarction, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, cancers in general, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
3. Considerations in caring for patients who have functional
limitations (e.g., physical, sensory, cognitive, or
mental impairment)
F. Report any changes in a patient's condition (e.g., level of
consciousness, shortness of breath).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Structure and function of body systems
2. Common disease processes (e.g., myocardial
infarction, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, cancers in general, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
3. Signs and symptoms of changing patient condition
(e.g., loss of consciousness, shortness of breath,
change to psychological or
emotional state)
(CPCT/A) Test Plan
100 scored items, 20 pretest
items Exam Time: 2 hours
*Based on the results of a job analysis completed in 2024
This document provides both a summary and detailed outline of the topics and
associated weighting that may be covered on the CPCT/A Certification Examination. The
summary examination outline contains domains that are covered on the examination and
the number of test items per domain
The detailed outline adds to the summary outline by including tasks and knowledge
statements associated with each task. Task statements reflect the duties that a
candidate will need to know how to properly perform. Knowledge statements reflect
information that a candidate will need to know and are in support of task statements.
Items on the examination might require recall and critical thinking pertaining to a
knowledge statement, a task statement, or both.
,Summary CPCT/A Examination Outline
# of Items
DOMAIN on
Examination
1. Patient Care 45
2. Compliance, Safety, and Professional Responsibility 20
3. Infection Control 11
4. Phlebotomy 14
5. EKG 10
Total 100
45
Domain 1: Patient Care Items
A. Provide basic patient care under the direction of nursing staff
(e.g., bathing, bed-making, catheter care, assisting with
activities of daily living [ADLs], positioning).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Proper body mechanics
2. Patient bathing techniques (e.g., partial bath, sitz
bath, full bed bath)
3. Oral care (e.g., denture care, special mouth care)
4. Perineal care (e.g., catheter care)
5. Foley catheter care
6. Types of patient beds (e.g., closed, open,
surgical, occupied)
7. How to operate patient beds
8. Considerations in caring for patients who have
functional
limitations (e.g., physical, sensory, cognitive, or
mental impairment)
B. Provide emotional support for a patient and family while
performing patient care.
Supporting Knowledge
1. Therapeutic communication techniques
2. Culturally competent care
3. Positive and negative coping mechanisms
, C. Set up equipment to be used by a patient (e.g., oxygen
equipment, suction equipment, monitors).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Structure and function of body systems
2. Common disease processes (e.g., myocardial
infarction, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, cancers in general, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
3. Oral suctioning
4. How to operate patient beds
5. Oxygen delivery systems (e.g., rebreather masks, nasal
cannula)
D. Provide care for a patient who has a feeding tube (e.g., take
aspiration precautions, observe tubing for kinks or problems).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Structure and function of body systems
2. Common disease processes (e.g., myocardial
infarction, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, cancers in general, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
3. Types of feeding tubes (e.g., percutaneous endoscopic
gastrostomy [PEG] tube, gastrostomy [G] tube,
nasogastric [NG] tube)
4. Considerations for patients who have feeding
tubes (e.g., recognizing and reporting
complications)
5. Aspiration precautions for patients who have difficulty
swallowing (e.g., patient positioning)
E. Recognize and adapt approach to care for a patient who has
functional limitations (e.g., physical, sensory, cognitive, or
mental impairment).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Structure and function of body systems
2. Common disease processes (e.g., myocardial
infarction, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, cancers in general, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
3. Considerations in caring for patients who have functional
limitations (e.g., physical, sensory, cognitive, or
mental impairment)
F. Report any changes in a patient's condition (e.g., level of
consciousness, shortness of breath).
Supporting Knowledge
1. Structure and function of body systems
2. Common disease processes (e.g., myocardial
infarction, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart
failure, diabetes, cancers in general, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease)
3. Signs and symptoms of changing patient condition
(e.g., loss of consciousness, shortness of breath,
change to psychological or
emotional state)
