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NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) Exam

Phlebotomy Practice Test

This phlebotomy practice test is written for the NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician exam on the test plan that launched on January 7, 2026. NHA gives you 2 hours for 120 questions: 100 count toward your score and 20 are pretest questions that do not. Routine Blood Collections (28%) and Safety and Compliance (26%) are its two largest domains. The 25-question diagnostic is free.

The free NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) diagnostic is being prepared and is not open yet. The exam facts and the content outline on this page are current.

A new version of this exam launched in January 2026, built on a job analysis NHA completed in 2024. It has five domains: Safety and Compliance, Patient Preparation, Routine Blood Collections, Special Collections and Processing. More than half of the scored questions are in the first and third of those, which is the exam telling you what it cares about: doing a routine draw correctly, and doing it safely.

Phlebotomy questions are about sequence and exception. What comes before what, and what do you do when the usual step is not possible: the vein you cannot find, the tube that must be kept out of the light, the draw you have to stop. Each question here explains every option, because the wrong answers are usually correct steps in the wrong place.

The NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) exam at a glance

What you are preparing for, in the exam owner's own numbers.

Questions120 (100 scored, 20 unscored)
Time limit2 hours
DeliveryComputer-based exam of 100 scored and 20 pretest items in 2 hours. Taken at the candidate's school or training site, at a PSI test center, or online with live remote proctoring through PSI. Since June 1, 2026, PSI-delivered NHA exams include an embedded calculator and a whiteboard instead of scratch paper.
EligibilityHigh school diploma or equivalent (or a provisional route for those expected to earn one within 18 months), plus either a phlebotomy training program at an accredited or state-recognized institution or supervised work experience (one year within the past three years, or two years within the past five). Candidates must also show at least 30 successful venipunctures and 10 capillary or finger sticks on live individuals.
RetakesCandidates may retake after 30 days following a first or second unsuccessful attempt. After a third unsuccessful attempt they must wait one year. Each attempt requires a new registration and the full exam fee.
Outline in forceNHA CPT Test Plan based on the 2024 Job Analysis (exam launched January 7, 2026)

Exam facts are taken from NHA’s own published material, last checked October 2, 2026. Source. Confirm fees, dates and rules with the organization you register with before you book.

Who takes it

People working toward NHA's phlebotomy technician certification. Eligibility includes practical proof: at least 30 successful venipunctures and 10 capillary or finger sticks, all on live individuals. NHA also requires a high school diploma or its equivalent, and either a phlebotomy program at an accredited or state-recognized school or supervised phlebotomy work, a year of it in the last three or two in the last five.

What the NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) exam covers

The five domains and their weights are from NHA's test plan for the exam that launched on January 7, 2026.

DomainWeightWhat it covers
1Safety and Compliance14 tasks26%
  • Follow workplace safety regulations, such as OSHA and NIOSH requirements.
  • Follow operational standards from bodies such as The Joint Commission, CLSI, and the CDC.
  • Protect patients' health information as HIPAA requires.
  • and 11 more tasks
2Patient Preparation17 tasks20%
  • Show respect for diversity, cultural sensitivity, and empathy.
  • Communicate effectively with patients, coworkers, and other health professionals.
  • Obtain, review, and verify the order or requisition, including STAT, routine, and timed draws.
  • and 14 more tasks
3Routine Blood Collections18 tasks28%
  • Select and assemble the collection equipment: evacuated tube system, needle, syringe, or winged set.
  • Check equipment quality: sterility, expiration date, and manufacturing defects.
  • Adapt the collection technique for patients with special needs, such as burns, dementia, or bleeding disorders.
  • and 15 more tasks
4Special Collections10 tasks12%
  • Collect blood cultures.
  • Assist other health professionals with specimen collection, for example with pediatric or geriatric patients and vascular access lines.
  • Gather information and collect blood samples for metabolic screening, such as PKU or galactosemia.
  • and 7 more tasks
5Processing9 tasks14%
  • Prepare specimens for testing or transport: centrifuging, aliquoting, freezing, or refrigerating.
  • Protect specimen integrity by meeting handling requirements for temperature, light, and time.
  • Follow chain of custody rules when required, such as for forensic or blood alcohol specimens.
  • and 6 more tasks

How to use the bank for the NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) exam

  1. 1

    Take the diagnostic and read it by domain

    Start with the 25 free questions and read your result one domain at a time.

  2. 2

    Master the routine draw first

    Routine Blood Collections is 28% of the exam: choosing the device and tubes, the tourniquet, finding and cleaning the site, anchoring the vein, the order of draw, and what to do when blood does not flow. Work this domain until the sequence is automatic.

  3. 3

    Then safety and patient preparation

    Safety and Compliance (26%) and Patient Preparation (20%) are nearly half the exam between them: sharps disposal, the response to a needlestick, precautions and protective equipment, then verifying the order, identifying the patient and consent.

  4. 4

    Finish with special collections, processing and a mock

    Special Collections (12%) and Processing (14%) are smaller but specific: blood cultures, tolerance tests, chain of custody. Then sit a full mock: 120 questions in 2 hours, a minute each.

What is in the paid NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) bank

  • The question bank

    The NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) bank is still being written. The live count appears here when questions are published.

  • Every option explained

    A written reason for every option, right and wrong, plus a one-line takeaway, a cited reference and the outline task the question tests.

  • Tutor mode and timed mode

    Tutor mode shows the explanation after each question. Timed mode holds everything back until the end, at exam pace.

  • A readiness band, by domain

    Your first-attempt results weighted the way the exam weights its domains, shown as a band rather than a pass probability: nobody outside the exam owner knows the cut score.

  • A study plan

    Set your exam date and the plan divides the questions you have not seen across the days you have left, weakest domains first, with the mock exams placed in the back half.

NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) passes

A pass is access for a fixed number of days. You pay once; nothing renews.

30-day pass

$19one-off

  • The full NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) bank for 30 days
  • Every mock exam, tutor and timed modes
  • Charged once. It does not renew.
Get the 30-day pass

90-day pass

$29one-off

  • The full NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) bank for 90 days
  • Every mock exam, tutor and timed modes
  • Charged once. It does not renew.
Get the 90-day pass

Refund within 7 days if you have answered fewer than 50 questions. Pass guarantee: complete 100% of the bank with an average of 80% or better, and if you still do not pass the exam your pass is extended by 90 days at no charge.

How the questions are written and checked

  1. Step 1

    Written to the public outline

    Each question is written by AI against one task in NHA's published content outline. Nothing is taken from the exam itself.

  2. Step 2

    Solved blind by a second model

    A different model answers the question without seeing the key. If it does not reach the same answer, the question is not published.

  3. Step 3

    Audited for flaws and duplicates

    A separate pass looks for item-writing flaws: two defensible answers, a giveaway in the wording, a rationale that contradicts the key. Near-duplicates are removed.

  4. Step 4

    Corrected in public

    Learners can report any question. Reports and answer statistics flag questions for withdrawal or correction, and every correction is logged.

There is no human subject-matter-expert review in that process, and we do not claim one. What you get instead is a cited reference on every question, so you can check it yourself. Read the full methodology or see the corrections log.

NHA CPT (Phlebotomy) practice questions: common questions

Which phlebotomy exam is this practice test for?

The NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician exam. Other organizations certify phlebotomists with their own exams and outlines; this bank follows NHA's test plan.

How many questions are on the NHA phlebotomy exam?

120, with 2 hours to answer them. 100 are scored; the other 20 are pretest questions NHA is trying out.

Is this practice test updated for the 2026 NHA phlebotomy exam?

Yes. NHA launched a new exam on January 7, 2026, based on a job analysis completed in 2024. Every question here is tagged to a task in that test plan.

What is on the NHA phlebotomy exam?

Five domains: Safety and Compliance (26%), Patient Preparation (20%), Routine Blood Collections (28%), Special Collections (12%) and Processing (14%).

Do I need to have drawn blood before I can take the exam?

Yes. NHA asks for evidence of at least 30 successful venipunctures and 10 capillary or finger sticks on live individuals, besides a high school diploma or equivalent and either a phlebotomy program or qualifying supervised work.

What is the passing score, and what does the exam cost?

This page gives neither number, because we could not read either one on NHA's own site. NHA's candidate handbook has the passing standard; its store or your school has the fee.

How soon can I retake the NHA phlebotomy exam?

Thirty days after a first failed attempt, and again after a second; one year after a third. You register and pay the exam fee afresh each time.

Is this phlebotomy practice test free?

The diagnostic is: 25 questions, no sign-up, each answer explained at the end. The rest of the question bank and the full-length mocks come with a one-time paid pass that does not renew.

The Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) certification is owned by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), and NHA is its trademark. This site is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Healthcareer Association.