Your path to Patient Care
Technician/Assistant certification
Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A)
Earning your CPCT/A credentials will help you
Fulfill employer requirements
Access better career opportunities
Maximize earning potential
Enhance knowledge & skills
Fulfill employer requirements
Access better career opportunities
Maximize earning potential
Enhance knowledge & skills
What Does Certified Patient Care Technician / Assistant do?
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals rely on patient care technicians to assist with the critical day-to-day care some patients require. They provide hands-on assistance to serve patients' basic needs, which greatly impacts the lives of their patients and their patients' families. As a patient care tech, you may be able to perform some or all of the following tasks:
- Provide basic patient care — bathing, feeding, catheter care, etc.
- Acquire, distribute and administer patient care supplies
- Perform safety checks and ensure cleanliness in patient rooms
- Accommodate any additional patient needs
- Obtain EKG readings and monitor vital signs
- Perform phlebotomy procedures
- Provide emotional support to patients and families,
particularly coping with grief and death
96% of employers require or encourage certification for patient care technicians.
(Source: 2025 Industry Outlook)
CPCT/A Exam Eligibility
Possess a high school diploma or GED/high school equivalency; or are scheduled to earn a high school diploma or GED/high school equivalency in the next 12 months
Completed a patient care technician training
or education program within the last 5 years
OR
Possess a high school
diploma or
GED/high
school equivalency
1 year of supervised work experience in a patient care technician field within the last 3 years; or 2 years of supervised work experience in a patient care technician field within the last 5 years
Upon Completion 5 steps to Patient care technician/assistant certification
Apply for your exam
Create a free NHA account online, anytime, and submit your Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A) exam application through your account portal.
Set a date
Select the date and location–online or in-person–for your exam. (A CPCT/A exam fee payment is required during this step.)
Prepare, prepare, prepare
Time to study! We're here to support you. We have study materials available, including an interactive study guide and CPCT/A practice test.
Take the exam
You'll take the 100-question exam either at your school, a PSI testing center near you, or through live remote proctoring at the location of your choice.
Get your Results!
For online exams, NHA will officially post your certification results to your account page within two days of scoring your test.
