Yes. A Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) candidate who does not pass gets three attempts in total, with at least 30 days between each one. After the third unsuccessful try, NHA makes you wait a full year before every further attempt. You book each retake the same way as the first exam and pay the full price again — currently $134 on the NHA store.
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After 30 days. NHA’s Candidate Handbook requires a waiting period of at least thirty days between each examination attempt.
Is there a limit on attempts?
Three attempts within the normal cycle. Each repeated failure after the third means waiting one year before the next try.
Do I need a new application?
You re-register for each retake and pay the full examination price; there is no reduced retake fee.
What score passes the exam?
A scaled score of 390 on a 500-point scale — the passing standard NHA uses for all of its examinations.
Which handbook sets these rules?
The NHA Candidate Handbook updated 06/01/2026, which covers every NHA certification exam, CPT included.
Test yourself: 3 CPT practice questions
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Question 1
After filling a sodium citrate tube for a prothrombin time test, the phlebotomist should:
▸ Why D is the answer
Per CLSI standards, sodium citrate (light blue top) tubes require 3 to 4 gentle inversions. This ensures proper mixing of the liquid anticoagulant with whole blood while preventing hemolysis and avoiding activating platelets, which would falsely distort coagulation assays. Inverting 8 to 10 times is required for most other additive tubes, including EDTA, heparin, and sodium fluoride/potassium oxalate tubes. Applying 8 to 10 inversions to a citrate tube risks mechanical platelet activation. Inverting 5 times is the standard protocol for plastic serum separator tubes (SSTs) and clot-activator tubes, not sodium citrate coagulation tubes. Leaving a tube unmixed is appropriate only for plain red-top glass tubes with no additives. Failing to invert a sodium citrate tube will cause microclot formation and specimen rejection (QNS/clotted).
🔑 Key takeaway
Sodium citrate tubes require 3 to 4 gentle inversions; over-mixing can activate platelets and alter coagulation results.
Question 2
According to OSHA guidelines, what is the minimum duration a phlebotomist should flush their eyes at an eyewash station after an accidental blood splash?
▸ Why A is the answer
OSHA and ANSI safety standards require an individual to flush their eyes continuously for a minimum of 15 minutes following a splash exposure to blood, body fluids, or hazardous chemicals to effectively dilute and remove pathogens and contaminants. Flushing for 30 minutes exceeds the standard initial requirement of 15 minutes, which is the established baseline before seeking prompt medical evaluation. Flushing for 10 minutes is a common underestimation, but it falls short of the standard emergency duration mandated by workplace safety regulations. Flushing for 5 minutes is insufficient to dilute and clear infectious material or chemical irritants from the ocular membranes and fails to meet OSHA standards.
🔑 Key takeaway
Always flush exposed eyes or mucous membranes at an eyewash station for a continuous minimum of 15 minutes.
Question 3
A phlebotomist is collecting a trough level for a therapeutic drug. When should the specimen be collected?
▸ Why D is the answer
A trough level measures the lowest concentration of a drug in the patient's system. Per CLSI and NHA guidelines, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) trough specimens must be drawn immediately prior to the next scheduled administration, typically within 30 minutes before the dose is given. Collecting a specimen 30 minutes after completing an IV infusion measures the peak level (highest drug concentration), not the trough level. Midpoint collections are not used for routine therapeutic drug monitoring; this represents a misconception confusing drug elimination half-life with the trough value. Collecting a specimen 1 to 2 hours after oral administration is standard for measuring an oral medication's peak level due to absorption time, not the trough level.
🔑 Key takeaway
Trough levels measure the lowest drug concentration and are collected within 30 minutes before the next dose.
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