5 Tips to Prepare for Your NCCT NCPT Exam

As a phlebotomy technician, you enjoy a rewarding career as an allied healthcare professional. With solid experience under your belt, you are now ready to take the next step: NCCT Phlebotomy Certification. No matter how long it's been since you've taken a test, a reliable strategy to prepare for an exam like the NCCT Phlebotomy test is absolutely essential. Read on to learn more about this exam and how you can face it head-on with our helpful strategies.

What Is the NCCT?

Since 1989, the National Center for Competency Testing, or NCCT, has created and administered professional exams for those in the healthcare industry. An independent organization, the NCCT is a nationally accredited certifying body and a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. Their public safety-centered approach provides multiple paths toward becoming credentialed allied health professionals, including phlebotomists.

To become a National Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NCPT) you must take the NCCT NCPT exam. This exam assesses your knowledge and skills as a phlebotomist, ensuring they meet the high standard of care set by the NCCT. Topics that appear on the NCCT Phlebotomy test can include proper PPE usage, applying tourniquets, packaging and transporting specimens, and knowledge of collection standards, among others.

Why Is the NCCT NCPT Phlebotomy Test Important?

The NCCT Phlebotomy Certification test is an important exam designed to establish a high and consistent standard of care for patients. Hospitals and healthcare providers rely on certification to demonstrate that allied health professionals meet important benchmarks. Once certified, the NCCT Phlebotomy renewal process ensures phlebotomists continue learning the latest best practices

Who Should Take the NCCT NCPT Test?

Whether you are a current student, recent graduate, or phlebotomist already in the field, you can qualify to take the NCPT. Whether you completed a phlebotomy technician program or you trained on the job, you still may be eligible to take the NCCT Phlebotomy test. Check the NCCT website for specific application requirements.

What are the Benefits of Having NCCT NCPT Certification?

There are many benefits to obtaining NCCT Phlebotomy Certification. Passing the exam and earning your certification demonstrates to potential employers that you possess the knowledge and skills to provide high-quality patient care.

Many hospitals and medical practices will only hire certified allied health professionals, so NCCT credentialing will open doors to more job opportunities and promotions. Once you earn your certification, you stay abreast of the latest technology and procedures in phlebotomy through the NCCT Phlebotomy renewal process.

Finally, earning NCCT Certification will boost your confidence in your professional knowledge and skills. Feelings of pride and accomplishment make you better at your job, and you will stand out as a leader among your colleagues.

5 Tips & Tricks to Prepare for and Take the NCCT NCPT Exam

1. Take an NCCT Phlebotomy Practice Test

Scientific studies have shown time and again that taking practice tests is the most effective study skill when compared to other traditional study habits. Known as the “testing effect,� practice tests strengthen a cognitive process called retrieval practice, and this greatly increases one's ability to retain new information. When you incorporate Exam Edge's Phlebotomy NCCT practice tests into your study strategy, you set yourself up for success.

As you answer our NCCT Phlebotomy practice questions you train your brain to recall this knowledge, thus making it easier on testing day. Think of it like learning to play the piano - you need to practice your scales over and over to make it stick. Test prep is the same, except the skill you are developing is retrieving what you have learned.

2. Change Your Attitude toward Studying

While cognitive ability does have a big impact on testing outcomes, of equal importance is your attitude toward studying. In their research paper Study Habits and Attitudes: The Road to Academic Success, researchers discovered students with positive attitudes and strong study skills performed better on licensure examinations. In short, confidence in your study skills leads to more successful testing outcomes! Exam Edge's NCCT Phlebotomy Certification practice test will foster confidence and improve your attitude, giving you a key advantage.

3. Avoid Ineffective Study Habits

No matter how long it has been since you were a student, you are familiar with traditional study skills like reviewing notes and rereading study materials. However, you might not know that studies show these learning tools tend to be very ineffective. When you simply reread source material, you don't strengthen your retrieval skills. In other words, you are not retaining information, you are letting it go in one ear and out the other. That is why Phlebotomy NCCT review works best when centered around practice tests, which strengthen the retrieval process.

4. Focus on Helpful Study Skills

Practice tests work for multiple reasons. Each NCCT Phlebotomy practice question has a detailed explanation of its answer. Even if you answer incorrectly, you still learn the material. Knowing what you don't know is good because you can study more efficiently. When you take a practice exam, make a flashcard for each question you miss, then review these in between practice tests.

Flashcards complement practice tests because they are also a form of retrieval practice. You can easily study flashcards in between practice tests. An example flashcard strategy involves making piles by how well you can recall the answer to a question. As you go through the cards, make one pile for the questions you missed, one for the questions that took a while but you eventually answer correctly, and one for the questions that you quickly recalled. Study the first pile the next day, the second pile in two days, and the last pile in three days.

5. Create a Study Schedule and Stick to It

Study schedules are a crucial tool to your success on the NCCT Phlebotomy exam. The key to study schedules is starting early. Giving yourself ample time to prepare steadily can lead to higher test scores.

Phlebotomy NCCT practice exams are easy to incorporate into your study schedule! Create a schedule that revolves around taking one practice test a week for 10 weeks. This is easily done when you purchase all 10 unique Exam Edge NCCT Phlebotomy practice tests. Plus you can take each test up to four times, giving you even more opportunities to build those retrieval skills.

Here is an example study schedule that utilizes practice tests and flashcards:

• Monday: Take your first Exam Edge phlebotomy practice test untimed and take notes for flashcards.
• Tuesday: Make flashcards from yesterday's notes in the morning and use them for Phlebotomy NCCT review in the evening.
• Wednesday: Work through the flashcards multiple times and focus on the cards that were most difficult during the first time through.
• Thursday: Retake the same practice test from Monday, this time using the timed feature to get a feel for the real exam. Take a break and then review your flashcards for each question you missed.
• Friday: Work through your flashcards once more.
• Saturday: Take the practice a third time and see how your score improved since Monday. Reward yourself for all your hard work over the course of the week!

Where Can I Learn More About the NCCT Phlebotomy Exam?

Wherever you are on your phlebotomy career path, NCCT Phlebotomy Certification can yield several benefits long after you pass the exam. You can learn more about the exam on the NCCT website. Exam Edge also offers other practice tests for certifications in a variety of allied health careers including surgical technologists, ECG technicians, insurance and coding specialists, and more. Check out all the NCCT practice exams we offer and start investing in your phlebotomy career today.