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Education & training
EMT pass rates vary by program size and region
Emergency Medical Technician Program Certification Pass Rates by Size and Geographic Region: A Five-Year Descriptive Analysis
JACEP Open · 2026-12 · Added 6 October 2026
A US descriptive analysis of 8,567 EMT program cohorts (2018–2022) found median first-attempt certification pass rates of 63.9%, varying by cohort size, region and year, with larger cohorts performing better.
- Study type
- Cross-sectional
- Design
- Repeated cross-sectional descriptive analysis
- Participants
- 8,567 EMT educational program cohorts, 2018–2022
- Main finding
- Median first-attempt pass rate was 63.9% and cumulative third-attempt 77.8%; cohorts of 46+ candidates had higher first-attempt rates (68.2% vs 60.0%) than cohorts of 6–10
- Caveat
- Descriptive only, US-specific certification exam, no adjustment for student demographics or program quality
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (Medium relevance). US EMT certification is a different system to Australian paramedic registration and education, but the question of how program size and region shape graduate competence is relevant to Australian course design debates.
Learning goal
Understand how program size and geography shape entry-to-practice certification outcomes across the paramedic workforce.
More
- Topic: Education & training
- Daily scan: 6 October 2026
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