The National Registry reports cognitive exam results on a scale from 100 to 1500. The passing point is 950, and that threshold is the same at every certification level — EMT, AEMT and Paramedic. If you did not pass, your report shows your number on that scale alongside a graphical depiction of how far your attempt sat from the standard.
That is genuinely all of it, and the brevity is what confuses people. This page explains what the number represents, what you can legitimately infer from the distance to 950, and why the category-by-category breakdown you may have read about is not part of the report.
What the number is measuring
Your scaled score is not a percentage and it is not a count of correct answers. The cognitive exam is computer-adaptive: when you answer correctly the next question gets harder, and when you miss one it gets slightly easier. Your score reflects the difficulty level you could answer reliably, which is why two candidates who got the same number of questions right can score differently.
This is also why comparing your raw sense of 'I think I got about 70 percent' against the 950 threshold does not work. There is no conversion between the two.
What the graph is telling you
The graphical depiction places your attempt relative to the passing standard so you can see the size of the gap. The National Registry's stated purpose for it is to let you judge how much more preparation you need. Treat it as a rough magnitude rather than a precise measurement, and let it set the scale of your plan.
- Close to 950 — your knowledge is broadly in range and something narrow is costing you. Usually a specific weak category, or exam mechanics like time pressure and second-guessing.
- Well below 950 — this is a content gap rather than a technique problem, and a two-week cram is unlikely to close it. Plan for a longer, more structured rebuild.
Do not read precision into it
The graph is a positional indicator, not a diagnostic instrument. It cannot tell you which topics hurt you, and a small visual gap is not a promise that you will pass next time. It sets the scale of the work, nothing more.
Not sure how much of this you actually know? Ten questions gives you a readiness score in about three minutes.
Take the free quizWhat the report does not include
There is no per-category breakdown. Your report will not tell you that you were below passing in Airway and above passing in Trauma. A great deal of advice still circulating online describes exactly that kind of report, and candidates go looking for a section of their results that does not exist.
The practical consequence matters: the National Registry will not tell you what to study. You have to determine that yourself by testing across all five content areas and finding where you actually lose points, rather than where you assume you do.
Why passing candidates get almost nothing
If you pass, the National Registry does not send specific details about your results. There is no score to frame and no breakdown to review. Certification is not graded on a curve and nothing downstream depends on how comfortably you passed — a pass at 955 and a pass at 1400 produce exactly the same certification.
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