NREMT Updates Regarding Cognitive Certification Exams during Pandemic

March 23. 2020 at 5:02 p.m.

23 MARCH 2020 – COVID-19 Response Update
National EMS Community,

The National Registry is committed to supporting your vital work in the community by ensuring continued operation of the certification process to ensure a qualified EMS workforce. While circumstances remain dynamic, we will provide updates as information becomes available. Test centers will begin limited reopening for essential healthcare personnel, including EMS providers. Regarding the psychomotor examination, the National Registry will be offering a provisional certification that defers the psychomotor exam until conditions stabilize.

Cognitive Exam Update
Preserving the pipeline of EMS personnel during the pandemic is essential, and vital to public health. Therefore, on Wednesday, March 25, some Pearson VUE Professional Centers (PPCs) across the nation will re-open for the testing of essential healthcare personnel, including EMS providers. Appointments at these centers will be available on a first come, first served basis. More appointments and availability will be available as soon as possible. More information about Pearson VUE’s testing for EMS personnel during the pandemic is available on Pearson VUE’s website (https://home.pearsonvue.com/nremt/essential-services).

In addition to the PPCs, we are working with state and local officials to re-open Pearson VUE Testing Centers (PVTCs) strictly for the testing of essential healthcare personnel, including EMS providers. As a reminder, some PVTCs are currently open and operational. The National Registry is also aggressively pursuing the option of offering cognitive examinations through newly available Remote Proctoring technology, with more information on that in the coming weeks.