Choose, pay, plan
A study plan from the days you have left
Choose your exam, the days left and how many times you want to see each question: the calculator gives a daily volume and the number of full mocks to fit in.
Questions a day to cover the bank
Questions a day
9
- Full mocks to plan
- 4, one a week
- Mock length
- 90 questions, 1 h 50 min
Volume worked out from a pool about 1.3 times the mock length; keep the last two days for review of mistakes only.
A study plan for a certification exam comes down to three numbers: how many days are left, how many questions you need to see, and how many full mocks you can fit in. The calculator above takes a pool about 1.3 times the length of the real exam, multiplies it by the number of passes you want, and spreads it over the days left; it also plans one full timed mock a week. For the PTCE, 90 questions in 1 hour 50 minutes, four weeks and two passes give about 9 questions a day. The figures are a frame, not a rule: what matters is that every outline domain gets practice in proportion to its weight, that missed questions come back until they are right, and that the last days are kept for review rather than new material. The second calculator estimates, from your practice rate, the chance of reaching the site's 80% study target on a full mock, a model that helps you decide when to book.
Is my practice score ready for exam day?
Chance to reach the study target on a full mock
22%
- Full mock
- 90 questions, 1 h 50 min
- Study target (ours)
- 72 right, 80%
- Expected right at your rate
- 68
The target is a study goal set by this site, not the official pass mark (scaled score of 1,400 (scale 1,000 to 1,600)).
Questions, formats and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Start from the exam's shape
| Exam | Questions and time | Heaviest domain |
|---|---|---|
| CNA | 70 in 2 hours | Basic Nursing Skills |
| PTCE | 90 in 1 hour 50 minutes | Medications |
| ExCPT | 120 in 2 hours 10 minutes | Dispensing Process |
| CCMA | 180 in 3 hours | Clinical Patient Care: General Patient Care |
| CMA (AAMA) | 200 in 2 hours 40 minutes | Clinical Competency |
| CPT | 120 in 2 hours | Routine Blood Collections |
| CET | 120 in 2 hours | EKG Acquisition |
| NREMT EMT | 70 to 120 in 2 hours | Primary Assessment |
The heaviest domain is where your plan should start and where it should keep returning. On the PTCE it is medications, on the NREMT EMT exam primary assessment, on the nurse aide written test basic nursing skills. A plan that spreads time evenly across domains under-prepares the heavy one.
A four-week template
- Week 1: one practice set in every domain to map your level, then a first full mock at the weekend.
- Week 2: daily sets in the two weakest domains, with a review round at the end of each session; second mock.
- Week 3: the remaining domains, still with daily review; third mock.
- Week 4: review of mistakes only, short mixed sets, a last mock three or four days before, then rest.
For a shorter runway, compress weeks 2 and 3; for a longer one, add a second pass over every domain before the last week. The review page keeps the list of questions to see again.
How to judge readiness
None of these exams publishes a count of right answers that equals a pass: they use scaled scores or state pass marks. This site sets a study target of 80% on its mocks and says so. A practical sign of readiness is two full mocks above the target, on different days and different draws, with no domain far below the rest. The readiness calculator above gives a rough probability of reaching the target on a full mock from your practice rate; treat it as a model, not a forecast of the real result.
Fitting study around work and training
Most candidates prepare while finishing a program or working. Short daily sessions hold up better than long weekend ones: ten questions on the bus, a review round at lunch, a mock on a day off. Practice sets are ten questions for that reason. Your progress stays in the browser you use, so use the same device for most sessions, or accept that a second device starts empty.
For the cost side of planning, including what a retake costs and how long you must wait, see the fees and retakes page.