Kaplan NREMT exam review book

Alright, I don’t know if anyone here is actively an EMT student or plans to take the EMT course somewhere between now and when they apply to medical school but I figured I’d offer the following warning: do not buy Kaplan’s exam review book for the national registry test. This thing is seriously an inaccurate piece of crap.


Now, I’ll give printing presses the benefit of the doubt, and not harp on them for misprinting a few answers with the wrong letter (gives the description and explanation of an answer corresponding to a different letter on the multiple choice list).


That being said, some answers to questions are so fatally wrong that when I mentioned them to my friend who is an EMT (and of course has already taken national registry), there was only silence on the other line for a few seconds because he couldn’t believe what I just repeated from the book.


One question in particular asked you what you would do if you were coming on shift and the crew before you had just finished, and you hadn’t performed the mandatory check of the ambulance, whether you would respond to a call. Well, any sensible person would think that you would inform dispatch that you were out of service if you haven’t done the check yet. Y’know, that’s kind of the point of it being mandatory, don’t wanna respond to say a respiratory distress call and find out for whatever reason the truck doesn’t have a BVM. Yet the book said the correct answer was to respond to the call and do the check afterwards. Common sense aside, my friend agrees that the answer’s complete bullshit, and if you were ever caught doing that, you’re getting fired. So I’d be surprised if that question was on national registry.


Another one had the correct answer as giving Glucagon I.M. for an unconscious diabetic. Now, maybe in some states, an EMT /can/ do that, and maybe that’s a logical treatment, but I have never heard of an EMT-B being able to give any medication I.M…medics do that, not us. Both me and my friend thought that answer made no sense, so I at least know in California that’s crap, but like I said, maybe in some states you can so I won’t call that answer complete bullshit; just very questionable.


Anyway, I figured I’d give some examples of why this book is (in my opinion) not a good one to study for the NREMT-B test. Granted, mileage does vary, but I’d feel bad if I saw someone comment later “you know, I bought a Kaplan exam review book for my EMT course and it sucks” when I could have warned them against it. Plus the other popular exam review book for NREMT-B, authored by Learning Experience, has 4 practice exams while the Kaplan one only has 1 practice exam. I’m very tempted to go pick it up tomorrow (can’t return the Kaplan one since I already wrote in it unfortunately) but I have the old version of it from my friend so I’m undecided. Anyway, there’s your warning!

Tim -


The basic national registry EMT test isn’t that tough. If your class was even moderately well taught, you should be able to pass without problem. Remember your basics, and you should be fine. A lot of the questions come down to remembering that no matter what, you should do your ABCs first.


I have no doubt that you will pass the test with flying colors.



Em, thanks for the vote of confidence. I actually did find it to my benefit to get used to the format of the national registry questions (some of the wording is just flat out ignorant) but yeah I noticed the overlying theme of the entire thing is always airway first…which makes sense, since if the patient doesn’t have an airway then you don’t have a patient.


Regardless of how little experience I may be able to get as an EMT this year though since I won’t get my EMT cert until June, I’m seriously contemplating starting up the paramedic program that NCTI in Sacramento runs…was looking at the one with a 3/08 start date. I’m actually pretty disappointed at how little the EMT-B can do. Sure, if there’s trauma you can do plenty, but medical? Hell no. I’d also prefer to have decent pay, which won’t happen as an EMT, since applying to med school won’t be cheap and I’d like to be able to push meds too if I need to. That and actually know something more than common sense-grade basic stuff.

  • Tim Said:
That and actually know something more than common sense-grade basic stuff.



Unfortunately all the "glamor" of EM boils down to the basics. ABC, ABC, ABC, ABC.....ad nauseum. All the other stuff looks and sounds cool but ABC aren't the basics but the foundation of EM. I've done some really cool (read: advanced) stuff. However everything, stems from making certain the foundation of ABC is taken care of. This is one of the things Amy was talking about with paramedics with little EMT-B time. They sometimes get so worked up on doing the high speed, flashy things that the simple ABC's are ignored...... DON'T be "that" person!

Considering how many times they repeat initial assessment and ABCs, I don’t think anyone who’s actually paying attention in class can forget either of those.

There’s a big difference between remembering in the classroom and when riding the rig. Trust me, when you’re on your way to your first call a million things will come to mind but everything, absolutely everything starts with ABC, 123…


Your second call won’t be any better but given time you will internalize why your instructors are pushing the obviousness of ABC.

  • croooz Said:
There's a big difference between remembering in the classroom and when riding the rig. Trust me, when you're on your way to your first call a million things will come to mind but everything, absolutely everything starts with ABC, 123....

Your second call won't be any better but given time you will internalize why your instructors are pushing the obviousness of ABC.



I would be terrified if they didn't. If you don't have an airway or a pulse, then you don't have a patient, end of story.

I'm more concerned about job prospects right now than remembering ABCs though. You can remember everything in the world and it means nothing if you can't get hired anywhere, and from the looks of it, my strongest job prospect (AMR) isn't going to happen because their next academy is before I get my cert and the one after that will interfere with Fall classes.

Like I said…in the classroom or even in the rig it’s all common sense. Once you hit the street you’d be surprised how the simplest things will escape you. There are many people who get certified and once they hit the streets quit. EM ain’t for everyone.


Finding a job? Can’t help ya there. Here in Maryland we have volunteer departments which put a ding on employment as well.

I’ll keep that in mind. As cheerful and uplifting that is, in the spirit of OPM to be sure, I’m sure you’ll understand if I disregard those strikingly optimistic words and stick to what I know I want to do.


Number #38975 on the list of attempts to discourage me from some facet of medicine. Would have thought it’d have gotten old by now.



What?! Taking my posts a little too personal. I’m trying to let you know what to expect. The most shocking to me were those friends who quit. Now if you think that I am implying something here about you and your abilities then I can’t help that. I’m not in the business of discouraging anyone from going into anything. I’m a 34 year old who is trying to get into medical school. I only recently got my undergrad thanks to military credits not transferring. I know all about getting discouragement.


SInce you seem to think I’ve discouraged you it begs the question if you were really being discouraged before or just given “word to the wise” and took offense…there is a difference. Just because someone warns you to look before you leap doesn’t mean they are discouraging your from leaping…just warning you to look.