• 56 questions

CCHT Exam

Unofficial practice questions for the Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician exam, in the four practice areas of its blueprint.

Under 42 CFR 494.90, the plan of care aims for a hemodialysis Kt/V of at least what figure?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Exam mode: 50 questions, 60 minutes, 37 right to pass (74%).

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission. Bank checked October 13, 2026.

The real exam, as NNCC describes it

Questions
150
Time limit
180 minutes
Fee
$225 exam fee, which includes a $50 application processing fee that is not refunded
Passing score
A standard score of 95, which NNCC says is reached by answering 74% of the questions correctly.
Pilot questions
About 25 of the 150 are new questions on trial that are not scored, by NNCC's preparation guide.
Content
Clinical 48 to 52%, technical 21 to 25%, environment 13 to 17%, role responsibilities 10 to 14%.
Experience
A training program with classroom and supervised clinical work is required. Six months or 1,000 hours of clinical experience is recommended, not required.

Checked October 13, 2026 against CCHT certification page, Test Blueprint and preparation guide, Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

NNCC's own CCHT page

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All 56 questions

Clinical 27

  • A catheter's lumens are about to be uncapped for connection. By the guideline quoted in CMS's surveyor guidance, what best prevents airborne contamination? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, 42 CFR 494.30(a)(2), catheter care. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A new patient starts treatment through a central venous catheter while a fistula heals. What does a catheter offer that a fistula or graft does not? MedlinePlus, Taking care of your vascular access for hemodialysis. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A patient arrives 4 kg over dry weight and short of breath. Which effect of excess fluid, named by NIDDK, fits the breathing trouble? NIDDK, Eating & Nutrition for Hemodialysis, Why keep track of liquid. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A patient cramps and drops blood pressure in three treatments running. Which parts of the prescription does CMS's guidance say to re-evaluate? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V503; 42 CFR 494.80(a)(2). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A patient is choosing a long-term access. Which type gives the highest blood flow and is the least likely to become infected or to clot? NIDDK, Hemodialysis, Vascular access surgery. Blueprint: Clinical.
Show all 56 questions (51 more)

Clinical, continued

  • A patient pulls a blanket up to the chin during treatment. What must stay visible to staff the whole time? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tags V405 and V407; 42 CFR 494.60(c)(4). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A patient says the buzzing in her graft stopped overnight, and the technician feels no vibration over it. What comes first? MedlinePlus, Taking care of your vascular access for hemodialysis, When to call the doctor; NIDDK, Hemodialysis, Take care of your access. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A patient with a central venous catheter asks whether she may swim. What does MedlinePlus say about the catheter dressing? MedlinePlus, Taking care of your vascular access for hemodialysis, When you first leave the hospital. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A patient with a fistula in the left arm says the left hand has turned cold, numb and weak. What should the technician do? MedlinePlus, Taking care of your vascular access for hemodialysis, When to call the doctor. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A patient with a fistula walks in for treatment. What does CMS's guidance expect the facility's patient sink to be used for before the patient sits down? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V114; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A patient's dry weight is 70.0 kg. The scale before treatment reads 73.2 kg. How far above dry weight is the patient? Arithmetic on the numbers in the question; dry weight as NIDDK defines it. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A student is about to take a blood pressure on the arm that holds a patient's fistula. What does the access care guidance say? MedlinePlus, Taking care of your vascular access for hemodialysis, Day-to-day care. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • A technician who set up the machine with gloves on is about to cannulate. What does CMS's guidance say about the gloves? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V113; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • An anticoagulant keeps blood from clotting in the circuit. Which complication of it is a low platelet count? Wikipedia, Hemodialysis, Anticoagulation-related complications. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Before cannulation a technician rests two fingers on a fistula and feels a mild, steady vibration. What is the vibration called? MedlinePlus, Taking care of your vascular access for hemodialysis, Day-to-day care. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Late in treatment a patient says he feels weak, dizzy and sick to his stomach. Which problem do these symptoms fit? NIDDK, Hemodialysis, What are possible problems from hemodialysis? Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Soon after a shift starts, several patients develop chills, shaking and fever. What does CMS's guidance connect these symptoms with? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, water and dialysate adverse events; 42 CFR 494.40(d). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Under 42 CFR 494.90, how often at least are a patient's albumin, body weight and hemoglobin or hematocrit measured? 42 CFR 494.90(a)(2) and (a)(4). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Under 42 CFR 494.90, the plan of care aims for a hemodialysis Kt/V of at least what figure? 42 CFR 494.90(a)(1). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • The vessels of a fistula become narrow and slow the flow of blood through the access. What is this problem called? MedlinePlus, Taking care of your vascular access for hemodialysis; 42 CFR 494.90(a)(5). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • What is a hemodialysis patient's dry weight? NIDDK, Hemodialysis, How will I know if my hemodialysis is working? Blueprint: Clinical.
  • What is the danger when the venous needle slips out of the access during treatment? Wikipedia, Hemodialysis, Venous needle dislodgement. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Which cause of painful muscle cramps during hemodialysis does NIDDK name? NIDDK, Hemodialysis, Home hemodialysis. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Which certification must a facility's patient care staff keep current under 42 CFR 494.62? 42 CFR 494.62(d)(1)(iv). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Which emergency equipment does 42 CFR 494.62 list as on the premises at all times and immediately available? 42 CFR 494.62(b)(9). Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Which finding at an access site is a sign of infection that a technician reports before treatment? MedlinePlus, Taking care of your vascular access for hemodialysis, Problems to watch for. Blueprint: Clinical.
  • Which mineral, rising between treatments, does NIDDK warn can affect the heartbeat and be dangerous to the heart? NIDDK, Eating & Nutrition for Hemodialysis, potassium and phosphorus. Blueprint: Clinical.

Technical 13

  • A reverse osmosis unit shows feed water conductivity of 400 and permeate conductivity of 20, in the same units. What is the percent rejection? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, reverse osmosis (AAMI RD52:2004, 5.2.7); arithmetic on the numbers in the question. Blueprint: Technical.
  • A unit runs three set patient shifts a day. When is the water tested for chlorine and chloramine? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, carbon adsorption monitoring (AAMI RD52:2004, 6.2.5). Blueprint: Technical.
  • Before the next patient starts, how is the dialysate checked, by the AAMI text that 42 CFR 494.40 adopts? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V250 (AAMI RD52:2004, 5.6). Blueprint: Technical.
  • By which process do urea and other wastes move from the blood into the dialysate across the dialyzer membrane? Wikipedia, Hemodialysis, Mechanism and technique. Blueprint: Technical.
  • How is fluid removal, or ultrafiltration, achieved in the dialyzer? Wikipedia, Hemodialysis, Mechanism and technique. Blueprint: Technical.
  • Product water must hold fewer than 200 CFU/mL of bacteria. At what count, the action level, does the facility have to act? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V178 (AAMI RD52:2004, 4.1.2). Blueprint: Technical.
  • The total chlorine test at the port after the first carbon tank reads 0.1 mg/L. What does 42 CFR 494.40 require next? 42 CFR 494.40(b)(2)(i). Blueprint: Technical.
  • Two granular activated carbon beds sit in series ahead of the reverse osmosis unit. What total empty bed contact time is required at least? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, carbon adsorption media (AAMI RD62:2001, 4.3.9). Blueprint: Technical.
  • Water after the last carbon tank tests over the chloramine limit. Besides corrective action, whom must the facility notify immediately? 42 CFR 494.40(b)(2)(ii). Blueprint: Technical.
  • What does the water softener take out of the feed water, and what does that protect? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, softeners (AAMI RD52:2004, 5.2.4). Blueprint: Technical.
  • Why does CMS's guidance treat a fluid-filled "dummy" drip chamber in the treatment area as a serious threat? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V403; 42 CFR 494.60(b). Blueprint: Technical.
  • Why does dialysate run through the dialyzer in the direction opposite to the blood? Wikipedia, Hemodialysis, Mechanism and technique; NIDDK, Hemodialysis. Blueprint: Technical.
  • Why must chlorine and chloramine be removed from the water used for dialysis? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, carbon adsorption (AAMI RD52:2004, 5.2.5). Blueprint: Technical.

Environment 9

  • A technician is assigned to a patient who is HBsAg positive. Which other patients may that technician not care for at the same time? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V131; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Environment.
  • A technician removes gloves and sees blood on one hand. Which hand hygiene does CMS's guidance call for? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V113; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Environment.
  • A technician took a handful of alcohol swabs to a station and used two. What happens to the unused swabs? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V116; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Environment.
  • The adopted CDC recommendations call for a gown and a face shield, eye wear or mask when blood may spurt or spatter. Which tasks do they name? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V115; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Environment.
  • Blood has dripped on the floor beside a chair. What does CMS's guidance say to clean it with? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V122; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(4)(ii). Blueprint: Environment.
  • During treatment the external transducer protector on the venous line becomes wet with blood. What is done? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V120; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Environment.
  • How are medications brought to patients in a hemodialysis unit, under CMS's guidance? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tag V117; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Environment.
  • Under 42 CFR 494.62, which of these must patients be taught for an emergency? 42 CFR 494.62(d)(1)(iii) and (d)(3). Blueprint: Environment.
  • Where is a patient who is HBsAg positive dialyzed, under the CDC recommendations that 42 CFR 494.30 adopts? CMS, ESRD Interpretive Guidance, tags V128 and V130; 42 CFR 494.30(a)(1)(i). Blueprint: Environment.

Role responsibilities 7

  • A newly hired patient care technician has not yet passed a certification exam. How long does 42 CFR 494.140 allow? 42 CFR 494.140(e)(4). Blueprint: Role responsibilities.
  • A patient says she wants to stop today's treatment an hour early. Which right in 42 CFR 494.70 covers her request? 42 CFR 494.70(a)(5). Blueprint: Role responsibilities.
  • A patient who reads little English nods at every instruction but cannot repeat any. Which right in 42 CFR 494.70 applies? 42 CFR 494.70(a)(2). Blueprint: Role responsibilities.
  • A patient's neighbor phones the unit and asks how today's treatment went. What does 42 CFR 494.170 require? 42 CFR 494.170(a). Blueprint: Role responsibilities.
  • A technician reads a patient's lab results aloud at the chair while the next patient listens. Which patient right in 42 CFR 494.70 is at stake? 42 CFR 494.70(a)(3) and (a)(4). Blueprint: Role responsibilities.
  • Under whose direction is a patient care technician's training program given, by 42 CFR 494.140? 42 CFR 494.140(e)(3). Blueprint: Role responsibilities.
  • Which member of the care team must be in the facility at all times while in-center patients are being treated? 42 CFR 494.180(b)(2). Blueprint: Role responsibilities.

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the Test Blueprint for Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) of the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (https://www.nncc-exam.org/sites/default/files/blueprints/cchtExamBlueprint_2021.pdf) and its test specifications with the activity statements of each area (https://www.nncc-exam.org/sites/default/files/cchtSpecifications_2021_08272021.pdf), both linked from https://www.nncc-exam.org/certification/ccht and read 2026-10-13. The blueprint's practice areas and their shares: Clinical 48 to 52%, Technical 21 to 25%, Environment 13 to 17%, Role Responsibilities 10 to 14%. The bank holds 27, 13, 9 and 7 questions in that order. Every fact was read on 2026-10-13 in the public source the question names: 42 CFR part 494 (Conditions for Coverage for End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities) on ecfr.gov; the ESRD Interpretive Guidance of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which prints the adopted AAMI water and dialysate text and the adopted CDC infection control recommendations under each rule; the hemodialysis pages of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK); the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia page on vascular access care; and, for five questions on how a dialyzer works and on two complications, the Wikipedia article Hemodialysis. Two answers are arithmetic on the numbers printed in the question. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site. Short quoted phrases are from federal regulations and federal guidance, which are public documents.

How it works

This free CCHT practice exam, on screen or printed, has 56 questions of our own, weighted like the real exam. It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC).

Read the full guide

What the CCHT exam covers

The NNCC test blueprint, read October 13, 2026, weights clinical 48 to 52%, technical 21 to 25%, environment 13 to 17% and role responsibilities 10 to 14%. This bank holds 27, 13, 9 and 7.

CCHT study guide: figures to know

A hemodialysis Kt/V of at least 1.2 (42 CFR 494.90). Total chlorine of 0.1 mg/L or more after the first carbon tank means testing after the second (494.40). Product water stays under 200 CFU/mL, with action at 50. A new technician has 18 months to certify (494.140).

Timing

Exam mode asks 50 questions in 60 minutes, a third of the real exam at the same pace, with the 74% that NNCC states as its pass line.

  • Clinical is about half the exam. For a CCHT exam review, start there: the access, fluid and weight, blood pressure drops and cramps.

Questions and answers

Is this CCHT exam practice test free?

Yes. There is no charge and no sign-up. Each question shows the right answer, a short reason and the federal rule or public health page it was read in.

How many questions are on the CCHT exam?

150 questions in three hours. A standard score of 95 passes, which NNCC says is reached by answering 74% of the questions correctly. Its preparation guide says about 25 of the 150 are unscored pilot questions.

Is there a printable CCHT study guide?

The questions print as a paper test with the answer key on its own page, and every answer names its source, so the printout works as a study sheet. NNCC's own preparation guide is a free PDF on its CCHT page.

Is there a CCHT Texas practice test?

NNCC publishes one blueprint for the CCHT wherever it is taken, so a Texas candidate practices on these same questions. A state's own rules for dialysis technicians are not asked on this page.

Are these the real CCHT exam questions?

No. This CCHT exam prep is our own work, written from the blueprint and from public rules. NNCC says exam content is confidential and sells its own 50-question practice test; neither was used here.

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