• 58 questions

EMT Airway Test

Unofficial EMT questions on airway, oxygen and ventilation, the airway tasks in the National Registry's EMT test plan.

Which oxygen saturation does the Respiratory Distress guideline call hypoxia in its list of signs of distress?

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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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. Bank checked October 9, 2026.

The real exam, as the National Registry describes it

Time limit
120 minutes
Length
70 to 120 items. 10 of them are unscored pilot items.
Format
Computerized adaptive testing. The exam ends when the computer can decide pass or fail with 95% confidence, or at the item or time limit.
Domains
Scene size-up and safety 15 to 19%, primary assessment 39 to 43%, secondary assessment 5 to 9%, patient treatment and transport 20 to 24%, operations 10 to 14%.
Item types
Multiple choice with four options, multiple response, options table, build list and drag-and-drop. No partial credit.
Result
Pass or fail against a passing standard approved by the National Registry Board of Directors. No percent is published.
In use since
April 7, 2025.

Checked October 9, 2026 against National Registry Emergency Medical Technician Examination Specifications. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

The National Registry's EMR and EMT examination page

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All 58 questions

Assessing the airway and breathing 10

  • A child with croup grows listless, and the stridor and breath sounds get quieter. What does the guideline say this suggests? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Croup) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
  • A patient in respiratory distress can say only two or three words between breaths. How does the guideline class this? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Respiratory Distress guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
  • A patient with a tracheostomy is in respiratory distress. In the DOPE check, what does the D stand for? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Tracheostomy Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
  • A patient with known asthma has severe shortness of breath, and you hear no wheeze. What does the guideline say? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Respiratory Distress guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
Show all 58 questions (54 more)

Assessing the airway and breathing, continued

  • In a suspected allergic reaction, what does the guideline tell you to check the airway for first? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Anaphylaxis and Allergic Reaction guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
  • Which finding does the Airway Management guideline list as a sign of a difficult airway? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
  • Which group of findings points to fluid overload, not bronchospasm, as the cause of respiratory distress? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Respiratory Distress guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
  • Which oxygen saturation does the Respiratory Distress guideline call hypoxia in its list of signs of distress? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Respiratory Distress guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
  • Which statement about stridor matches the croup guideline? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Croup) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.
  • You feel crackling under the skin of the neck around a tracheostomy tube. What does the guideline say this suggests? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Tracheostomy Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Primary Assessment (39 to 43%): assess airway and breathing.

Opening and clearing the airway 11

  • A drowning victim is pulled from a pool. What does the guideline say about abdominal thrusts to expel water? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Drowning guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • A heat moisture exchange cap on a tracheostomy is wet and soiled. What does the guideline say? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Tracheostomy Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • A toddler has sudden stridor and a barky cough. What should you ask about, by the croup guideline? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Croup) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • A wheezing infant has heavy nasal secretions. Which tool does the bronchiolitis guideline name for clearing the nose and mouth? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Bronchiolitis) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • The national scope model left supraglottic airways out of the entry-level EMT skills. Which safety concern did the panel name? NHTSA, National EMS Scope of Practice Model 2019 (August 2021 update), EMT level discussion. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which airway skill does the 2019 National EMS Scope of Practice Model add at the EMT level? NHTSA, National EMS Scope of Practice Model 2019 (August 2021 update), EMT level discussion and skill table I. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which kind of suctioning does the national scope model list at the EMT level? NHTSA, National EMS Scope of Practice Model 2019 (August 2021 update), skill table I, Airway/Ventilation/Oxygenation. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which positioning step does the guideline say can help open the airway and aid breathing? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Why can suctioning the nose relieve distress so well in an infant with bronchiolitis? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Bronchiolitis) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Why does the Airway Management guideline make suctioning a priority? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • You are transporting a patient who has a tracheostomy. What should come along, by the guideline? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Tracheostomy Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.

Oxygen 11

  • A child with bronchiolitis needs more oxygen than a nasal cannula gives. What is the next device in the guideline's order? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Bronchiolitis) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • For which patient does the guideline suggest humidified air or oxygen? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Tracheostomy Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • For which patients does the guideline say a saturation of about 90% may be adequate? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • How does a simple asphyxiant such as nitrogen or helium harm a patient? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Respiratory Irritants guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • How does carbon monoxide cause tissue hypoxia, by the guideline? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Carbon Monoxide/Smoke Inhalation guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • How does the Airway Management guideline describe oxygen? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • How much supplemental oxygen does the guideline call for during CPR? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • What does the croup guideline say about humidified oxygen or mist therapy? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Croup) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • What does the guideline say about cherry red skin in carbon monoxide poisoning? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Carbon Monoxide/Smoke Inhalation guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • What oxygen treatment does the Carbon Monoxide guideline list first? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Carbon Monoxide/Smoke Inhalation guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which caution about oxygen does the Drowning guideline list under patient safety? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Drowning guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.

Ventilation and CPAP 11

  • A child with croup tires and goes into respiratory failure. Which step does the guideline give? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Croup) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • A home ventilator patient with a tracheostomy is in severe distress. What does the guideline say to do first with the ventilator? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Tracheostomy Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • A patient on CPAP becomes anxious. What does the guideline presume is the cause? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • A rescuer cannot reach shore quickly with a drowning victim who is not breathing. What in-water care does the guideline give? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Drowning guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • An adult is breathing, but too slowly and shallowly. What does the guideline say to do with the bag-valve mask? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • How does resuscitation begin for a drowning victim in cardiac arrest, by the guideline? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Drowning guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • How should the head be placed for bag-valve-mask ventilation whenever possible? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • What does the guideline call the key to success with CPAP in a patient who has never used it? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • What harm does the guideline tie to too much pressure or volume with a bag-valve mask? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • What should a correctly sized ventilation mask cover? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • When does the guideline call for bag-valve-mask ventilation? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.

Respiratory emergencies 15

  • A patient three weeks after tracheostomy surgery coughed up blood, and it has stopped. What does the guideline say? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Tracheostomy Management guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • A swimmer rescued from drowning now feels fine. What does the guideline say about transport? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Drowning guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Up to how many doses of nebulized ipratropium does the guideline give with albuterol for bronchospasm? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Respiratory Distress guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • What does the bronchiolitis guideline say about lights and sirens during transport? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Bronchiolitis) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • What does the opioid guideline call the essential feature of an overdose that needs EMS care? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Opioid Poisoning/Overdose guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Where does the guideline suggest taking a patient with severe carbon monoxide poisoning, if feasible? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Carbon Monoxide/Smoke Inhalation guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which gas has a rotten egg smell that the nose quickly stops noticing? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Respiratory Irritants guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which history item does the guideline tie to a higher risk of death from asthma? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Respiratory Distress guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which household mix releases chloramine gas, by the guideline? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Respiratory Irritants guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which pair of findings defines suspected croup in the guideline? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Pediatric Respiratory Distress (Croup) guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which patients does the anaphylaxis guideline call high-risk for a severe allergic reaction? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Anaphylaxis and Allergic Reaction guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Which set of symptoms does the guideline list for mild carbon monoxide intoxication? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Carbon Monoxide/Smoke Inhalation guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Why does the guideline suggest a surgical mask over a nebulizer when feasible? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Respiratory Distress guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Why does the irritant gas guideline warn about low-lying areas? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Airway Respiratory Irritants guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.
  • Why must a patient be watched after naloxone reverses an opioid overdose? NASEMSO, National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (March 2022), Opioid Poisoning/Overdose guideline. Outline: National Registry EMT examination specifications, Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%): manage airway, ventilation and oxygenation.

How this list was compiled: Our own questions on one content area of the EMT examination. The outline is "National Registry Emergency Medical Technician Examination Specifications" (https://www.nremt.org/admin/getmedia/4cb170ab-35fa-4ec0-a76c-634847005bc4/EMT-Test-Plan_Public, linked as "EMT Certification Examination Test Plan" from https://www.nremt.org/Pages/Examinations/EMR-and-EMT-Certification-Examinations; read 2026-10-09). Since April 7, 2025 it has five content domains and no separate airway domain: the tasks "Assess patient's airway" and "Assess patient's breathing status" stand under Primary Assessment (39 to 43%) and "Manage patient's airway, ventilation, and oxygenation" under Patient Treatment and Transport (20 to 24%). The bank holds 10 questions on the first two tasks and 48 on the third. Every fact was read on 2026-10-09 in the public source the question names: the National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines, Version 3.0 (National Association of State EMS Officials, March 2022; https://nasemso.org/docs.ashx?id=1444322, linked from the association's Clinical Guidelines page) or the National EMS Scope of Practice Model 2019 with Change Notices 1.0 and 2.0 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, August 2021 update; https://nasemso.org/docs.ashx?id=1442529). Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This free EMT airway test has 58 questions of our own on opening the airway, oxygen, ventilation and respiratory emergencies. It is unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Read the full guide

Where airway sits on the EMT exam

The current EMT test plan, read October 9, 2026, puts assessing the airway and breathing under primary assessment (39 to 43%) and managing airway, ventilation and oxygenation under patient treatment and transport (20 to 24%).

Five topics

Four topics follow the skills: assessing the airway and breathing, opening and clearing it, oxygen, and ventilation and CPAP, with tracheostomy care in each. The fifth works as an EMT respiratory emergencies quiz: asthma, croup, bronchiolitis, carbon monoxide, irritant gases, opioid overdose and drowning.

Sources

Each answer names its section of the National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines or the national scope of practice model.

  • Exam mode asks 40 questions in 40 minutes, the pace of the real exam at its full 120 items in two hours.

Questions and answers

Is there an airway section on the EMT exam?

Not since April 7, 2025. Airway, respiration and ventilation was a domain of its own until then. The current EMT test plan places its tasks under primary assessment and under patient treatment and transport.

Is this an airway management EMT practice test with real exam questions?

The questions are our own. None repeats or rewords a National Registry item, and the Registry's sample items and sample packet were not used to write them.

Can an EMT use CPAP?

The 2019 national scope of practice model lists CPAP at the EMT level. It leaves supraglottic airways and waveform capnography to the AEMT and above, though some states allow them for EMTs. State rules and the medical director decide.

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