Challenge - Steps to Gain Certification - Emergency Medical Services

Upon notification that your Application to Challenge has been approved, the Office of EMS will assign you an alpha-numeric Virginia EMS number. Once you receive your verification by e-mail that your Application to Challenge has been approved, you can begin acquiring the required 40 hours using the assigned number--with the letter B in front of the number --to submit the training hours to our office. The process for completing your CE hours is described below.

You are required to complete all CE hours and successfully pass the National Registry cognitive and Virginia psychomotor exam before the expiration date of your Challenge request. To learn more about the challenge process, including the NREMT certification examination , please click on one of the panels below to view the detailed content.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not complete the process and certify before the end of your eligibility, you will be required to complete a new application and begin the process again.

Earning Required Continuing Education Hours

Virginia EMS Portal Access

Virginia Psychomotor Examination

National Registry Certification Testing Process

National Registry Certification Testing Process

Once you complete all required CE hours and gain eligibility, you will be required to take and successfully pass the National Registry cognitive and Virginia psychomotor exam before the expiration date of your Challenge request.
Please use the following instructions to complete your National Registry application:
1. Go to www.nremt.org. Then
2. Role should be ‘Candidate'
3. Click on ‘Create Certification Application’
4. "The level of certification you are choosing" will be 'Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) then click NEXT
5. "Can this information be used to validate your identity when entering the exam?", verify the information listed as accurate, check the box beside 'The information above is correct and the name displayed matches my government-issued photo identification' and then click NEXT
6. Criminal Conviction History – Select any that are applicable or None of the above apply, then click NEXT
7. On the next page read the criminal history statement and click on AGREE & SUBMIT
8. ‘When does your CPR expire? – Enter the month, day and year of your CPR expiration and then click NEXT
9. ‘Are you currently enrolled in or have completed a full initial EMT program in the past two years?’, click ‘YES’ (Critical that you answer YES to this question)
10. Your course completion date will be ‘the date you gained eligibility for certification in Virginia’ then click NEXT
11. ‘In which state is the EMT program?’ use pull-down menu and select ‘Virginia’
12. ‘Which of these is your EMT program?’ use the pull-down menu and select ‘VA - 76000 – Virginia Office of EMS’ and select NEXT
13. You will select the examination delivery method on Pearson VUE's website once you receive your authorization to test (ATT) letter. Click NEXT
14. ''Please review and verify the information below' - Please review that all information is correct. If not you can edit any incorrect information. Read the 'Attestation Statement' and check the box beside 'I agree to abide by these terms.' and click SUBMIT.
15. To make payment, click on ‘View All Certification Applications’
16. Click on the blue hyperlink for ‘Application Payment’
17. Notify Debbie Akers (Deborah.T.Akers@vdh.virginia.gov) when the application is complete so I can approve your application and verify your psychomotor competency.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not complete the process and certify before the end of your eligibility, you will be required to complete a new application and begin the process again.