How are the exam grades provided?

Results are displayed as Pass or Fail. Candidates receive a domain breakdown, showing the percentage of correct answers for each content area, not a cumulative score. This helps candidates identify strengths and weaknesses in specific areas of EMS knowledge. Below are two examples of posted results: 

 

Example #1 

Candidate Jam Fictitious was unsuccessful on a 100 question NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE OF EMS State Credentialing Exam and was provided with the results below: 

 

Domain 

Percentage 

Operations 

89% 

Airway/Resp/Vent 

75% 

Cardiovascular Emergencies 

68% 

Medical Emergencies 

67% 

Traumatic Emergencies 

39% 

Special Patient Populations 

67% 

 

67.67% 

Candidate missed passing by 1 point/question 

 

Candidate Jam Fictitious consulted his instructor and advised the instructor the score was a 67.67%. Knowing the exam was 100 questions, the instructor advised Jam Fictitious that was not correct because the questions are not evenly spread across the domains (Based on JTA and Blueprint). Jam’s instructor advised him to focus his studies on the areas that were less than 70%, but to study all areas.  

 

Example #2 

Candidate Jam Fictitious took a second exam attempt and was unsuccessful on the NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE OF EMS State Credentialing Exam and was provided with the results below: 

 

Domain 

Percentage 

Operations 

80% 

Airway/Resp/Vent 

65% 

Cardiovascular Emergencies 

67% 

Medical Emergencies 

59% 

Traumatic Emergencies 

76% 

Special Patient Populations 

75% 

 

70.67% 

Candidate missed passing by 1 point/question 

 

Candidate Jam Fictitious consulted his instructor again and advised the instructor the score was a 70.67%. Jam’s instructor asked if he focused his studies only on the areas that were less than 70%, and he said yes.  

 

So many times, individuals will focus studies on the areas that were less than 70% and spend no time on the other areas. Typically, this will result in a flip-flop effect on the domain scores with the end result remain near the same. Let’s compare the results 

 

Domain 

Exam 1 

Exam 2 

% Change 

Rational 

Operations 

89% 

80% 

-9% 

Decreased in heavy question weighted area 

Airway/Resp/Vent 

75% 

65% 

-10% 

Decreased in heavy question weighted area 

Cardiovascular Emergencies 

68% 

67% 

-1% 

Decreased in heavy question weighted area 

Medical Emergencies 

67% 

59% 

-8% 

Decreased in heavy question weighted area 

Traumatic Emergencies 

39% 

76% 

+37% 

Increased in lower weighted area 

Special Patient Populations 

67% 

75% 

+8% 

Increased in lower weighted area 

 

67.67% 

70.67% 

Score Identical 

Increase in deficient areas offset by loss in others 

Candidate missed passing on both attempts by 1 point/question 

 

 

So many times, individuals will focus studies on the areas that were less than 70% and spend no time on the other areas. Typically, this will result in a flip-flop effect on the domain scores with no change in exam score.