FREE CCHT Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]

Last Updated on June 14, 2025

FREE CCHT Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]. The Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC) administers the Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) certification. The Clinical/Technical Examination Board is made up of representatives from the CCHT and CCHT-A Test Committees.

The CCHT is the nationally recognized entry-level certification for U.S. dialysis technicians. It is awarded by the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC). It verifies that the holder can safely perform the clinical, technical, safety, and communication tasks required in routine outpatient hemodialysis care.

CCHT Practice Test 2025

Try our free CCHT Practice Tests. The official test consists of 150 questions that match the test blueprint. About 25 of the questions are new experimental or “pilot” questions that are not scored. The passing score of the test is determined by a panel of technicians who serve as subject matter experts (SMEs). A score of about 74% correct is required to pass the CCHT examination.

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FREE CCHT Sample Practice Test

CCHT Sample Practice Test
Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician Test
Total: Questions: 40
Time Limit: N/A

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1) Dialyzer clearance (K) increases when you

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2) When speaking with a hard-of-hearing patient, the technician should

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3) A patient tells the technician, “I don’t understand why my fluid goal is so high today.” The FIRST step is to

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4) When a machine goes into bypass,

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5) The minimum recommended hand-rub time with an alcohol-based sanitizer is

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6) At the end of a patient’s treatment, which finding should be reported to the nurse?

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7) Which lab value should be reviewed BEFORE administering erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs)?

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8) Suspected clotted access is confirmed when

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9) A persistent low arterial-pressure alarm typically indicates

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10) The primary goal of QAPI in a dialysis facility is to

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11) Legally, if a treatment was performed but not charted, it was

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12) When transferring a patient from wheelchair to treatment chair, proper body mechanics include

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13) A dialysis patient with diabetes should be observed for low blood sugar signs such as

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14) A patient asks, “Why am I getting vitamin D therapy?” Which response is accurate?

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15) The technician is unsure which one of a patient’s AV graft anastomoses is arterial and which is venous. To differentiate, the technician should

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16) The incoming supply to the water-treatment system is called

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17) The purpose of ultrafiltration profiling is to

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18) Which of the following practices helps to build a patient’s immunity to hepatitis B?

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19) Which water-treatment part removes endotoxins?

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20) Which staff member is primarily responsible for documenting daily water-treatment readings?

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21) If a technician is unsure how to explain “mineral bone disorder,” the appropriate response is

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22) A patient asks the technician, “What does uremia mean?” Uremia is

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23) Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome is most often caused by

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24) If total chlorine is detected above 0.1 mg/L after the secondary carbon tank, the technician should first

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25) Which of the following situations requires completion of an incident report?

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26) After treatment Mrs. Chase’s standing BP is 90/58 mm Hg and she feels dizzy. The technician should first

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27) Before a dialysis treatment, a patient says, “Yesterday I felt terrible and vomited up some blood. I feel much better today.” The technician can expect the treatment will be modified by

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28) Why are dialysis patients more likely to become infected with germs like MRSA?

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29) What is the usual insertion angle for needle cannulation of a mature AV fistula?

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30) Before mixing acid and bicarbonate concentrates, the technician must verify

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31) An AV fistula is an example of

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32) After a blood-leak test strip turns positive, the FIRST action is to

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33) Mr. Jackson keeps a notebook of labs, weights, and medications. This behavior shows that patients who self-manage their care

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34) When lifting a heavy box, the technician should

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35) Which component of the RO system should be monitored for removal of calcium and magnesium?

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36) Mrs. Chase weighs 158.4 lb before treatment; target is 154 lb. The fluid to remove is (mL)

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37) In hemodialysis, “reuse” refers to cleaning and disinfecting

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38) During the last hour of dialysis, Mr. Jackson’s blood pressure drops to 82/40 mm Hg. After changing the fluid-removal rate, the technician should

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39) The best response to a patient who fears losing his morning walk due to 6 AM treatments is to

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40) A hemodialysis machine alarm sounds for high dialysate temperature. The appropriate response is to

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41) A high venous-pressure alarm might indicate

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42) Staff must wash with soap and water rather than alcohol rub when

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43) A central venous catheter may be used as a vascular access when a

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44) When sending stat lab samples, the technician should

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45) At her target post-dialysis weight of 154 lb, Mrs. Chase is likely to be

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46) The BEST method to ensure effective patient teaching is to

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47) Which electrolyte is removed most rapidly during conventional hemodialysis?

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48) A patient positive for hepatitis B surface antigen should be dialyzed

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49) A sudden rise in venous pressure accompanied by swelling at the access site suggests

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50) The most common cause of a low-conductivity alarm is

Your score is

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit for the CCHT Exam, you must:

Requirement Typical expectation
Education High school diploma or GED
Training/Experience Completion of an approved hemodialysis technician course or roughly 6 months of clinical dialysis employment (suggested minimum 1,000 hours)
Regulatory compliance Meet your state’s hemodialysis-technician training mandate and have an unencumbered status (no disqualifying disciplinary actions)
Fees (2025) Application + exam: about USD 225 (paid to NNCC/PSI)

Exam Format

The CCHT examination is designed to assess the knowledge required to provide safe care to patients undergoing hemodialysis treatments. There are also three Cognitive Levels: Knowledge, Comprehension, and Application.

There is no limit to the number of times you can take the exam. If you are unsuccessful on the exam, you may reapply by submitting a new application by mail.

Feature Detail
Format Computer-based, 150 scored multiple-choice items + 15–20 unscored pilot items
Time 3 hours
Blueprint distribution
  • Clinical:  48–52 % (≈ 71–78 Qs)
  • Technical: 21–25 % (≈ 32–38 Qs)
  • Environment: 13–17 % (≈ 19–25 Qs)
  • Role Responsibilities: 10–14 % (≈ 15–20 Qs)
Cognitive levels Knowledge, Comprehension, Application (about two-thirds of the test is application-level)
Passing Score Determined by a scaled score (typically ~70%)
Passing standard Criterion-referenced cut score set by psychometric panel; pass/fail shown immediately at the test center.

CCHT Exam Content Areas

Several different types of questions appear on the CCHT examination. Some questions require a basic recall of knowledge, while others test the technician’s ability to comprehend a concept. Most of the questions ask the technician to apply knowledge in a clinical situation.

Section % of Exam Description
1. Clinical 48–52% Covers pre-, during, and post-dialysis care (e.g., patient assessment, cannulation, vital signs, response to complications)
2. Technical 21–25% Covers water treatment systems, machine alarms, extracorporeal circuit, dialyzer setup, and technical troubleshooting
3. Environment 13–17% Infection control, body mechanics, chemical spills, PPE use, and environmental safety
4. Role Responsibilities 10–14% Communication, professional boundaries, confidentiality, teamwork, documentation, and patient advocacy
Distribution of 150 Question in the CCHT Exam
(Accepted April 2018, Effective 2019)

How does it differ from other U.S. dialysis tech credentials

Below is a quick-reference guide to how the NNCC Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) compares to other nationally recognized certifications in the U.S. credentials a dialysis technician might hold.

Feature CCHT (NNCC) CHT (BONENT) CCNT / CBNT (NNCO)
Focus Direct patient care Patient care (broader test) Clinical or biomedical track
Experience to sit Course or ~6 mo ≥12 mo ≥12 mo
Renewal 3 yrs / 45 CE 4 yrs / 40 CE 4 yrs / 40 CE

Official Study Guide [PDF]

The Online Practice Test (found on www.nncc-exam.org) has 50 multiple-choice questions available in two modes:

 Practice Mode: provides the correct answer and rationale after each question
 Test Mode: holds the results until the end of the test