RPT (AMT) - Registered Phlebotomy Technician

American Medical Technologists (AMT) is a national agency that certifies healthcare personnel. Its Registered Phlebotomy Technicians (RPT) certification exam evaluates the competence of entry-level phlebotomists. AMT is an accredited member of the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, a division of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.

Eligibility

There are three paths to become eligible for certification as an RPT. Applicants must meet all requirements for one of these pathways. 

Path 1: Education

• Must have graduated within the past 4 years or be scheduled to graduate from an approved academic course (or combined courses) of study in phlebotomy 

  • Course must include at least 120 didactic clock hours (or as required by state law)

  • Must provide:

    • Transcript

    • Documentation attesting to completion of a minimum of 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures from human sources

Path 2: Work experience

• Must have completed at least 6 months of full-time employment as a phlebotomy technician within the past 3 years

  • 6 months of full-time is the equivalent of 1,040 hours

  • Duties must include venipunctures, capillary punctures, specimen processing, communication skills and clerical tasks

  • Experience must include completion of 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures from human sources

  • Work experience must be earned in an approved healthcare facility that collects, examines or transports materials derived from the human body

• Must provide documentation of all experience

• Must present a copy of high school diploma, GED or equivalent.

Path 3: Instructor

• Must currently teach in an approved allied health program that includes phlebotomy

• Must have completed a course of instruction in a healthcare discipline related to or encompassing phlebotomy

• Must have completed a minimum of 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures from human sources

• Must submit required documentation, including:

  • Transcripts showing completion of a course of instruction in a healthcare discipline related to or encompassing phlebotomy

  • Copy of course syllabus

  • 3 years of documented work experience instructing a program encompassing core phlebotomy knowledge and skill competencies

  • Attestation to the completion of a minimum of 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures from human sources

Completion Time: Candidates have 2 hours to complete the RPT exam

Cost

• Exam fee: $125

• Exam fee for candidates residing outside of North America: $155

• Retest fee: $100

Exam Format

The RPT exam includes 200 multiple-choice questions. Exam topics include:

• Obtaining blood samples (42.5%)

• Specimen Collection and Processing (15.5%)

• Time Management and Assignment Organization (8%)

• Professional Communications (4.5%)

• Clerical Skills and Duties (4%)

• Safety Standards and Procedures (10%)

• Legal, Ethical, and Professional Considerations (7%)

• Terminology, Anatomy, and Physiology (8.5%)

Test Dates

• Instructors of MA programs provide possible dates and times to take the exam at the school. Candidates may schedule to take the test any day of the year, excluding Sundays and national holidays, at Pearson VUE test sites nationwide. Pearson VUE also allows candidates to schedule a test to take online from any location via live remote.

• Satisfy prerequisites

• Submit application to AMT along with $200 exam fee

• Provide supporting documents

• Schedule the examination after the Authorization to Test arrives

• Take the RPT examination

To maintain their RPT, applicants must: 

• Pay annual renewal fees of $75

• Submit required information for any state licenses or governmental agency privileges

• Accumulate and document 24 Certification Continuation Program (CCP) points every 3 years.

Renewal Fee: 

• Annual membership fee: $75

• Recertification by Exam: $205

• Recertification by CCP: $205

RPTs may use the following questions to evaluate whether an activity qualifies for CCP: 

MLTs that choose to recertify by earning 45 CCP points every 3 years may use the following questions to evaluate whether an activity qualifies for CCP: 

Does the activity do one or more of the following:

• Relate to an item on the exam content outline

• Enable RPTs to do their jobs better 

• Increase RPTs’ knowledge in the healthcare field

• Prepare RPTs for a degree in advanced management, healthcare administration or another program of study in healthcare

Categories for CCP include:

• Professional Education (No maximum points)

• AMT Online Continuing Education Courses

• Inservice education

• CPR training

• Seminars and conferences

• Volunteer work

• EPIC courses

• Formal education (45 points maximum)

• College courses related to healthcare and care management

• Professional Authorship (No maximum points)

• Professional Presentations (No maximum points)

• Professional organizational activities (9 points maximum)

Refer to the CCP Guidance Document for complete information on accepted activities.

AMT offers various resources to help candidates prepare for the MLT exam, including:

• AMT Learning Center

• Reference list 

• Online RPT Practice Exam - $30 (2 attempts)

• AMT Candidate Handbook

• Medical Technologist (MT)

• ASCP Phlebotomy Technician (PBT)

• Molecular Diagnostics Technologist (MDT)

• ASCP Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA)

• AMT Certified Medical Laboratory Assistant (CMLA)

• AMT Certified Laboratory Consultant (CLC)

• ASCP Technologist in Blood Banking (BB) 

• Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS)

• Clinical Laboratory Scientist-California DPH (CLS)

• ASCP Cytotechnologist (CT)

• ASCP Diplomate in Laboratory Management (DLM)

• ASCP Technologist in Hematology (H)

• ASCP Histotechnician (HT)

• ASCP Histotechnologist (HTL)

• ASCP Technologist in Microbiology (M)

• ASCP Technologist in Molecular Biology (MB)

• AMT Molecular Diagnostic Technician (MDT)

• ASCP Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS)

• ASCP Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)

• ASCP Pathology Assistant (PA)

• ASCP Specialist in Blood Banking (SBB)

• ASCP Specialist in Chemistry (SC)

• ASCP Specialist in Cytotechnology (SCT)

• ASCP Specialist in Hematology (SH)

• ASCP Specialist in Microbiology (SM)

• ASCP Specialist in Molecular Biology (SMB)