The National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME) examination is the final step for medical providers seeking to become certified Medical Examiners in the DOT/FMCSA NRCME program. Once certified, a medical provider can perform commercial driver license (CDL) examinations on commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in all the states the provider is licensed to practice in for a period of 10-years. Re-certification is required 10-years from the original certification date.
Exam Eligibility
Candidates eligible to sit for the national exam to become certified Medical Examiners include MD, DO, DC, APN, APRN, NP and PA medical providers. All candidates must complete an accredited training program first, which will afford them a Certificate of Completion. Candidates can then apply for an account with the DOT/FMCSA and will be assigned a 10-digit National Registry number once they have been verified by the DOT. The exam is administered in person and by appointment through Prometric and PSI testing companies, which have locations nationwide and offer Saturday morning testing in most locations. Comira, which is listed on the FMCSA website as a testing company, was acquired by PSI in late 2016. The cost of the exam is $79 and can be scheduled online by candidates using their 10-digit National Registry number issued to them by the DOT. Candidates must bring their Certificate of Completion with them the day they sit for the exam, in addition to presenting a valid state-issued photo ID and a copy of their current medical license.
Exam Content
The 2-hour NRCME exam consists of 120 questions, where 20 questions are pilot questions that are not graded, and the candidate will not know which test questions are the pilot questions and which questions are the actual test questions. Of the remaining 100 questions, 60-70% are from the outline specified by the NRCME and must be followed by all training courses. The remaining 30-40% are clinical questions that test the user's general medical knowledge, as well as testing the user's understanding of the unique role of the medical examiner in contrast to the role of treatment providers. The exam is closed book and administered on a computer. Candidates will be notified of their exam score upon completion and must achieve a 71% to pass. The DOT will email providers their final certificate once they have received the passing score from the testing company, which can take up to 3 weeks. Providers who do not pass the exam must wait 30 days before they can schedule their next NRCME exam.
Testing Options: PSI or Prometric?
NRCME Exam Testing in Hawaii
NRCME 10-Year Recertification
Scheduling Your Recertification Exam
A Tale of Recertification
DOT Study Guide
Medical providers who completed a different NRCME training program and feel that they are not fully prepared to sit for the NRCME National Certification examination can purchase our proprietary NRCME Exam Reference Materials for $99, which include the following:
- NRCME Study and Reference Guide
- NRCME Question Bank*
- Preparing for and Passing the National Certification Examination
- The CMV Driver Examination.pdf (New for 2022)
- Primary Care or Specialist Opinion Letter
- The Job of a Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver
- 4 PDF editions of The NRCME Report newsletter - a $99 value.
* In total, there are over 500 sample questions included in our NRCME Exam Reference Materials.
Please note that there is no training certificate, classroom access, CME/contact hours, or refunds for the NRCME Exam Reference Materials.