The NHA Phlebotomy Exam in 2027: Which Test Plan, Rules and Dates Apply

A 2027 test date doesn't mean a new exam. NHA updates its exams after a job task analysis (NHA), announces each update well ahead, and, as of October 28, 2026, has announced nothing new for the phlebotomy exam. So the practical question for a 2027 candidate isn't "what will change?" but "which rules are in force, and how would I know if that changed?" Both answers are below, with NHA's own pages as the source.

Where the NHA CPT exam stands for 2027

Three facts, checked on October 28, 2026:

• The current CPT exam launched on January 7, 2026. NHA's announcement links its test plan as the "New CPT Exam Test Plan (for exams after January 7, 2026)." The plan is based on a job analysis completed in 2024.
• NHA hasn't announced another CPT update. Its product and portal update log lists the January 2026 CPT launch and nothing newer for the CPT. NHA's news center has no new-exam announcement for the CPT after the 2024 one, and NHA's CPT page still links the same test plan.
• NHA has announced 2027 changes for other exams. The same log gives January 13, 2027 as the launch date of an updated Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A) exam, and a September 2026 news post puts a new Certified EKG Technician (CET) exam in winter 2027/2028. Neither touches the CPT.

If you're studying for a 2027 CPT date, study the January 2026 test plan. The NHA CPT exam format guide breaks it down: 120 questions in 2 hours, five domains, Routine Blood Collections and Safety and Compliance together 54 of the 100 scored items.

How much warning NHA gives before a new CPT exam

NHA's help center says new test plans and crosswalks "are made available as early as possible, typically 9 months to 1 year prior to the new exam launches," and new study materials typically launch 3 to 4 months before the new exam (NHA). The CPT's last update, and the two exam updates NHA has announced since, came with more notice than that:

Each announcement links the new test plan and a crosswalk, and the CPCT/A and CET posts also link a "current" test plan for exams taken before the launch. Passy's reading: if NHA follows the practice it describes, a new CPT exam would be public, with its test plan, many months before it reached candidates. Until NHA posts one with a launch date, the January 2026 plan is the plan for 2027. This is an observation about NHA's process, not a prediction that nothing will change.

What applies to an NHA CPT test date in 2027

These rules were in force on October 28, 2026, and none carries an announced end date:

Two items need a fresh check rather than a table entry. The exam fee is shown in your NHA account at checkout, and Passy couldn't confirm a current price on NHA's public pages. And the Candidate Handbook, last updated October 5, 2026, is revised from time to time, so read the version current on the day you attest.

Because the content outline isn't moving, nothing you study now goes stale before a 2027 date: planned NHA CPT practice follows the test plan used since January 7, 2026, domain by domain.

If NHA announces a new CPT exam during 2027

NHA's help center and its 2026 announcement set out what happens at a launch, and these rules applied to the January 2026 update:

• Only the new version runs from launch day. "Only the updated version will be available" on or after the exam launch date (NHA).
• No grace period for retakes. A candidate who fails shortly before a launch and whose 30-day wait ends after it "will test on the new exam" (NHA).
• NHA's advice on materials. For the 2026 update, NHA advised using the latest study materials for anyone testing on or after the launch date.

How to tell early: look for a new test plan and crosswalk on NHA's CPT certification page or in its news center, and a dated entry in the product update log. A forum post or a study-guide cover saying "2027 edition" isn't an announcement from NHA.

Planning a 2027 NHA CPT date

There are no fixed national test dates: schools set their own dates, and PSI offers test center and live remote appointments. A workable order, built from NHA's deadlines:

1. Confirm your route. Check which eligibility pathway you're on and count your venipunctures and capillary or finger sticks. The eligibility and application guide covers each pathway.
2. Apply when your date is within six months. For PSI exams the window runs from your application date, so an application on December 1, 2026 gives you until about June 1, 2027 to test (Passy's arithmetic).
3. Pay within 2 hours of applying, unless your school or employer pays.
4. Request accommodations at least 30 days ahead, after registering and before booking with PSI.
5. Book. At a school, register at least 8 days before its exam date. At PSI, reschedule no later than 24 hours ahead or lose the fee.
6. Study to the current test plan, finishing with a full 2-hour timed run.

That last step is the one most worth rehearsing, and you can time a full 2027 rehearsal with the planned NHA CPT mock exam, which runs the same 120 questions in 2 hours.

Other 2027 dates NHA CPT candidates ask about

• Renewals. An NHA certification lasts two years, so one earned or renewed in 2025 comes due in 2027. The 2027 renewal guide has the fees, the CE rules and the late-renewal limits.
• High school graduates. A student graduating in 2027 can already test under the 18-month provisional rule. The provisional certification guide shows how to time it.
• State credentials. California moved its phlebotomy certificates to annual renewal in 2026; certificates issued or renewed in 2025 with 2027 expiration dates keep that date and move to the annual cycle after their 2027 renewal. Washington's health department proposed in September 2026 to let medical assistant-phlebotomist applicants attest to finishing high school instead of sending proof. The 2027 state rules guide covers California, Louisiana, Nevada and Washington.
• Pass rates. NHA publishes a yearly table; its report for exams given in 2025 carries a revision date of January 9, 2026. A rate for 2026, the first year of the current exam, hadn't been published as of October 28, 2026.

Your next step for a 2027 NHA CPT date

Put your target date into the free NHA phlebotomy study planner, which spreads the five domain weights across your weeks, and try the 20 free practice questions for a first read on each domain. When you know how many weeks you have, pick a planned 30-, 90- or 180-day access period that covers the weeks before your 2027 test date; checkout isn't open yet. Before you register, open NHA's CPT page once more to confirm the test plan hasn't changed.