Exam guide
FP-C® Exam Guide
IBSC Certified Flight Paramedic: format, blueprint, eligibility and a final 8-week plan
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The exam at a glance
| Feature | FP-C |
|---|---|
| Items | 135: 110 scored, 25 unscored pretest |
| Time | 150 min: two 75-min sections (68 + 67 items) |
| Item type | Single best answer, 4 options (A to D) |
| Format | Fixed length, not adaptive; random order |
| Passing standard | Pass/fail, modified-Angoff cut; IBSC FAQ: 73 of 110 correct |
| Cost | $385; $285 for members of IBSC affiliates (e.g., NAEMT) |
| Where | Prometric center (CBT), live remote proctor, or IBSC on-site exam (MED) |
| Results | Usually within 1 hour, allow up to 24 h |
| Score report | Pass: no score. Fail: raw scores by domain |
| Valid | 4 years |
What is on it
| Domain | Items | % |
|---|---|---|
| Safety and Transport | 9 | 8 |
| Flight Physiology | 7 | 6 |
| Airway, Anesthesia, Analgesics | 17 | 15 |
| Medical Emergencies | 14 | 13 |
| Neurological | 12 | 11 |
| Cardiac | 14 | 13 |
| Trauma/Burn | 13 | 12 |
| Maternal Fetal and Neonatal | 8 | 7 |
| Pediatric | 9 | 8 |
| Professional Considerations | 7 | 6 |
Who can take it
- Current, unrestricted paramedic license or certificate, uploaded when you register
- No experience requirement; IBSC encourages 3 years in critical care or air transport plus a foundational critical care course
- Register at least 2 weeks ahead; approval opens a 1-year testing window
- Retest after 30 days, full fee; after 3 attempts, a 90-day wait and an educator letter
- Recertify every 4 years by exam or 100 CE hours (75 clinical, 16 of them from an approved FP-C review course)
- No grace period: a lapsed FP-C means passing the exam again. CE sent under 30 days before expiry costs $125 extra.
How to study
IBSC suggests 6 to 12 months of self-study and a review course. Use this plan for your final 8 weeks.
- Week 1: set your exam date in Settings, read the IBSC outline, then take a timed 135-question Mock Exam.
- Every day: clear Daily Review before new questions.
- Weeks 1-2: Airway (the largest domain), Flight Physiology and Safety, with the Flight Physiology, Airway and RSI, Capnography and Ventilator Modes One-Pagers.
- Weeks 3-4: Cardiac, Medical and Neurological, with Rhythm Gallery, ACLS Algorithms, IABP Management, Impella Heart Pump, ECMO Essentials, Hemodynamic Normals, Shock Types, Vasopressors, Prehospital Sepsis and ABG Interpretation.
- Week 5: Trauma/Burn, Maternal Fetal and Neonatal, Pediatric and Professional, plus Electrolyte Imbalances.
- Weeks 6-7: Weakest Subject twice a week, a second Mock Exam, then Missed and Trouble Questions.
- Week 8: a final Mock Exam early, Final-week review, light One-Pager review, and rest the day before.
Test-day tips
- Bring photo ID with your signature and your name exactly as on your IBSC account, plus a copy of your paramedic license.
- Test center: arrive 30 minutes early. Remote: run Prometric's system check before you schedule (Windows, Chrome) and log in 30 minutes early.
- Pace about 1 minute per item. Section 1 locks when you finish it; one optional 5-minute break comes between sections.
- Answer every item: no guessing penalty, and unscored items are mixed in.
- A calculator is provided; your own is not allowed. Test centers give a dry-erase board, not paper; remote allows one sheet, destroyed on camera.
- Use flag and strike-through. No phones or smartwatches.
Official resources
- Handbook (April 2026): ibscertifications.org/about/handbooks
- Outline, study list, practice test: ibscertifications.org/exam/exam-preparation
- Eligibility: ibscertifications.org/exam/exam-requirements
- FAQs: ibscertifications.org/exam/exam-faqs
- Scheduling and test day: prometric.com/exams/ibsc
- Recertification: ibscertifications.org/recert/fpce
Core texts from IBSC's study list:
- Critical Care Transport, 3rd ed. (AAOS, ACEP, UMBC; 2022)
- Patient Transport: Principles and Practice, 6th ed. (ASTNA, 2024)
- Patient Transport: Medical Critical Care, 1st ed. (2025)
- The Walls Manual of Emergency Airway Management, 6th ed. (2022)
- PHTLS, 10th ed. (2023) and AMLS, 4th ed. (2024), both NAEMT
- CAMTS Medical Transport Accreditation Standards, 12th ed. (2022); the 13th (Oct 2026) takes effect Jan 1, 2027
- ASTNA Standards for Critical Care and Specialty Transport (IBSC lists 2019; 3rd ed., 2023, is current)
FP-C® is a registered trademark of the International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC). Medic Basics is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by IBSC.
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Sources
- International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC). Certified Flight Paramedic Candidate Handbook. Updated April 2026. Link
- IBSC. Detailed Content Outline (Blueprint) for Certified Flight Paramedic. 2020. Link
- IBSC. Exam Preparation: FP-C Content Outline, FP-C Study Recommendations and Steps for Applying for an Exam. Link
- IBSC. Exam Fees. Link
- IBSC. Mobile Exam Delivery (MED). Link
- IBSC. Exam Requirements. Link
- IBSC. Flight Paramedic (FP-C) and Critical Care Paramedic (CCP-C) Exam FAQs. Link
- IBSC. Retesting Policy. Effective 8/1/16, revised 4/10/25. Link
- IBSC. FP-C Recertification. Link
- IBSC. Flight Paramedic (FP-C) certification page. Link
- IBSC. Candidate Handbooks. Link
- Prometric. International Board of Specialty Certifications (IBSC) exam page (copyright 2026), read 2026-10-05. Link
- Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). Accreditation Standards. Link
- Air & Surface Transport Nurses Association (ASTNA). Publications. Link
- Elsevier. Patient Transport: Principles and Practice, 6th edition. ASTNA; Wolfe A, Frakes M, Nayman D, eds. Published December 18, 2023. Link
- Open Library ISBN lookup for 9780323017015, 9780323057493 and 9780443105708. Link