- Quick Snapshot of the TP-C Credential
- Exam Format at a Glance
- The Passing Score, Explained
- The Four Domains Ranked by Weight
- Fees, Registration, and Delivery Options
- Eligibility Checklist
- Recertification Math
- Who Hires Certified Tactical Paramedics
- Last-Mile Study Plan by Domain Weight
- Printable One-Page Summary Table
- FAQ
- The TP-C exam has 135 questions (125 scored, 10 unscored pretest) in 2 hours 30 minutes, with no skills station.
- You need 88 correct answers out of the 125 scored items to pass.
- Tactical Casualty Care (TECC/TCCC) carries 44% of the exam - the single largest domain by far.
- Initial and recert fees are $285 for affiliate members and $385 for nonmembers, tested via Prometric or IBSC mobile delivery.
Quick Snapshot of the TP-C Credential
The Certified Tactical Paramedic (TP-C) credential is administered by the International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC) and is built for paramedics who already work - or want to work - inside tactical and austere-care environments. Unlike broad EMS certifications, TP-C is deliberately narrow: it assumes you understand paramedicine already and tests whether you can apply that knowledge under the operational, environmental, and tactical constraints of law enforcement or military-adjacent medical support.
If you're still deciding whether this credential fits your career path, the deeper breakdown in Is the TP-C Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and the plain-language explainer at What Is TP-C? are worth reading before you register. This page is meant to be the fast version - the one you skim the night before your exam.
Exam Format at a Glance
The TP-C exam is delivered through Prometric test centers, Prometric remote proctoring, or IBSC's mobile exam delivery option - giving candidates flexibility on where and how they sit for the test.
- Total questions: 135 multiple-choice items
- Scored questions: 125
- Unscored pretest questions: 10 (mixed in, not identified during the test)
- Time limit: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Skills component: None - this is a knowledge-based, multiple-choice exam only
- Score reporting: Available within one hour of finishing
Because 10 of the 135 questions are unscored pretest items you can't identify in the moment, treat every question as if it counts. For a full walkthrough of question style and pacing strategy, see How Hard Is the TP-C Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
The Passing Score, Explained
The raw passing score is 88 correct answers out of the 125 scored items. That's the number that matters - the 10 unscored pretest questions never factor into your result. Because the passing threshold is fixed to raw scored items rather than a shifting percentile, your target doesn't move based on how other candidates perform.
Key Takeaway
Aim to answer scored questions with margin above 88/125 - build a buffer rather than studying to the exact line. A deeper breakdown of scoring mechanics lives in TP-C Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
The Four Domains Ranked by Weight
TP-C content is organized into four domains, and the weighting is not close to even. Nearly half the exam sits in one domain, which should directly shape how you allocate review time.
Domain 1: Tactical Casualty Care (TECC/TCCC) - 44%
This is the exam's core. Roughly 55 scored questions come from this domain alone, covering point-of-injury care under threat, hemorrhage control, airway management in hostile environments, and casualty movement principles.
- Hemorrhage control priorities under direct threat vs. indirect threat vs. evacuation phases
- Tactical airway and breathing management with limited resources
- Casualty assessment sequencing specific to TECC/TCCC frameworks
Domain 2: Tactical Operations - 24%
Covers how medical support integrates into a tactical mission - team movement, communication, and medical planning alongside operators rather than in a traditional EMS chain of command.
- Roles of the tactical medic within a team structure
- Movement and positioning during operations
- Coordination with law enforcement or military elements
Domain 3: Planning - 16.8%
Focuses on the pre-mission and logistical side: medical threat assessment, resource staging, and contingency planning before boots hit the ground.
- Medical intelligence gathering before an operation
- Resupply and evacuation planning
- Mission-specific medical risk assessment
Domain 4: Specialized Medical Care - 15.2%
Covers austere and prolonged field care topics that fall outside standard point-of-injury response - extended care scenarios where transport is delayed.
- Environmental and austere medicine considerations
- Extended/prolonged casualty care
- Specialized patient populations in tactical settings
For an item-by-item breakdown of subtopics within each domain, TP-C Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas goes much deeper than a cheat sheet can. If you're building a study plan from scratch, pair that with TP-C Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Fees, Registration, and Delivery Options
Both initial certification and recertification carry the same fee structure:
- Affiliate members: $285
- Nonmembers: $385
Exams are scheduled through Prometric (test center or remote proctoring) or via IBSC's mobile delivery option, which can bring testing to a group or agency location rather than requiring travel to a fixed center. This flexibility matters for tactical medics who may be deployed, rotating shifts, or based far from a permanent test site.
A full fee comparison, including what affiliate membership actually includes, is covered in TP-C Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're mapping out when to sit for the exam around your work schedule, check TP-C Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling before you pay.
Eligibility Checklist
Before you register, confirm you meet the core eligibility criteria:
- Current, unrestricted paramedic license or certificate
- An approved application on file with IBSC
- Successful license verification
Notably, IBSC does not set a specific minimum experience duration as an eligibility requirement - but the exam content is written for paramedics who already operate in tactical or austere-care roles, so real-world exposure to TECC/TCCC concepts will matter far more than raw study hours. For the full eligibility walkthrough, see TP-C Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Recertification Math
TP-C certification is valid for four years. When it's time to renew, you have two paths:
- Retest: Sit for the exam again under the same format and fee structure.
- Continuing education: Complete 100 contact hours total - 75 clinical hours with a TEMS (Tactical Emergency Medical Support) focus, plus up to 25 tactical operational hours.
NAEMT TCCC training is accepted for 16 of those hours, which makes it a practical anchor course if you already hold or plan to complete it. Building your CE tracking around the domain weightings - heavier on TECC/TCCC-aligned clinical hours, lighter on operational hours - mirrors how the exam itself is weighted.
Who Hires Certified Tactical Paramedics
Because TP-C validates competency in point-of-injury trauma care, tactical integration, mission planning, and austere/specialized medicine, it's positioned for paramedics supporting:
- Law enforcement tactical teams (SWAT and similar units) needing embedded medical support
- Special operations and protective medical elements requiring TECC/TCCC-level competency
- Agencies and contractors running austere or remote medical operations where evacuation is delayed
Employers in these spaces are generally looking for a credential that confirms a paramedic can think and act inside a tactical framework, not just a clinical one. If you're weighing career trajectory and compensation questions, TP-C Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and TP-C Jobs go into more detail than fits here.
Last-Mile Study Plan by Domain Weight
If you have a short runway before test day, allocate review time proportionally to domain weight rather than evenly across all four areas.
Tactical Casualty Care (TECC/TCCC)
- Drill hemorrhage control sequencing across all three TECC phases
- Review airway and breathing management under threat constraints
- Run practice questions weighted toward this domain first - it's 44% of the exam
Tactical Operations + Planning
- Study team roles, movement, and coordination concepts
- Layer in medical threat assessment and mission planning topics
- Mix questions from both domains since they interact operationally
Specialized Medical Care + Full Review
- Cover austere/prolonged field care and specialized populations
- Take a full-length timed practice run against the 2-hour 30-minute limit
- Revisit weak domains identified from missed practice questions
This proportional approach - not a generic study calendar - is the fastest way to convert limited prep time into scored points, since nearly half the exam sits in one domain.
Printable One-Page Summary Table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Certifying Body | International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC) |
| Delivery | Prometric (test center or remote proctoring) or IBSC mobile delivery |
| Total Questions | 135 (125 scored, 10 unscored pretest) |
| Time Limit | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Skills Component | None |
| Passing Score | 88 of 125 scored items |
| Initial/Recert Fee (Affiliate) | $285 |
| Initial/Recert Fee (Nonmember) | $385 |
| Score Report Timing | Within one hour |
| Certification Validity | 4 years |
| Renewal by CE | 100 contact hours (75 clinical/TEMS + up to 25 tactical operational) |
| Domain 1 Weight | Tactical Casualty Care (TECC/TCCC) - 44% |
| Domain 2 Weight | Tactical Operations - 24% |
| Domain 3 Weight | Planning - 16.8% |
| Domain 4 Weight | Specialized Medical Care - 15.2% |
Bookmark this table or print it - it's designed to be the quick-reference version of everything else on this site. For deeper prep tools, run through timed practice sets on the main practice test platform before test day, and revisit the full TP-C practice question bank if you're still missing questions in the TECC/TCCC domain specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 135 multiple-choice questions total - 125 scored and 10 unscored pretest items - with a 2-hour 30-minute time limit and no skills performance station.
You need 88 correct answers out of the 125 scored questions. The 10 unscored pretest items don't count toward your result.
Tactical Casualty Care (TECC/TCCC) is by far the largest, at 44% of the exam, followed by Tactical Operations at 24%, Planning at 16.8%, and Specialized Medical Care at 15.2%.
Initial and recertification fees are $285 for affiliate members and $385 for nonmembers, with exams delivered through Prometric or IBSC mobile delivery.
Certification lasts four years and can be renewed by retesting or by completing 100 contact hours - 75 clinical hours with a TEMS focus and up to 25 tactical operational hours, with NAEMT TCCC accepted for 16 of those hours.
Keep this page as your final-review companion, but don't skip the deeper material behind each section - the domain guide, study guide, and requirements pages linked above cover the reasoning behind these numbers, not just the numbers themselves.