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Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) - NEW CONTENT OUTLINE JUNE 2025

Healthcare technology management professionals that desire a CBET certification are expected to have experience in a wide-range of electromechanical devices, computers, networks and software used in the delivery of healthcare.

Overview

Overview

Generally, candidates 4 desiring for this certification may work for medical device manufacturers, hospitals, clinics, home healthcare providers, medical device repair companies, regulatory bodies/agencies, and software manufacturers – such as EMR or device integration providers.

CBET candidates typically perform some of the following duties on a daily basis:

  • Test and calibrate medical devices (preventive maintenance)
  • Troubleshoot medical devices in a clinical setting and/or bench/depot setting (corrective maintenance)
  • Manufacture software, parts or devices for use in patient care
  • Ensure compliance with all regulatory processes necessary (i.e. CMS, FDA GMP, etc.
  • Manage medical software/hardware systems (i.e. PACS Administrator, Integration Specialist, Alarm Management, RTLS Systems, etc.)
  • Perform corrective and preventive maintenance on steam systems
  • Educate the proper use, care and maintenance of medical devices
  • Review technical manuals
  • Document any and all maintenance and repairs and maintain records of maintenance activities
  • Troubleshoot medical device networks

Candidate Eligibility

Eligibility

Full Status
  1. Associate degree or higher in an electronics, technology or science program and two years’ fulltime BMET work experience; OR
  2. Completion of a U.S. military biomedical equipment technology program and two years’ fulltime BMET work experience; OR
  3. Four years’ full-time BMET work experience.
Candidate Status

Applicants desiring full certification, but do not yet meet the eligibility requirements (as listed above), may apply through candidate status. Successful candidates are given five years to meet the minimum eligibility requirements and be awarded full certification. To test as a candidate for any of the certifications, an applicant must meet ONE of the following minimum eligibility requirements as of the application deadline:

  1. Associate degree or higher in an electronics, technology or science program; OR
  2. Completion of a U.S. military biomedical equipment technology program; OR
  3. Two years of full-time BMET work experience.

Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET)

  • Understand the functions and basic abnormal functions of the physiological systems (including, Circulatory, Respiratory, Gastrointestinal, Nervous, Musculoskeletal, Endocrine).
  • Identify major components and the major functions of the primary organs (including, Heart, Lungs, Brain, Skin).
  • Understand basic medical terminology.
  • Apply foundational electronic theories as they apply to voltage, resistance, current, power (Ohm’s law), active and passive devices, including the use of schematics to troubleshoot.
  • Understand the purpose and usage of various power conditioning, distribution, and storage systems (including LIM, Transformers, Batteries, UPS).
  • Understand and apply protective standards and regulations for protected data (for example, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA], NIST framework, HITRUST, HHS Cyber security performance goals)
  • Troubleshoot system hardware (for example, power supplies, peripherals, hard drives, cables, connectors)
  • Troubleshoot, update, and patch system software (for example, Windows, Office, Linux, Unix)
  • Troubleshoot wired and wireless networks and networking components (for example, routers, switches, access points, access point controllers, KVMs, cables, virtual servers, LAN, WAN, cloud computing) using diagnostic tools or process (for example, cable tracers, PING, networking commands).
  • Understand and troubleshoot the integration of medical devices direct to EMR or by use of middleware.
  • Understand basic system identifiers and terminology (for example, IP, MAC).
  • Understand physiological concepts as applicable to healthcare technology (for example, Korotkoff sounds, Einthoven’s triangle, QRS, dicrotic notch).
  • Understand normal function, use, and underlying technology of test equipment (for example, electrical safety analyzer, defibrillator analyzer, electro surgical analyzer, physiologic simulators, DVM, meters).
  • Understand physiological measurements and their applications (for example, mmHg, PSI, Bar, Fahrenheit, cm H2o, lumens, joules).
  • Understanding the normal function of monitoring systems (for example, fetal monitor, telemetry, physiological monitor, vital signs)
  • Understand normal function and underlying technology of monitoring parameters (for example, EtCO2, ECG, EEG, NIBP, IBP, oximetry, TOCO, FHR, respiration, temperature).
  • Understand normal function and underlying technology of diagnostic equipment (for example, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, scales, stress test, audiometer, ECG, spirometer, ultrasound).
  • Understand normal function and underlying technology of infusion equipment (including, feeding pumps, LVP, syringe pumps, PCA, injectors).
  • Understand normal function and underlying technology of therapeutic equipment (for example, neonatal/pediatric equipment, patient temperature management equipment, aspiration equipment, SCD, physical therapy equipment).
  • Understand normal function and underlying technology of perioperative equipment (for example, ESUs, video integration equipment, tourniquets, sterilization equipment, fluid warmer, tables, lights, surgical microscopes).
  • Understand normal function and underlying technology of life support equipment (for example, defibrillators, anesthesia machines, ventilators, balloon pumps, external pacemakers). 
  • Understand normal function of laboratory equipment (for example, centrifuges, incubators, rockers, refrigerators, freezers, microscopes, water baths, analyzers, cryostats, microtomes).
    • Identify and resolve fault conditions of modules/subsystems including power supplies.
    • Prioritize repairs of medical devices based on level of risk, urgency, and potential downtime.
    • Differentiate between a device error and a use error to determine appropriate action.
    • Provide education to staff on proper use of equipment and can effectively communicate verbally and in writing with, including but not limited to, clinicians, other hospital personnel, and manufacturers about technical issues and projects (in-service or cross-training).
    • Differentiate between an issue with a localized monitoring device on a network and a system-wide problem.
    • Identify the fault conditions and apply appropriate corrective action for monitoring systems (for example, fetal monitor, telemetry, physiological monitor, vital signs).
    • Identify the fault conditions and apply appropriate corrective action for diagnostic equipment (for example, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, scales, stress test, audiometer, ECG, spirometer).
    • Identify the fault conditions and apply appropriate corrective action for infusion equipment (including, feeding pumps, LVP, syringe pumps, PCA, injectors).
    • Identify the fault conditions and apply appropriate corrective action for therapeutic equipment (for example, neonatal/pediatric equipment, patient temperature management equipment, aspiration equipment, SCD, physical therapy equipment).
    • Identify the fault conditions and apply appropriate corrective action for perioperative equipment (for example, ESUs, video integration equipment, tourniquets, sterilization equipment, fluid warmer, tables, lights, surgical microscopes).
    • Identify the fault conditions and apply appropriate corrective action for laboratory equipment (for example, centrifuges, incubators, rockers, refrigerators, freezers, microscopes, water baths, analyzers, cryostats, microtomes).
    • Understand electrical safety requirements (NFPA99 and IEC60601) for the use of medical equipment (for example, micro and macro shock, power cord color coding, GFCI, electrical safety limits).
    • Understand the use of safety data sheets, identify standard hazard symbolism and signage (for example, laser, MRI, ionizing radiation, patient precautions).
    • Understand universal precautions, determine appropriate infection control procedures and proper use of PPE.
    • Understand the role and function of CMS, and the organizations having authority to accredit on behalf of CMS.
    • Understand the ANSI/AAMI standards including EQ56 (medical equipment programs), EQ89 (scheduled maintenance and performance), EQ93 (medical equipment vocabulary), and EQ103 (AEM)
    • Understand how to efficiently navigate and utilize the CMMS to document maintenance activities, track equipment history, and generate reports for compliance and performance analysis.

    The CBET exam is a three-hour closed book exam consisting of 165 multiple choice questions.

    Candidates can bring a simple calculator to the exam. Cell phones, iPads or other electronic devices that have internet capabilities or cameras are not allowed into the testing room.

    Candidate performance on the exam is evaluated using a criterion-referenced method. This is a method where candidates are evaluated against a predetermined standard (cut score) rather than relative to each other. Your peers, the ACI Board, and its committees set this standard by evaluating the difficulty of each test question against the expectations for what an entry level professional should know and be able to do. They use a common method for evaluating items and determining the passing standard (modified Angoff method).