NBRC RT exam
Respiratory therapists manage airways, oxygen, ventilators and lung care from the NICU to home care. The NBRC's new 2027 exam combines knowledge items with clinical judgment cases, and the score decides between the CRT and RRT credentials.
Every state that regulates respiratory therapy bases its license on the NBRC's CRT or RRT credential. From January 2027 a new exam replaces the TMC, so question banks written for the TMC are out of date. NBRC, Certified Respiratory Therapist and Registered Respiratory Therapist.
Practice and timed mocks are free, with right or wrong on every answer and your total score. The full analysis is $39, once.
How the exam is built
Owned by National Board for Respiratory Care, given by PSI. Exam fee at last check: $360.
RT exam
160 scored questions (185 in total), 240 minutes, to pass: not published by the exam owner.
| Topic | Share |
|---|---|
| I. Patient Data (Breadth of Knowledge portion, 25 of 160 scored items) | 16% |
| II. Management of Devices and Patient Safety Procedures (Breadth of Knowledge portion, 25 of 160 scored items) | 16% |
| III. Initiation and Modification of Interventions (Breadth of Knowledge portion, 50 of 160 scored items) | 31% |
| Depth of Clinical Judgment portion (60 of 160 scored items; patient condition x judgment type x setting) | 38% |
The official outline: www.nbrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NBRC-RT-Detailed-Content-Outline-January-2027.pdf. Checked 2026-10-08.
Sources
- NBRC The Respiratory Therapy Examination, Detailed Content Outline (effective January 1, 2027; replaces the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination, which ends December 31, 2026; the Clinical Simulation Examination ends December 31, 2027), retrieved 2026-10-08.
- Exam format and pass rule, retrieved 2026-10-08.
Questions are original, written from the official outline and primary sources under an assessment framework designed by Julian Calvo, Ed.D., M.S. DecipherU is not affiliated with the National Board for Respiratory Care. CRT and RRT are NBRC credentials. Every practice question is original and written from the official outline and clinical guidelines.