Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)

The Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination objectively measures essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required of respiratory therapists at entry into practice. Passing the TMC Examination and wearing the CRT badge of distinction signals to employers, colleagues and patients that you are committed to excellence in respiratory care. Additionally, all 49 states that regulate the practice of respiratory care use the CRT or RRT credential as the basis for state licensure.

The TMC Examination also determines your eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) which is required for the RRT credential. For more information, click or tap on a topic below, or visit our TMC Exam FAQs.

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Certified Respiratory Therapist
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Scoring

TMC Examination: Two cut scores determine whether you will receive a credential as a CRT and eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination, provided you are eligible to earn the RRT credential. If you achieve the low cut score, you earn the CRT credential. If you achieve the high cut score, you earn the CRT credential and become eligible for the Clinical Simulation Examination, if you qualify.

TMC Detailed Content Outline – Effective January 2020-December 31, 2026

The TMC Examination consists of 160 multiple-choice items (140 scored items and 20 pretest items) taken over a three-hour period.

RT Examination: Two cut scores determine whether you will receive credentials as a CRT or as an RRT. If you achieve the low cut score on the RT Examination, you earn the CRT credential. If you achieve the high cut score, you earn the RRT credential.

RT Detailed Content Outline – Effective January 2027

The Respiratory Therapy Examination consists of 185 multiple-choice items (160 scored items and 25 pretest items) taken over a four-hour period.

Refer to the Detailed Content Outline for the date when you plan to take the examination.

Admission Requirements

Please ensure you meet the following requirements before applying for the TMC Examination:

1. Be 18 years of age or older.

and

2. Be a graduate of and have a minimum of an associate degree from an entry into practice respiratory therapy education program supported or accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

or

3. Be a CRT for at least four years prior to applying for the examinations associated with the RRT credential. In addition, the applicant shall have at least 62 semester hours of college credit from a college or university accredited by its regional association or its equivalent. The 62 semester hours of college credit must include the following courses: anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology, and mathematics.

or

4. Be a CRT for at least two years prior to applying for the examinations associated with the RRT credential. In addition, the applicant shall have earned a minimum of an associate degree from an accredited entry-level respiratory care education program.

or

5. Be a CRT for at least two years prior to applying for the examinations associated with the RRT credential. In addition, the applicant shall have earned a baccalaureate degree in an area other than respiratory care and shall have at least 62 semester hours of college credit from a college or university accredited by its regional association or equivalent. The 62 semester hours of college credit must include the following courses: anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology, and mathematics.

or

6. Hold the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) RRT credential.

Free Practice Exam

A free practice examination is available so you may familiarize yourself with the content and types of questions that will be included on the credentialing exam.

ATTENTION – By accessing this examination, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, disclose, offer for sale, or sell any portion of these copyrighted National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. materials in any format. Failure to comply with these terms may result in disciplinary action by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. including loss of your credential, losing your ability to retake an examination, and/or legal action related to copyright infringement.

TMC practice examination
RT practice examination - Effective January 2027

Self-Assessment

Anyone planning to take the TMC Examination can assess how they will perform before actually attempting the examination by taking the official NBRC Self-Assessment Examination (SAE). The feedback from the SAE provides an opportunity to evaluate and remedy less-than-desirable examination performance before taking the credentialing examination. The official SAEs are the only products that provide the respective examination committees’ rationale for the best response to each question. There are two forms of the TMC Self-Assessment Examination available.

Official SAEs are only available in web-based format for purchase online through the NBRC’s testing agency, PSI. PSI’s e-store offers all currently available NBRC web-based SAEs for purchase online.

To take an online SAE, you must have:

• A compatible internet browser such as the current version of Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Other browsers may not work.
• Cookies and scripting must be enabled.
• Pop-up blocking must be disabled.

After your order is placed, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with specific instructions guiding you through the examination process. The e-mail contains your private password that allows you to receive individualized feedback on your performance. You will have 90 days from the time you receive your confirmation e-mail to complete the examination.

Please note: If you purchase an NBRC SAE, your credit card statement will reflect a purchase from LXR.

ATTENTION – By accessing this examination, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, disclose, offer for sale, or sell any portion of these copyrighted National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. materials in any format. Failure to comply with these terms may result in disciplinary action by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. including loss of your credential, losing your ability to retake an examination, and/or legal action related to copyright infringement.

Go to Self-Assessment Examinations

General Exam Info: Tools for Candidates

These additional tools are available at no cost to help you prepare for the examination:

  • Candidate Handbook: Information, applications and other forms for all NBRC credentialing examinations
  • TMC Examination: Two cut scores determine whether you will receive a credential as a CRT and eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination, provided you are eligible to earn the RRT credential. If you achieve the low cut score, you earn the CRT credential. If you achieve the high cut score, you earn the CRT credential and become eligible for the Clinical Simulation Examination, if you qualify.
    TMC Detailed Content Outline – Effective January 2020-December 31, 2026

    The TMC Examination consists of 160 multiple-choice items (140 scored items and 20 pretest items) taken over a three-hour period.

    RT Examination: Two cut scores determine whether you will receive credentials as a CRT or as an RRT. If you achieve the low cut score on the RT Examination, you earn the CRT credential. If you achieve the high cut score, you earn the RRT credential.

    RT Detailed Content Outline – Effective January 2027

    The Respiratory Therapy Examination consists of 185 multiple-choice items (160 scored items and 25 pretest items) taken over a four-hour period.

    Refer to the Detailed Content Outline for the date when you plan to take the examination.

  • TMC practice examination: An online simulation of the real examination experience using identical software. ATTENTION – By accessing this examination, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, disclose, offer for sale, or sell any portion of these copyrighted National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. materials in any format. Failure to comply with these terms may result in disciplinary action by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. including loss of your credential, losing your ability to retake an examination, and/or legal action related to copyright infringement. To access the practice exam and your results:
    • Log in with your email address – this is the email address where your results will be sent.
    • Use the mouse to select your responses and to proceed through the examination.
    • To obtain your results, you must take the entire examination in one sitting. Your results will not be saved if you exit the examination.
    • When you have completed the examination, click Finish and Display. Your results will be displayed on screen and emailed to the address you provided at login.
    • If you need assistance using the examination software, click on the Help button in the lower portion of the screen once you begin the examination.
    • To take the online practice exam, you will need a compatible internet browser such as the current version of Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. Other browsers may or may not work. Cookies and scripting must be enabled and pop-up blocking must be disabled.
    • RT practice examination – Effective January 2027
  • Assessment Centers: A listing of assessment centers where exams are offered nationwide, searchable by state or zip code
  • General FAQs: Information on credentials, fees, credential maintenance and other NBRC information
  • Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) Brochure: Detailed information on the NBRC’s Credential Maintenance Program
  • Submit an Online Application
  • Printable TMC & CSE Application

TMC Exam FAQs

Please ensure you meet the following requirements before applying for the TMC Examination:

1. Be 18 years of age or older.

and

2. Be a graduate of and have a minimum of an associate degree from a respiratory therapy education program supported or accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

or

3. Be a CRT for at least four years and have at least 62 semester hours of college credit from a college or university accredited by its regional association or its equivalent. The 62 semester hours of college credit must include the following courses: anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology, and mathematics.

or

4. Be a CRT for at least two years and have earned a minimum of an associate degree from a respiratory therapy education program supported or accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

or

5. Be a CRT for at least two years and have earned a baccalaureate degree in an area other than respiratory care and shall have at least 62 semester hours of college credit from a college or university accredited by its regional association or equivalent. The 62 semester hours of college credit must include the following courses: anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology, and mathematics.

or

6. Hold the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) RRT credential.

You may apply online or submit a paper application and fee once you have met the admission requirements.

If applying and paying by credit card online, your application is processed immediately. If mailing your application and fee, your application will be processed within approximately five to seven business days. An email confirmation notice of eligibility will be sent to you, which includes a website and toll-free telephone number for you to contact to schedule an examination appointment.

If your eligibility cannot be confirmed, you will be notified by email of the additional information required to complete your application.

The TMC Examination costs $190 for new applicants and $150 for repeat applicants.

There are no application deadlines. If you meet the admissions requirements for an examination you may submit your application and fee at any time.

If you don’t receive an email confirmation of eligibility or an incomplete notice within two weeks of submitting your application, contact the NBRC. If your application is not on file, you will be asked to send a replacement application form and fee.

NBRC examinations are administered Monday through Saturday at more than 300 assessment centers across the country (except on nationally recognized holidays). Search for an assessment center near you.

Yes. If you are approved to take an examination and paid the appropriate fee, you may schedule online.​

A free TMC practice examination is available so you may familiarize yourself with the content and types of questions that will be included on the credentialing exam.

ATTENTION – By accessing this examination, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, disclose, offer for sale, or sell any portion of these copyrighted National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. materials in any format. Failure to comply with these terms may result in disciplinary action by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. including loss of your credential, losing your ability to retake an examination, and/or legal action related to copyright infringement.

TMC practice examination

RT practice examination – Effective January 2027

If you are assessing your preparedness for the TMC Examination and feel you need more guidance than the free practice exam, there is a Self-Assessment Examination (SAE) available for purchase. The TMC SAE has the same number of questions as the credentialing examination.

ATTENTION – By accessing this examination, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, disclose, offer for sale, or sell any portion of these copyrighted National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. materials in any format. Failure to comply with these terms may result in disciplinary action by the National Board for Respiratory Care, Inc. including loss of your credential, losing your ability to retake an examination, and/or legal action related to copyright infringement.

The testing time for the TMC Examination is three hours.

To begin your preparation in an informed and organized manner, you should know what to expect from the actual examination in terms of content areas tested. The detailed content outlines present the specific patient care settings and each of the content areas. The outlines can be used to get a general impression of the examination, and with closer inspection, can give you specific study direction. For example, you can determine the relative importance of each content area on the examination by reviewing the number of questions in each section.

TMC Examination: Two cut scores determine whether you will receive a credential as a CRT and eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination, provided you are eligible to earn the RRT credential. If you achieve the low cut score, you earn the CRT credential. If you achieve the high cut score, you earn the CRT credential and become eligible for the Clinical Simulation Examination, if you qualify.

TMC Detailed Content Outline – Effective January 2020-December 31, 2026

The TMC Examination consists of 160 multiple-choice items (140 scored items and 20 pretest items) taken over a three-hour period.

RT Examination: Two cut scores determine whether you will receive credentials as a CRT or as an RRT. If you achieve the low cut score on the RT Examination, you earn the CRT credential. If you achieve the high cut score, you earn the RRT credential.

RT Detailed Content Outline – Effective January 2027

The Respiratory Therapy Examination consists of 185 multiple-choice items (160 scored items and 25 pretest items) taken over a four-hour period.

Refer to the Detailed Content Outline for the date when you plan to take the examination.

You will receive information about your score at the test center after completing the examination.

As indicated in the table below, candidates may attempt the Therapist Multiple-Choice and Clinical Simulation Examinations three times, after which the candidate will be required to wait a minimum of 120 days between any subsequent attempt. For the specialty credentialing examinations, including Pulmonary Function Technology, Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty, Sleep Disorders Specialty, and Adult Critical Care Specialty Examinations, candidates may attempt the exam two times, after which the candidate will be required to wait at least 180 days before sitting for the exam again.

Examination

Initial Attempts Without Waiting

Days Between Each Subsequent Attempt

Therapist Multiple-Choice

3

120

Clinical Simulation

3

120

Pulmonary Function Technology

2

180

Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty

2

180

Sleep Disorders Specialty

2

180

Adult Critical Care Specialty

2

180

As the respiratory profession continues to grow and flourish, we feel this is an important and necessary policy to implement in order to ensure caregiver competency and patient safety for years to come.

When you apply for an examination, your eligibility records are maintained for one year following application regardless of whether or not you schedule an exam. If you don’t actively pursue credentialing, your eligibility records are inactivated after one year. If you are a candidate whose records are inactivated, you must reapply as a new candidate and meet the most current admissions requirements to be eligible for the exam. Please note: if you have passed one of the examinations to earn the RRT Credential (TMC or CSE) and allow your application records to become inactivated, your passing performance will be nullified, so we encourage you to pursue credentialing in a timely manner after applying and receiving a confirmation of eligibility notice.

To support you through the entire process, we are committed to providing appropriate notices to candidates before their application records are inactivated, so we also encourage you to keep your contact information current with the NBRC.

There are two established cut scores for the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination. If you achieve the low cut score, you will earn the CRT credential. If you achieve the high cut score, you will earn the CRT credential AND become eligible for the Clinical Simulation Examination (provided you meet the eligibility requirements and are eligible to earn the RRT credential). If you do not achieve a minimum of the low cut score, you must reapply for the TMC Examination.

No. You must meet the CSE eligibility requirements, regardless of examination score.

No. You can retake the TMC Examination as many times as necessary to regain RRT eligibility or to become eligible for the Clinical Simulation Examination without impacting the status of your current CRT credential. However, once you attempt the TMC Examination three times, a waiting period of a minimum of 120 days will be imposed before you will be able to sit for the exam again.

Foreign respiratory therapy education does not qualify for admission to the TMC Examination. You must have a minimum of an associate’s degree from an accredited respiratory therapy education program. View a list of accredited education programs.

Purchase a Voucher

If you are an employer or educator who plans to cover the cost of the NBRC credentialing examinations for candidates, an online prepay option is available for your convenience. Simply follow the link below to purchase a prepaid voucher. Once your payment is made, you will receive an email with voucher codes to distribute to candidates to use as payment when applying for the exam.

Purchase a Payment Voucher Now