Sleep Disorders Specialty (SDS)

The Sleep Disorders Specialty (SDS) Examination objectively measures the knowledge and skills of respiratory therapists who perform sleep disorders testing and therapeutic intervention. It goes above and beyond general respiratory care activities to focus specifically on competencies that are unique to diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. Therefore, wearing the CRT-SDS or RRT-SDS badge of distinction signals to employers, colleagues and patients that your skills are highly specialized.

The SDS Examination is available for respiratory care professionals who have proven their dedication to excellence by earning the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential and have experience or education in the field of sleep medicine. For more information, click or tap on a topic below, or visit our SDS Exam FAQs.

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CRT-SDS
SCORINGADMISSION REQUIREMENTSFree Practice ExamSELF-ASSESSMENTGeneral Exam InfoExam FAQSVOUCHERS
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Scoring

The SDS Examination contains 180 multiple-choice items (160 scored and 20 pretest). You will be given four hours to complete the SDS Examination. For specific exam content, refer to:

A Detailed Content Outline for the SDS Examination is available here.

Admission Requirements

To qualify for the SDS Examination, you must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Be a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) and have completed a CoARC accredited respiratory therapist education program that includes a sleep add-on track; or
  • Be a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) for at least six months prior to applying for the SDS Examination; or
  • Be a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) for at least three months prior to applying for the SDS Examination.

Free Practice Exam

A free SDS 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.

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Self-Assessment

Anyone planning to take the SDS 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.

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

Candidates should expect to find polygraphic tracings based on old and new recording guidelines in the SDS Examination. 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
  • Detailed Content Outline for the SDS Examination is available here.
  • Practice Examination: An online simulation of the real SDS examination experience using identical software.
    • SDS practice 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. 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.
  • 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 SDS Examination Application

SDS Exam FAQs

To qualify for the SDS Examination, you must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Be a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) or Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) and have completed a CoARC accredited respiratory therapist education program that includes a sleep add-on track; or
  • Be a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) for at least six months prior to applying for the SDS Examination; or
  • Be a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) for at least three months prior to applying for the SDS Examination.

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 Sleep Disorders Specialty Examination costs $300 for new applicants and $250 for reapplicants.

Yes, AARC MEMBERS are eligible for a one-time, $40 discount when applying for the first time for the following NBRC examinations:

– CSE
– PFT
– NPS
– SDS
– ACCS

You must register for the AARC Member Discount through the AARC website at https://www.aarc.org/membership/get-a-discount-on-nbrc-exam/. AARC will send an email after registering for the discount containing instructions about accessing the NBRC’s online examination application. You must begin the application process from the link in the instructions you receive from the AARC by email. The discount must be used at the time you submit your application and payment and will not be retroactively applied.

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

SDS practice 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.

If you are assessing your preparedness for the SDS Examination and feel you need more guidance than the free practice exam, there is a Self-Assessment Examination (SAE) available for purchase. The SDS 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 SDS Examination is four 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.

A Detailed Content Outline for the SDS Examination is available here.

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.

We conducted a job analysis study to ensure examination content would be job-related and based on tasks performed by practitioners in this specialty area. We sent several thousand surveys to individuals who are involved in the delivery of care to patients with sleep disorders to rate the importance of job tasks.

In developing our SDS program, we sought input from a variety of organizations representing sleep disorders testing and therapeutic intervention, and we collaborated with other organizations that have a vested interest in protecting the public and improving care for patients with sleep disorders. Because of this effort, our SDS program is well respected and supported by several professional organizations, including the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS).

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) requested that NBRC determine the desirability and feasibility of developing a specialty examination for respiratory therapists performing sleep disorders testing and therapeutic intervention. After following a long established, five-step process to determine if a new specialty examination in this area was warranted and feasible, we discovered the answer was overwhelmingly yes.

This specialty examination is unique to your daily tasks as a sleep disorders specialist. It goes above and beyond general activities so you can demonstrate your acquired skill level in this expanding specialty of respiratory care.

The AASM Manual for Sleep Scoring

The Specialty Examination for Respiratory Therapists Performing Sleep Disorders Testing and Therapeutic Intervention is for respiratory therapists already having earned the CRT or RRT credentials. Content of this specialty examination concentrates on sleep-focused testing and intervention conducted by respiratory therapists and requires respiratory therapy education for eligibility.

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.

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