Low Cut Score

Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)

Certified Respiratory Therapist

High Cut Score

Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)

Registered Respiratory Therapist

The Respiratory Therapy (RT) Examination objectively measures essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required of respiratory therapists at entry into practice. Passing the RT Examination and earning the CRT or RRT credential signals to employers, colleagues and patients that you are committed to excellence in respiratory care. Additionally, all 50 states that regulate the practice of respiratory care use the CRT or RRT credential as the basis for state licensure.

The examination has two cut scores that determine whether passing candidates receive credentials as a CRT or as an RRT. Individuals achieving the low cut score earn the CRT credential and those who achieve the high cut score earn the RRT credential. RT Exam FAQs.

Apply Beginning on October 1, 2026
ScoringAdmission RequirementsFree Practice ExamSelf-AssessmentGeneral Exam InfoExam FAQsVouchers
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Scoring

RT Examination: Two cut scores determine whether you will receive a credential as a CRT or as an RRT. If you achieve the low cut score, 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 RT 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. Hold the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) RRT credential.

Free Practice Exam

A free RT 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.

RT practice examination

Self-Assessment

Anyone planning to take the RT 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

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
    • 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 2027The 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.
    • RT 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.
    • 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
    • Printable RT Examination Application

RT Exam FAQs

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

AND

Applicants must be graduates of, and hold 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).

There are two established cut scores for the RT 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 RRT credential.

The examination will have two cut scores that determine whether passing candidates receive credentials as a CRT or as an RRT. Individuals achieving the low cut score earn the CRT credential, and those who achieve the high cut score earn the RRT credential.

January 4, 2027.

The Respiratory Therapy Examination consists of 185 multiple-choice items (160 scored items and 25 pretest items).

The examination time limit is 4 hours.

The Respiratory Therapy Examination costs $360 for new applicants and $300 for repeat applicants. This is a savings of $30 for candidates who previously attempted the TMC and CSE for the first time and a savings of $50 for candidates attempting the exams as a repeat candidate.

Yes. One version of a Self-Assessment Examination will be available for purchase at nbrc.org in July 2026 and a second version will be available for purchase in March 2027. The Secure Self-Assessment Examination, available only to program directors of accredited respiratory therapy programs, will be available in Fall 2026.

Yes. A free practice examination will be available at nbrc.org in July 2026 so candidates may become familiar with the content and types of questions that will be included on the new examination.

Starting October 1, 2026, applications may be submitted online through the Practitioner Portal at nbrc.org.

The last date applications will be accepted for the TMC Examination is December 15, 2026. The last day to take the TMC Examination is December 31, 2026. Applications for the TMC Examination will not be accepted after December 15, 2026.

The Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) will be available through December 31, 2027, only for individuals who pass the TMC Examination at the high cut score prior to December 31, 2026. Alternatively, individuals may take the Respiratory Therapy Examination and pass at the high cut score to earn the RRT credential beginning January 1, 2027.

No. The CRT-to-Registry admission policy will be eliminated effective December 31, 2026, with the implementation of the new examination.

With the elimination of the CRT-to-Registry admission policy, if you do not earn the RRT credential before January 1, 2027, you must be a graduate of, and hold 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) to qualify for the Respiratory Therapy Examination. For a list of CoARC-accredited programs, visit coarc.com/students/find-an-accredited-program.

Yes. Candidates may attempt the new examination three times, after which they will be required to wait a minimum of 120 days between subsequent attempts.

No. The number of attempts previously made on the TMC and CSE Examinations will not count toward attempts on the Respiratory Therapy Examination.

If you have an associate degree or higher from an entry-into-practice (typically two years to graduation) respiratory therapy education program supported or accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), you are eligible for the Respiratory Therapy Examination.

If you do not have an associate degree or higher from a respiratory therapy education program, you may qualify under one of the CRT-to-Registry admission routes until the policy expires on December 31, 2026. These admission routes apply only if your CRT credential is active and not expired. If your CRT credential expires, you are no longer eligible under this admission route and must be a graduate of, and hold a minimum of an associate degree from, an entry-into-practice respiratory therapy education program supported or accredited by CoARC to qualify.

No. You may retake the Respiratory Therapy Examination as many times as necessary to earn the RRT credential.

A Detailed Content Outline of the Respiratory Therapy (RT) Examination is available here.

The Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) remains unchanged because it is based on credentials held, not examinations taken.

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 (October 1, 2026)