NBCRNA Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the NBCRNA exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

NBCRNA exam key facts

The NCE is a variable-length computerized adaptive test of 100 to 170 questions, 30 of which are unscored pretest questions. Source
Candidates get a maximum of three hours to complete the NBCRNA NCE. Source
The NCE is pass/fail based on a minimum IRT ability estimate set by the NBCRNA, and the passing standard was updated on July 1, 2026. Source
In 2026 the NBCRNA NCE fee is $1,310, which includes the $160 MAC Check enrollment fee. Source
The NCE can be taken up to four times in each 12-month period and eight times in total, and it must be passed within two years of completing the nurse anesthesia program. Source
After passing the NCE, CRNAs keep their NBCRNA certification through the Maintaining Anesthesia Certification (MAC) Program, which runs in four-year periods. Source

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📋 NBCRNA Exam Format at a Glance

170

Questions

180 min

Time Limit

70.00%

Passing Score

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📚 NBCRNA Topics to Study (21)

✍️ Sample NBCRNA Questions & Answers

1. What is the hourly maintenance fluid rate for an 11-pound infant?

✓ 20 mL/h

Explanation: The hourly maintenance fluid rate for an 11-pound infant is typically calculated using the Holliday-Segar method, which suggests a rate of approximately 4 mL/kg/hour for the first 10 kg of body weight. For an 11-pound infant (approximately 5 kg): 4 mL/kg/hour × 5 kg = 20 mL/hour

2. The Bain circuit (Mapleson D modification) is a co-axial design where the inner tube carries what?

✓ Fresh gas flow to the patient end

In the Bain circuit, the inner tube delivers fresh gas to the patient end while exhaled gases travel through the outer corrugated tube to the APL valve.

3. The circle breathing system uses soda lime to do what?

✓ Absorb carbon dioxide from exhaled gases

Soda lime (primarily calcium hydroxide with sodium and potassium hydroxide) absorbs exhaled CO2 through a chemical reaction, allowing low-flow rebreathing circuits.

4. Ketamine produces dissociative anesthesia primarily through which receptor mechanism?

✓ NMDA receptor antagonism

Ketamine blocks NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) glutamate receptors, producing dissociative anesthesia, analgesia, and amnesia.

5. LAST (Local Anesthetic Systemic Toxicity) initial CNS symptoms include which finding?

✓ Perioral numbness and metallic taste, progressing to seizures

LAST typically presents with CNS excitation (perioral tingling, tinnitus, metallic taste, restlessness, seizures) before CNS depression and cardiovascular collapse.

6. Rapid sequence induction (RSI) is indicated in patients at risk for pulmonary aspiration and includes preoxygenation followed by what drug sequence?

✓ Induction agent + succinylcholine (or rocuronium), no mask ventilation

Classic RSI uses an induction agent with succinylcholine (or high-dose rocuronium for a modified RSI) without positive-pressure mask ventilation to minimize aspiration risk before cuff inflation.

🎯 Free NBCRNA Practice Tests

CPCA · 11 questions NCE SEE · 11 questions Obstetric Anesthesia · 7 questions Anesthesia Equipment and Technology · 6 questions Regional Anesthesia · 6 questions Perioperative Patient Assessment · 6 questions Airway Management · 6 questions Anesthetic Complications and Crisis Management · 6 questions Airway Management · 6 questions Anesthetic Complications and Crisis Management · 6 questions

📖 NBCRNA Guides & Articles

Your NBCRNA Study Path

1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation

🃏 NBCRNA Flashcards (137)🏆 NBCRNA Exam Simulation

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for NBCRNA

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length NBCRNA mock exam — 170 questions in 180 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed NBCRNA question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable NBCRNA cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
NBCRNA flashcards built from the same question bank.
Free NBCRNA practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.

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How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

nbcrna.com — Passing score, eligibility, exam format, registration deadline, test dates, test delivery, time limit, renewal, score validity, retake policy · verified Oct 2026
pearsonvue.com — Late registration · verified Oct 2026