NBRC Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the NBRC 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.

NBRC exam key facts

The NBRC Respiratory Therapy Examination has a four-hour time limit. Source
NBRC candidates may take the TMC and Clinical Simulation Examinations three times; after that they must wait at least 120 days between attempts. Source
NBRC credentials run on a five-year period, and passing the exam again starts a new five-year period. Source

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📋 NBRC Exam Format at a Glance

160

Questions

180 min

Time Limit

70.00%

Passing Score

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📚 NBRC Topics to Study (26)

Respiratory Therapist · 11 cards Specialty Credentials · 11 cards Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 7 cards Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 7 cards Specialty Credentials · 7 cards Specialty Credentials · 7 cards Specialty Credentials · 7 cards Specialty Credentials · 7 cards Airway Management · 6 cards Airway Management · 6 cards Airway Management · 6 cards Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology · 6 cards Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology · 6 cards Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology · 6 cards Critical Care and ABG Interpretation · 6 cards Critical Care and ABG Interpretation · 6 cards Critical Care and ABG Interpretation · 6 cards Mechanical Ventilation · 6 cards Mechanical Ventilation · 6 cards Mechanical Ventilation · 6 cards Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care · 6 cards Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care · 6 cards Neonatal and Pediatric Respiratory Care · 6 cards Pulmonary Function Testing · 6 cards Pulmonary Function Testing · 6 cards Pulmonary Function Testing · 6 cards

✍️ Sample NBRC Questions & Answers

1. Which ventilator setting directly affects the rate of CO2 elimination?

✓ Minute ventilation (respiratory rate × tidal volume)

CO2 elimination is directly proportional to alveolar minute ventilation; increasing respiratory rate or tidal volume increases CO2 clearance.

2. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides gas exchange support by:

✓ Withdrawing blood, oxygenating it externally, and returning it to the patient

ECMO removes blood via cannula, passes it through an oxygenator membrane to add O2 and remove CO2, then returns oxygenated blood to the patient's circulation.

3. PEEP (positive end-expiratory pressure) is used primarily to:

✓ Prevent alveolar collapse and improve oxygenation

PEEP maintains alveolar patency at end-expiration, recruits collapsed lung units, and improves V/Q matching and oxygenation.

4. Which of the following substances is a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland that induces sleep?

✓ Melatonin

Melatonin is a natural hormone that induces sleep. All the others are medications classified as stimulants.

5. Which inhaled corticosteroid is most commonly used as maintenance therapy for persistent asthma?

✓ Fluticasone

Fluticasone (and other inhaled corticosteroids like budesonide and beclomethasone) is used as daily maintenance therapy for persistent asthma to reduce airway inflammation.

6. Nasopharyngeal airways are contraindicated in patients with:

✓ Basilar skull fracture

Basilar skull fractures are a contraindication for nasopharyngeal airways because the tube may inadvertently enter the cranial vault through the fracture.

🎯 Free NBRC Practice Tests

Specialty Credentials · 11 questions Respiratory Therapist · 11 questions Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 7 questions Specialty Credentials · 7 questions Specialty Credentials · 7 questions Specialty Credentials · 7 questions Specialty Credentials · 7 questions Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 7 questions Mechanical Ventilation · 6 questions Mechanical Ventilation · 6 questions

📖 NBRC Guides & Articles

Your NBRC Study Path

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

🃏 NBRC Flashcards (172)🏆 NBRC Exam Simulation

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for NBRC

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 NBRC mock exam — 160 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 NBRC 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 NBRC cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
NBRC flashcards built from the same question bank.
Free NBRC 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

nbrc.org — Fees, exam format, test dates, time limit, test delivery, passing score, retake fee, score release, renewal, score validity · verified Oct 2026