The National Board for Respiratory Care’s Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty examination is open to Registered Respiratory Therapists pursuing the NPS credential. This page brings together free practice sets, worked explanations, and verified exam details to help you organize your preparation. Use the questions to examine your reasoning, then consult NBRC material for official requirements. Our practice content is written with AI tools and is not real examination content.
The NPS has 170 questions, takes about 4 hours and costs $250[1] (National Board for Respiratory Care, verified Oct 27, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 170 multiple-choice questions (150 scored, 20 pretest)[1] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Time limit | 4 hours[1] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Passing score | Criterion-referenced cut score (raw score)[2] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Exam fee | $250 (new applicant)[1] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Retake fee | $220 (reapplicant)[1] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Retake policy | 2 attempts without waiting, then 180 days between subsequent attempts[3] | test-takers.psiexams.com · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Validity | 5 years[4] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Renewal | Credential Maintenance Program every 5 years (assessments/CE, re-examination, or new credential)[4] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Delivery | Computer-based testing at test centers Monday through Saturday[2] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Must be a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT)[1] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Score release | At the test center after completing the examination[1] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Registration deadline | No application deadlines[1] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
| Testing window | 90 calendar days[2] | National Board for Respiratory Care · Oct 27, 2026 |
According to National Board for Respiratory Care, “This examination consists of 170 multiple-choice questions (150 scored and 20 pretest) taken over a 4-hour period.”[1]
The NPS examination is the National Board for Respiratory Care’s Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty examination. You must hold the Registered Respiratory Therapist credential to apply. The application fee is $250 for new applicants and $220 for reapplicants. NBRC lists no application deadlines, so eligible candidates may submit their application and fee at any time.
Once your application is accepted, you have 90 calendar days to take the examination. Testing is computer-based at test centers, by appointment, Monday through Saturday. The examination contains 170 multiple-choice questions: 150 scored questions and 20 pretest questions. The testing time is 4 hours.
Passing depends on comparing your total raw score with a criterion-referenced cut score. The verified information supplied here does not include a numerical passing score. You receive information about your score at the test center after completing the examination.
You may attempt the examination 2 times without a waiting period; subsequent attempts require at least 180 days between attempts. For official application and examination details, consult NBRC’s NPS examination page and Candidate Handbook. The NPS credential has a 5-year term, with renewal through the Credential Maintenance Program.
Prepare for the NPS - Neonatal Pediatric Specialist exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: Which approach best describes the standard for surrogate decision-making for neonates?
Answer: B. Best interest standard — parents decide what is in the neonate's best interest
Explanation:
B is correct: the best interest standard centers the neonate’s welfare. Parents, guided by the medical team, consider which course of action would best serve their child. A is wrong because it describes the physician making the decision without parental input, excluding the parental role described in the question’s explanation. C uses substituted judgment, which asks what the patient would have chosen; a neonate has no previously expressed preferences to draw on. D is wrong because court appointment of a guardian is not the standard arrangement for every neonate. Remember: distinguish decisions based on the child’s welfare from decisions based on a patient’s known wishes.
Question: Which ethical obligation requires healthcare providers to disclose all relevant information to parents so they can make informed decisions for their neonate?
Answer: C. Informed consent
Explanation:
C is correct: informed consent requires relevant information to be explained in understandable language so parents can make a voluntary decision. That information includes the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, risks, and benefits. A, beneficence, concerns acting for the patient’s benefit; it does not specifically identify the disclosure process asked about here. B, justice, concerns fairness rather than the information needed to authorize care. D, confidentiality, concerns protecting private information rather than explaining treatment choices to parents. Remember: when a question emphasizes disclosure, understanding, and voluntary decisions about treatment, informed consent is the concept that directly matches those features.
Question: Which of the following should the neonatal/pediatric specialist recommend for an 8 year-old child with cerebral atrophy and poor cognitive skills in order to promote bronchial hygiene while delivering a bronchodilator?
Answer: B. intrapulmonary percussive ventilation
Explanation:
B is the intended answer: intrapulmonary percussive ventilation combines rapid bursts of air that help mobilize secretions with the ability to deliver a bronchodilator. That combination matches the question’s paired goals while reducing reliance on active cooperation. A, intermittent positive pressure breathing, does not provide the same percussive secretion-mobilizing action. C, an external chest wall percussive device, addresses secretion mobilization but does not itself deliver an inhaled bronchodilator. D, the listed in-insufflator option, does not describe the combined percussive and medication-delivery approach targeted here. Remember: match the device to every stated treatment goal and the patient’s ability to participate. This question’s answer should not be treated as a universal device recommendation.
Begin with the official NBRC examination material to establish what you need to prepare. The practice-set titles below are our study categories; they are not a verified official exam blueprint. Use Start Practice Test to identify questions where your reasoning is uncertain, including answers you selected correctly by guessing.
For each missed question, write down the clue you overlooked and explain why the alternatives do not fit. Revisit Patient Assessment and Clinical Problem-Solving when you need practice interpreting a scenario. Use Specialized Equipment, Therapeutic Procedures, and Respiratory Management to examine treatment and device choices.
Work through Family-Centered Care and Ethics when consent or surrogate decisions cause difficulty. Check uncertain explanations against your reference material rather than memorizing answer letters. Before test day, review NBRC’s Candidate Handbook, confirm your appointment falls within the 90-calendar-day eligibility window, and plan for the 4-hour testing period.
Yes. NBRC requires you to be a Registered Respiratory Therapist to apply for the NPS examination. There are no application deadlines. If you meet the admissions requirements, you may submit your application and fee at any time; after acceptance, you have 90 calendar days to take the examination.
The examination costs $250 for new applicants and $220 for reapplicants. You may attempt it 2 times without a waiting period. After that, you must wait at least 180 days between subsequent attempts. The reapplicant fee and the waiting requirement are separate parts of planning another attempt.
You have 4 hours to answer 170 multiple-choice questions. Of those, 150 are scored and 20 are pretest questions. The examination is computer-based and delivered at test centers by appointment, Monday through Saturday. Your total raw score is compared with a criterion-referenced cut score to determine whether you pass.
You will receive information about your score at the test center after completing the examination. Passing is determined by comparing your total raw score with a criterion-referenced cut score. The verified facts provided for this page do not specify a numerical passing score.
The credential is awarded for 5 years, calculated from the end of the calendar month in which it was issued. NBRC’s Credential Maintenance Program provides renewal routes through assessments and/or continuing education, re-examination, or a new credential. Consult the official Credential Maintenance Program brochure for the requirements.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.