About the exam
NBRC TMC Exam structure
NBRC TMC prep with 601 original practice questions, current TMC-outline weighted mocks, respiratory therapy flashcards, and 2027 RT examination transition notes.
Issuer and path
NBRC Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Exam Prep is administered through National Board for Respiratory Care. Check official resources before booking, retesting, or relying on a stale requirement.
Patient Data
50 scored + 0 pretest
Interview, physical assessment, vital signs, cardiopulmonary findings, blood gas interpretation, diagnostics, pulmonary function, sleep, exercise, and clinical prioritization.
Equipment, Quality Control and Infection Control
20 scored + 0 pretest
Device setup, troubleshooting, calibration, gas delivery, humidification, aerosol equipment, quality control, safety, and infection prevention.
Initiation and Modification of Interventions
70 scored + 0 pretest
Oxygen therapy, airway care, aerosol medication, bronchial hygiene, mechanical ventilation, weaning, emergency care, transport, and response evaluation.
Before you schedule
Confirm whether your testing date uses the current TMC Examination or the 2027 Respiratory Therapy Examination, then verify NBRC eligibility, application timing, cut-score path, ID rules, accommodations, and retake policy.
Official Outline Coverage Map
Coverage is mapped to official outline item counts so content depth can be checked without hard-coding a single exam.
| Topic | Official outline items | Your questions | Your flashcards | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment, History, Vitals and Physical Findings | 10 | 43 | 8 | Priority |
| Blood Gases, Oxygenation and Ventilation | 10 | 43 | 8 | Priority |
| Diagnostics, PFTs, Imaging and Monitoring | 10 | 43 | 8 | Strong |
| Neonatal, Pediatric and Adult Patient Data | 10 | 43 | 8 | Good |
| Data Prioritization and Respiratory Recommendations | 10 | 43 | 8 | Priority |
| Equipment Setup and Device Selection | 7 | 29 | 8 | Priority |
| Troubleshooting, Quality Control and Safety | 7 | 29 | 8 | Priority |
| Infection Control, Cleaning and PPE | 6 | 28 | 8 | Strong |
| Oxygen, Humidity and Aerosol Therapy | 12 | 50 | 8 | Priority |
| Airway Management, Suctioning and Secretion Clearance | 12 | 50 | 8 | Priority |
| Ventilation Initiation, Modes and Settings | 12 | 50 | 8 | Priority |
| Ventilator Monitoring, Alarms and Weaning | 12 | 50 | 8 | Priority |
| Respiratory Medications, Protocols and Response | 11 | 50 | 8 | Strong |
| Emergency Care, Transport and Special Procedures | 11 | 50 | 8 | Priority |
How to use this guide
How to study for NBRC TMC
Treat each question as a respiratory-care decision: assess the patient, verify data and equipment, choose the indicated intervention, and reassess response safely.
1. Assess the patient
Use history, physical findings, vitals, diagnostics, ABGs, trends, and urgency to understand the respiratory problem.
2. Verify data and equipment
Check sample quality, device setup, gas source, calibration, alarms, circuit, infection control, and safety.
3. Choose the intervention
Select oxygen, humidification, aerosol, airway, ventilation, medication, protocol, emergency, or transport action that fits the indication.
4. Reassess and communicate
Evaluate oxygenation, ventilation, work of breathing, tolerance, adverse effects, alarm status, and need for escalation.
Assessment, History, Vitals and Physical Findings
TMC patient-data questions begin with respiratory history, vital signs, breath sounds, work of breathing, cough, sputum, mental status, and clinical risk.
Key rules
Rule 1
Assessment, History, Vitals and Physical Findings questions reward the answer that follows the official source, the professional role, and the stated facts.
Exam cue: Identify the candidate role, client or public risk, source rule, calculation, or process step being tested.
Rule 2
The strongest answer identifies the rule, safety concern, ethical duty, calculation, client factor, or process step before acting.
Exam cue: Check whether the fact pattern is using a national standard, jurisdiction rule, handbook policy, or scenario-specific instruction.
Rule 3
Eliminate answers that ignore requirements, skip documentation, overreach the role, or treat convenience as the standard.
Exam cue: Choose the compliant and professionally scoped answer before the convenient or familiar answer.
Common traps
Treating related standards as interchangeable without checking the source.
Prevention: Avoid answers that rely only on habit, ignore the stated source, skip safety or compliance steps, or choose convenience over the professional standard.
Skipping screening, documentation, authorization, sanitation, recordkeeping, or other required procedure.
Prevention: Avoid answers that rely only on habit, ignore the stated source, skip safety or compliance steps, or choose convenience over the professional standard.
Choosing an answer that protects convenience instead of client safety, public protection, or the stated professional duty.
Prevention: Avoid answers that rely only on habit, ignore the stated source, skip safety or compliance steps, or choose convenience over the professional standard.
Memory anchors
Respiratory History
Respiratory history includes symptoms, onset, exposures, medications, smoking, baseline function, and prior therapy.
Vital Signs
Vital signs should be interpreted with work of breathing, oxygenation, perfusion, and mental status.
Breath Sounds
Breath sounds help identify obstruction, secretions, consolidation, air leak, or poor ventilation.
Work of Breathing
Increased work of breathing may show retractions, accessory muscle use, nasal flaring, or fatigue.
Sputum Assessment
Sputum amount, color, odor, and consistency can support infection, airway clearance, or hydration decisions.
Mental Status
Mental status changes can signal hypoxemia, hypercapnia, shock, medication effect, or neurologic concern.
Clinical Baseline
Baseline function helps distinguish chronic findings from acute deterioration.
Immediate Priority
Airway, breathing, circulation, and severe distress take priority over routine data collection.
Next best moves
Quick check-up
Use a short quiz to confirm the rule pattern is actually sticking.
Check-up Questions
An adult arrives in the emergency department speaking one word at a time, using accessory muscles, and appearing drowsy. Which problem should the respiratory therapist address first?
A patient smoked 1.5 packs of cigarettes daily for 20 years. What is the smoking exposure?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Open another topic next
Official resources
Verify the details with the official sources
Use these links for eligibility, scheduling, handbook rules, and issuer updates. Our guide helps you study; official sources tell you what the testing partner currently requires.
NBRC Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT)
Official NBRC page describing the current TMC Examination, timing, scoring path, and 2027 RT Examination transition.
NBRC TMC Detailed Content Outline
Official current TMC Detailed Content Outline effective January 2020 through December 31, 2026.
NBRC Examination Changes Coming in 2027
Official NBRC update explaining the new Respiratory Therapy Examination, item count, time limit, fees, and transition details.
NBRC RT Detailed Content Outline Effective January 2027
Official 2027 Respiratory Therapy Examination Detailed Content Outline.
FAQ
Common NBRC TMC questions
Is this the official NBRC TMC exam?
No. These are original practice questions aligned to NBRC's public TMC Detailed Content Outline. They are not copied from secure exam forms.
How is the TMC mock weighted?
The 160-question mock follows the current TMC scored outline emphasis: patient data, equipment and quality control, and interventions.
What happens to the TMC in 2027?
NBRC says the new Respiratory Therapy Examination starts in 2027 and uses 185 items with 160 scored. Candidates should confirm whether their testing path uses TMC or the new RT Examination.
Does this include ventilator management?
Yes. The bank includes ventilator initiation, settings, graphics, alarms, monitoring, weaning, oxygenation, ventilation, and airway-care decisions.
What should I study first?
Start with patient assessment, ABG interpretation, oxygenation and ventilation basics, device checks, and common interventions before moving into ventilator troubleshooting and emergency scenarios.