Castleport Test Prep

NBRC TMC Exam Requirements

To take the NBRC Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination, you must be 18 or older and meet one of five admission routes. The standard graduate route requires at least an associate degree from an entry-into-practice respiratory therapy program supported or accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) (NBRC Candidate Handbook, p. 4).

The TMC ends December 31, 2026. That is the last day to test. NBRC lists two different final application dates: December 15, 2026 on its RT Examination page and December 17, 2026 on its Resources FAQ. Plan to apply before the earlier published date, and confirm the final cutoff with NBRC. From 2027, new candidates take the Respiratory Therapy (RT) Examination instead.

Which admission route fits you?

Be 18 or older, plus meet one of these:

Your situation NBRC's requirement What to have ready
Respiratory therapy graduate Graduated with at least an associate degree from an entry-into-practice respiratory therapy program supported or accredited by CoARC Your degree conferral date, program name and location, and the program's CoARC number. Your school submits your graduation to NBRC electronically.
Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) for 4+ years Held the CRT for at least 4 years, plus at least 62 semester hours of college credit that include anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology, and mathematics An active CRT and transcripts showing the 62 hours and the four subjects
CRT for 2+ years, with an RT associate degree Held the CRT for at least 2 years, plus at least an associate degree from an accredited entry-level respiratory care program An active CRT and your degree and program record
CRT for 2+ years, with a non-RT bachelor's Held the CRT for at least 2 years, plus a bachelor's degree in another field and the same 62 semester hours with the four subjects An active CRT and transcripts showing both the degree and the courses
Canadian RRT Hold the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential A paper application, plus an official CSRT verification letter sent by CSRT directly to apply@nbrc.org

Sources: Handbook pp. 4–6, NBRC TMC page, NBRC Resources FAQ. You can look up your program in CoARC's accredited program directory.

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team. Eligibility, application rules, fees, and exam-transition facts last verified October 29, 2026.

The three CRT routes are NBRC's CRT-to-Registry provision. They provide an alternative path for certain credentialed CRTs to work toward the RRT, and they expire December 31, 2026 (NBRC notice). For the 62-credit routes, NBRC specifies a college or university accredited by its regional association or equivalent; the required credits must be finished before you apply. Not sure your courses count? NBRC will evaluate your transcripts for free: send them with the CRT-to-Registry evaluation form, with no application or fee. The form says to allow approximately four weeks after NBRC receives it and all your transcripts; confirm current turnaround with NBRC before relying on that estimate near the cutoff. With the December cutoff, start now.

Can I take the TMC before I graduate?

Not through the standard graduate route. Required coursework must be complete before you apply, and NBRC counts your graduation date as the day your degree is conferred, not your last day of classes or clinicals (Handbook p. 6). If you need the graduate route and your degree won't be conferred before TMC applications close, use the RT Examination requirements for 2027.

Do I need a bachelor's degree or work experience?

Not on the standard graduate route. An associate degree from a qualifying program meets the minimum for new graduates, and a CoARC-accredited entry-into-practice bachelor's program qualifies too. The 2- and 4-year time requirements apply only to the CRT routes. A nursing degree, an unrelated associate degree, or general healthcare experience doesn't meet the graduate route on its own. The standard graduate admission route does not specify a graduation-recency limit (Handbook p. 4).

What if I trained outside the United States?

NBRC states that foreign respiratory therapy education alone does not qualify for TMC admission (NBRC TMC FAQ). The exception is the separate route for holders of the CSRT RRT credential in Canada. Canadian applicants don't need a U.S. Social Security number: list your SIN or leave that section blank, and NBRC assigns an ID number (Resources FAQ).

TMC now or the RT Examination in 2027?

If you… Your route
Can meet NBRC's application cutoff and test by Dec 31, 2026 Take the TMC under the routes above. Application processing and an open PSI appointment both have to fit by December 31.
Will test in 2027 without an eligible CSE continuation Take the RT Examination. Admission: 18 or older, and either graduation with at least an associate degree from a CoARC-supported or accredited entry-into-practice respiratory therapy program or the CSRT RRT. There are no CRT-to-Registry routes. Applications opened October 1, 2026; first testing is January 4, 2027.
Pass the TMC at the high cut score by Dec 31, 2026 You can take the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) through December 31, 2027, if you meet its admission requirements, or, if you meet the RT Examination's admission requirements, take that exam and pass at its high cut score for the RRT.

Already eligible for the CSE? Don't apply for the RT Examination by accident. An NBRC transition notice, published September 10, 2026 by Indiana's licensing agency, says that once a candidate applies for the RT Examination, they are no longer eligible to apply for the CSE.

Using a CRT route? The CRT-to-Registry provision ends December 31, 2026 and cannot establish admission to the new RT Examination; you must meet one of the RT admission routes above (NBRC notice, RT admission requirements). If you're on a CRT route and might not finish the CSE in 2026, confirm your remaining options with NBRC at apply@nbrc.org or 913.895.4900 before you plan around a 2027 CSE date. The CRT credential itself is not going away.

What the December dates mean in practice

  • Your 90-day window shrinks. Normally you get 90 calendar days to test once NBRC accepts your application (Handbook p. 8). The TMC still ends December 31, so an application accepted on December 10 leaves you about three weeks, not three months.
  • A missed December appointment may be final. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late or don't show up, you aren't tested and normally must submit a new application and fee; see the emergency fee-transfer exceptions below (Handbook pp. 9, 11). After the application cutoff, there's no new TMC application to submit.
  • Want room for a retake? Test early. A failing candidate can reapply online two business days after the exam (Handbook p. 13). Using the earlier published December 15 cutoff for planning, a Monday, December 14 attempt would reach the two-business-day online reapplication point on Wednesday, December 16. Confirm the cutoff with NBRC; any retest would still need an open seat by December 31, during holiday weeks. Exams run Monday through Saturday, except for NBRC's listed holidays and any additional site closures (Handbook p. 8). Testing by late November or early December gives more time to reapply and find another appointment.

What to do before you apply

  1. Pick your exam and route. Use the two tables above. If you already passed the TMC at the high cut score or rely on a CRT route, settle that before choosing an exam in the portal.
  2. Request accommodations first, if you need them. If NBRC has not previously provided you accommodations, submit its accommodations request form (PDF) and documentation before you apply and pay, and allow 5 to 7 business days. If the form arrives after you pay and schedule, approved accommodations won't apply to that appointment. If you have received NBRC accommodations before, confirm the arrangements for this attempt with NBRC (application instructions).
  3. Confirm your graduation or credential evidence. New graduates: your school submits your graduation electronically, and NBRC emails you when it arrives. If it hasn't, ask your program. New CRT-route applicants need transcripts. For the TMC, CSRT RRT holders need the CSRT verification letter to establish that route.
  4. Set up your NBRC account. Use an email address you check. If you're a returning applicant, use your existing record.
  5. Apply. Apply online through the NBRC Practitioner Portal, or use the paper form for your exam: TMC/CSE application (PDF) or RT Examination application (PDF). First-time CSRT applicants for the TMC establish their eligibility with a paper form and credential verification. Online applications receive an immediate response, which may request additional information; mailed applications take about 5 to 7 business days after receipt, which matters this close to the cutoff (Handbook pp. 7–8).
  6. Pay the way NBRC tells you to. Don't send payment with a paper application. NBRC emails payment instructions after it accepts your application.
  7. Schedule with PSI. Once you're approved and paid, book through PSI. Your date must fall within your eligibility window. For the TMC, it must also be on or before December 31, 2026.
  8. Check your IDs. See the test-day rules below. If your name has changed, update your NBRC record before test day.

Do you need to mail transcripts? Not automatically as a new graduate on the standard route. Graduation comes from your school, and NBRC randomly audits it. If an audit cannot verify your graduation electronically, NBRC requires official transcripts (NBRC education audit). Supply any additional eligibility documents NBRC requests (Handbook pp. 7–8). If you're audited, respond quickly: failing to respond can invalidate scores.

Fees, format, and attempts

Requirement TMC (ends Dec 31, 2026) RT Examination (from Jan 4, 2027)
First attempt $190 $360
Repeat attempt $150 $300
Format 160 multiple-choice items (140 scored, 20 unscored pretest), 3 hours 185 multiple-choice items (160 scored, 25 unscored pretest), 4 hours
Credential earned Low cut score: CRT. High cut score: CRT plus CSE eligibility if you meet its admission requirements Low cut score: CRT. High cut score: RRT

Sources: Handbook pp. 4, 8, 12, NBRC RT page. These are NBRC exam fees only; state license fees are separate.

  • Refunds: Fees aren't refundable or transferable once NBRC determines eligibility, subject to its emergency transfer policy. NBRC may approve a fee transfer if your hospitalization or a death in your immediate family prevented testing; proof is required (Handbook pp. 8–9).
  • Rescheduling: You can reschedule once without penalty, within your assigned eligibility period, if you contact PSI at least one business day before your appointment (Handbook p. 9). For the TMC, the new date still has to be by December 31.
  • Attempts: You get three initial TMC attempts without the 120-day wait, then a minimum 120-day wait between later attempts (Handbook p. 13). Any required waiting period must finish in time for a TMC appointment by December 31, 2026. TMC and CSE attempts don't count toward the RT Examination (NBRC RT FAQ).

Test-day requirements

NBRC exams are taken in person at a PSI testing site. Remote proctoring ended after December 31, 2024 (NBRC notice). Applying online doesn't mean you test from home.

  • Bring two current IDs, both showing your current name and signature.
  • One must be a photo ID: driver's license, state ID card, passport, or military ID.
  • Not accepted: temporary licenses or other temporary IDs, employee IDs, and student IDs.
  • If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, you won't be admitted.

Source: Handbook p. 11.

Does passing the TMC make you an RRT or licensed?

No to both. The TMC's low cut score earns the CRT. The high cut score earns the CRT and opens the CSE (if you meet its admission rules), and passing the CSE earns the RRT. Failing the TMC doesn't take away a CRT you already hold (NBRC TMC page). Your score report shows which result you reached (Handbook p. 12).

A credential also isn't a license. NBRC notes that every state that regulates respiratory care uses the CRT or RRT as the basis for licensure, but each state runs its own application (NBRC TMC page, Handbook p. 7). Apply through your state's respiratory care licensing agency. Our respiratory therapist certification guide covers how CRT, RRT, and licensing fit together.

Ready to study?

If you're taking the TMC through December 31, 2026, study against the TMC Detailed Content Outline (PDF). For the RT Examination beginning January 4, 2027, use the RT Detailed Content Outline (PDF). If you remain eligible for the CSE during 2027, use the CSE Detailed Content Outline (PDF).

Sources

Checked October 29, 2026:

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Exam and credential names identify the subjects discussed; trademarks belong to their respective owners.