The CRT (Certified Respiratory Therapist) is an allied-health certification awarded by NBRC.
NBRC publishes the official exam outline, eligibility rules and fees — see NBRC's official page before you book.
In our 1040-card CRT deck the heaviest topics are Procedures (21%), Diagnostics (20%), Management (13%) — that is how this deck is weighted, not the official blueprint, so use it to plan practice and check NBRC's exam outline for the real weighting. This guide shows where the material gets hardest, which topics to practise first, and a 5-step plan built on active recall.
Start with the free CRT practice test
20 mixed questions with answers — find your weak topics before you plan around them →
Based on the 1040 flashcards in our CRT deck. Use it to budget study time, then confirm the official blueprint with the certifying body below.
| Topic | Cards | Share of deck | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procedures | 220 | 21% | Free questions → |
| Diagnostics | 210 | 20% | Free questions → |
| Management | 140 | 13% | Free questions → |
| Assessment | 110 | 11% | Free questions → |
| Monitoring | 90 | 9% | Free questions → |
| Pharmacology | 90 | 9% | Free questions → |
| Pathology | 80 | 8% | Free questions → |
| Basics | 70 | 7% | Free questions → |
| Emergency | 20 | 2% | in the full deck |
| Blood Gas Qc | 10 | 1% | in the full deck |
Our CRT cards carry difficulty ratings. The spread tells you how much of the deck is quick recall versus genuinely demanding:
0
Easy cards
0% of deck
515
Medium cards
50% of deck
515
Hard cards
50% of deck
These are genuine cards from the heaviest-weighted topics above. Answer each one before you reveal it — that is what active recall means in practice.
An RT refuses to perform an arterial puncture on a combative patient who is clearly refusing the procedure, despite a physician's order. Which ethical principle is the RT upholding?
Show answer →Autonomy. This principle recognizes the patient's right to self-determination and to refuse medical treatment. Even with a physician's order, performing a procedure against a competent patient's will constitutes battery. NBRC Tip: Autonomy often trumps Beneficence (acting in the patient's best interest) when the patient is competent and refuses care.
An RT administers high-dose opioids to a terminal patient to relieve severe dyspnea, knowing it may suppress respiratory drive. Which ethical principle justifies this action?
Show answer →The Rule of Double Effect. This principle states that an action with a good intended effect (relieving suffering) is permissible even if it has a foreseeable but unintended bad effect (respiratory depression/death). The intent must be the good effect. NBRC focuses on this in the context of end-of-life comfort care and palliative sedation.
A patient with a BMI of 36, neck circumference of 18 inches, and frequent daytime sleepiness is being evaluated. Which screening tool is most appropriate for the RT to use in the initial history, and what specific score indicates high risk?
Show answer →The STOP-BANG questionnaire is the gold standard for OSA screening. Components: Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, Pressure (BP), BMI (>35), Age (>50), Neck (>16in/40cm), Gender (Male). A score of 5-8 indicates high risk for OSA. NBRC Exam Tip: Recognize that Neck circumference and BMI are disproportionately weighted in clinical suspicion. High-risk patients require a referral for a Polysomnogram (PSG).
Eligibility, fees, question counts and the current blueprint live on the official NBRC site (linked below). Print the outline — it is the map for everything that follows.
These 3 topics alone account for roughly 54% of our 1040-card CRT deck. Time spent here pays off more than anywhere else.
Answer questions before flipping to the answer — that struggle is what builds retention. Start with the 30 free CRT cards, then work through the full deck one category at a time.
After a full pass, re-drill only the cards you missed. Small categories are quick wins — closing a weak topic can be an afternoon's work.
Our deck rates 515 cards as hard. If those feel comfortable in your final two weeks, you are studying above test level.
Put the plan into practice
Every topic in the table above, with progress tracking across devices.
One-time payment · less than 1¢ per card · 30-day money-back guarantee
Try 30 free CRT cards firstWeight your time toward the biggest topics: in our 1040-card CRT deck, Procedures has 220 cards (21%), Diagnostics has 210 cards (20%), Management has 140 cards (13%). Always cross-check against the official NBRC exam outline.
Question counts, time limits and fees change — always confirm them in the official NBRC handbook (linked on this page). For practice, our CRT deck has 1040 question-and-answer flashcards covering the listed topics.
Difficulty is personal, but our deck's ratings give a sense of the spread: 0 easy, 515 medium and 515 hard cards. If the hard cards feel manageable, you are in good shape.
Try the 30 free CRT flashcards — no sign-up needed. If the format works for you, the full 1040-card deck is a one-time $7.
Eligibility rules, fees, question counts and passing standards are set by the certifying body and change over time. Always confirm them at the source before you apply or schedule your exam — our flashcards are practice material, not the official handbook.