NBRC TMC and RT Practice Exams: Free Tests, SAEs, and Review

Which practice resource matches the exam I will take?

Choose by the exam you will take, starting with the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination if you will still sit it. NBRC lists its own free practice exam and two Self-Assessment Examination (SAE) forms for the TMC, a free practice exam and an SAE for the Respiratory Therapy (RT) Examination, and a free format practice simulation and paid SAEs for the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE). Use the free resource to get familiar with the experience; NBRC's RT page says SAEs add examination committee rationales.

The resource labels were checked November 3, 2026. The TMC end date comes from NBRC's TMC and CSE application, checked November 7, 2026.

Because the TMC's last test day is December 31, 2026, a candidate who will take the multiple-choice exam in 2027 should use the RT resource. A resource labeled TMC is not a complete substitute for RT preparation. If you are trying to fit in a late TMC sitting, read the RT exam dates guide first, because NBRC's pages listed different final TMC application dates as checked November 3, 2026.

If you are deciding between the CSE and the RT Exam, settle the route before buying resources. A TMC high cut alone does not admit you to the CSE, because its full admission requirements still apply. Use the CSE versus RT route guide and confirm your individual eligibility with NBRC. Our guide to TMC content and the replacement RT Exam explains the transition.

Where can I find the official free TMC, RT, or CSE resource?

Start from the NBRC page in the table rather than from a search result or an old study recommendation.

1. Open your exam's page. The CRT/TMC page and the RT page each have separate Free Practice Exam and Self-Assessment sections. NBRC's Resources page also links directly to the free RT practice exam.
2. Confirm the exam name. Check that the resource is labeled for your exam before you start, then keep that name beside any result so a TMC score does not later become mislabeled as an RT assessment.
3. For the CSE, expect a different task. CSE simulations use a different format from the multiple-choice RT Exam, so use the simulation only if the CSE is your route.

Give your first free practice session a narrow purpose. Notice whether you understand what each question asks and whether unfamiliar controls interrupt your concentration. Record a software question separately from a content question: learning how to navigate is a different review task from learning the subject.

For more practice after the official resource, the 20 free NBRC RT Exam practice questions are original Passy practice, not an official NBRC exam, and each one explains why the other options fall short. The free NBRC RT Exam study plan builds a schedule from your test date, daily minutes, and one weak area; keep the review tasks you identify in your own log.

For an RT candidate who wants a larger question set later, 1,100 questions are planned for launch as part of full NBRC RT Exam (TMC) prep. That volume is not dedicated CSE preparation.

What do paid NBRC SAEs add?

On its RT page, NBRC says SAEs include examination committee rationales. That makes an SAE useful when your question is no longer just "Can I work through the test?" but "What reasoning do I need to understand better?" The TMC and CSE pages list their own SAEs, so confirm what each listing includes before you pay.

For the RT SAE, NBRC allows completion within 90 days after the confirmation email, as checked November 3, 2026. Before purchasing, choose a period when you can complete the assessment and set aside time to review it. The completion window is not a recommended length of study, and it does not establish your authorization to sit the credentialing exam.

NBRC announced a second RT SAE for March 2027, but its availability had not been verified as of November 3, 2026. Do not build a preparation schedule around that second form until NBRC actually offers it. The two TMC forms do not establish that two RT forms are available. Check the current catalog for the form name, availability, and price before paying; this guide does not quote an unverified SAE price.

Versions can also change. NBRC's 2025 lecture on the new exam said the practice exam and SAEs were being updated for 2026 releases and that, starting in 2026, the secure SAE would be refreshed every two years. A lecture is not a policy document, so treat that as a reason to confirm the current form rather than rely on one a classmate used. For older materials you already own, compare the topic with your current outline before assigning it study time.

After reading the rationales, identify which subject needs more work. For additional topic review, full NBRC RT Exam (TMC) prep planned for launch is organized across four outline areas. Keep NBRC's official assessment feedback as a separate record of what you want to investigate.

How should I review correct guesses and wrong answers?

Use this review process as an editorial study method, not an NBRC scoring rule. Its purpose is to turn feedback into a specific next task, so give every reviewed question one of three reasons.

Then work through each logged question in the same order:

1. Name the task in your own words. Write the outline topic and the decision you were being asked to make. Do not copy the protected question or answer options into a shared document.
2. Record the reason. Choose one of the three above, and include uncertain correct answers.
3. Read the official rationale where the resource provides one. Identify the point that changes or confirms your reasoning. If something remains unclear, take the topic to an instructor or an appropriate primary reference.
4. Assign one review action. "Review devices" is broad. "Explain the purpose of the monitoring device named in this topic, then check my explanation" gives the next session a clear task.
5. Return to the topic with fresh practice. Look for whether you can explain the reasoning independently, rather than simply recognize an answer you saw before.

For example, a log entry might read: "Intervention question; misread task; I answered before identifying what change the question requested; next session, restate the task before selecting an option." This is a study-process example, not a clinical recommendation or an official question. The 2027 RT study plan guide shows how to place tasks like this in a weekly schedule.

When the gap is factual recall, full NBRC RT Exam (TMC) prep planned for launch includes 500 flashcards for additional recall practice. Use recall work alongside the reasoning review, rather than treating every missed item as a fact to memorize.

What can a practice result tell me?

A practice result can show you what to review next, but no practice result establishes that you have earned an NBRC credential. Use it to find topics you cannot explain, uncertain answers, and problems completing your planned session. Treat those observations as reasons to adjust study work, not as a formula that predicts the outcome.

Keep assessment feedback separate from the actual exam's passing requirements. The guide to TMC cut scores and the RT transition explains how those requirements work. Do not convert a practice or SAE percentage into a TMC cut score or a promised probability of passing, and do not carry a TMC number over to an RT resource: no numeric RT cut scores had been verified as of November 3, 2026.

NBRC also states in its Candidate Handbook that it does not endorse review programs. An independent preparation resource, Passy included, should not be described as NBRC-approved because it covers NBRC outline topics.

What should I do before buying another assessment?

Buying another assessment is most useful when you know what you intend to learn from it. Before you pay:

1. Close out the last assessment. Finish the log and act on its review tasks first.
2. Write down the exact exam name. Check it against your route in the table above.
3. Confirm the current form and price. Use NBRC's catalog, not a remembered form name.
4. Reserve two sessions. Book time for the assessment and for the review, both inside its completion window.

For later rehearsal on the RT route, full NBRC RT Exam (TMC) prep planned for launch includes a 185-question mock exam. It is not a CSE simulation.

Finish today with one concrete choice: open the correct official practice resource from the table, or schedule the next review task from an assessment you have already completed.