NBRC RT Exam Cost for 2027: First Attempts, Retakes, and a Realistic Budget

What does the RT Exam cost in 2027?

The National Board for Respiratory Care lists the Respiratory Therapy Examination fee as $360 for new applicants and $300 for repeat applicants, checked November 3, 2026. The first administration of the new RT Exam is January 4, 2027, so candidates planning that route should use its fees instead of the old TMC fee.

These are the fees published when checked, not a guarantee that every future charge will stay unchanged. Confirm the amount on NBRC's RT page and in your application before paying for a 2027 appointment.

The RT Exam uses a low cut for the CRT and a high cut for the RRT. You do not add a CSE fee to the new RT route simply because your goal is the RRT. If the credential distinction is unclear, read how the low and high cuts determine the credential before choosing which examination to budget for.

How much should I set aside for a retake?

A useful contingency is one repeat fee. It is a reserve you choose to keep available, not a requirement to pay for two attempts in advance or a prediction that you will need another sitting.

Using NBRC's published fees, checked November 3, 2026:

Each additional sitting may also change your own travel or time-off budget. Enter those expenses separately rather than assuming that the repeat fee covers the whole cost of returning to test.

The reserve also does not establish when you can retest. NBRC allows three RT attempts before requiring at least 120 days between subsequent attempts; prior TMC and CSE attempts do not count toward that RT attempt total. Use the NBRC retake-policy guide to plan timing alongside money.

For preparation planning, full NBRC RT Exam (TMC) prep planned for launch includes 1,100 questions across the four outline areas. Compare that scope with the material you already have before adding a preparation purchase to your budget.

How does the old TMC-plus-CSE cost compare?

The legacy path had two separate examination fees. The following comparison uses the published fees checked November 3, 2026 and assumes one first attempt at each required examination; it excludes discounts, retakes and personal expenses.

The arithmetic difference is $30. It is a comparison of complete first-attempt paths, not a statement that every candidate switching to RT saves $30.

If you have already paid for and passed the TMC at its high cut, that payment is already spent. For an eligible candidate deciding what to do next, the relevant additional fee is $200 for the CSE or $360 for a first RT attempt. Confirm your eligibility for the route before comparing the prices.

The CSE remains available through the end of 2027 for qualified candidates from the prior TMC high-cut route. Its full admission requirements still apply, and NBRC should resolve any cutoff or legacy-eligibility edge case. The CSE-versus-RT comparison for 2027 addresses that choice. Do not treat a previous TMC payment or discount as credit toward RT.

Which expenses are separate from the exam fee?

Start with the examination fee and add only expenses that apply to you. The worksheet below is an editorial budgeting tool; the blank amounts are yours to research, not standard NBRC charges.

Keep preparation spending tied to a specific need. Begin with 20 free NBRC RT Exam practice questions and the free NBRC RT Exam study plan. Use the guide to what is on the TMC and replacement RT Exam to check whether material you own covers the examination you will actually take.

If you want a full-length rehearsal resource, full NBRC RT Exam (TMC) prep planned for launch includes a 185-question mock exam. Check availability and price before treating any planned resource as a purchase in your budget.

Keep later credential maintenance in a separate column. NBRC's Credential Maintenance Program brochure, checked November 3, 2026, lists $30 annually from payment year 2027 for its continuing-education route. Five payment years entirely at that rate total $150. A cycle containing earlier payment years cannot simply be priced as five identical $30 charges.

That maintenance example is not another charge to add to your initial RT registration. The examination-based maintenance route has its own examination fee, and state-license renewal is a separate obligation. Use your NBRC account and your licensing authority's requirements to make that later budget specific to you.

When can I lose an examination fee?

The NBRC Candidate Handbook, checked November 3, 2026, says examination fees are not refundable or transferable after eligibility has been determined. It also identifies two situations in which a fee is forfeited:

• The assigned eligibility period expires before you test.
• You miss the examination appointment.

Accepted applications normally allow 90 calendar days, but the dates assigned to you are the ones to follow. In the launch period, do not calculate your own exception from the RT opening date; ask NBRC to resolve any conflict between your authorization and intended appointment.

Before paying, make sure your preparation plan and likely availability fit the application process. After approval, record the eligibility expiration and appointment details together. If you need to change an appointment, check the instructions in your authorization and contact PSI for the applicable rules before assuming that cancellation preserves your fee.

What should I verify before paying?

Use this final check for a 2027 budget:

1. Identify your examination. A new RT candidate uses the RT fee. A qualifying legacy CSE candidate checks the remaining route and its admission requirements.
2. Recheck the published charge. Start with the $360 new or $300 repeat RT rate checked November 3, 2026, then verify the amount before payment. Do not subtract an assumed RT discount.
3. Choose your contingency. Decide whether to reserve one repeat fee and any associated personal expenses.
4. Price optional spending separately. Use current quotes for resources and your own travel estimate; avoid a single unexplained “all-in” number.
5. Record the deadlines. Save the assigned eligibility period and booking instructions so a missed date does not turn into a forfeited fee.

Your practical starting budget is $360 plus your own expenses, or $660 plus those expenses if you reserve one retake. Keep maintenance planning separate and revisit all quoted amounts before booking.

For regular recall practice within a larger study plan, full NBRC RT Exam (TMC) prep planned for launch includes 500 flashcards. Add paid preparation only after you have identified the review work it needs to support.