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United States · Credentialing exam

NBRC CRT passing score: the low cut on the TMC and RT Examination

There’s no published number for the NBRC CRT passing score. The National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) sets two cut scores on the Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination, last given December 31, 2026, and on the Respiratory Therapy (RT) Examination that replaces it from January 4, 2027, and reports your result as pass or fail. On both, the low cut earns the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential. The RT high cut earns the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT); the TMC high cut lets you take the Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE) for it.

  • 2Cut scores on the TMC and RT Examination
  • 24 hoursTime for PSI to email your score report
  • Not publishedCorrect answers needed to pass
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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Is there a set NBRC CRT passing score?

NBRC sets the cut scores but doesn’t publish how many correct answers they take. Your score is a raw score: each scored question is worth one point, and your total is compared with the cut scores. Pretest questions don’t count, and you can’t tell which ones they are.

Each cut score comes from a study in which a panel of subject matter experts defines the minimum acceptable performance and links it to an exam score.

What the high cut means for the RRT

On the TMC, the high cut makes you eligible for the CSE only if you also meet the CSE admission requirements. It doesn’t do that on its own. On either exam, if you score below the low cut, you apply and pay again to retake it. If you already hold the CRT, a lower score on a retake doesn’t take it away.

The CSE and the RRT credential →

TMC pass rates, 2023 to 2025

NBRC publishes pass rates each year for exams given January 1 to December 31. For the TMC:

TMC result202320242025
First attempt, low cut78.9%79.5%78.5%
First attempt, high cut69.4%69.9%68.2%
Repeat attempt, low cut50.9%50.6%48.9%
Repeat attempt, high cut32.0%31.6%29.4%

NBRC gave 11,086 TMC exams in 2025 and awarded 5,768 CRT credentials that year, its 2025 Examinations in Review report says.

NBRC: 2025 Examinations in Review (PDF) ↗

What your score report shows

You see pass or fail on the screen when you finish. PSI then emails your score report to the address it has on file within 24 hours, and if it doesn’t arrive, you contact PSI. Your photo, taken at check-in, is printed on the report.

If you pass, your credential date is the day you passed. A digital certificate appears in the Practitioner Portal, and you can ask for a free printed certificate and wallet card within one year.

Within 12 months of your exam you can ask PSI in writing to verify your score from your recorded answers, for $25, or order a duplicate score report, also $25, which is mailed in about two weeks.

PSI and NBRC phone numbers →Checking an NBRC credential after you pass →

If you don’t reach the low cut

You can reapply online two business days after your exam, or by paper application. NBRC’s retake rules are in the guide’s FAQ. If you think something went wrong, such as a problem at the test site, you can ask NBRC’s Admissions Committee to reconsider. The request must reach NBRC in writing within 30 days of the decision, and the committee’s answer is final.

NBRC exam retake rules →NBRC practice exams and Self-Assessment Examinations →The RT and TMC content outlines →
Sources: NBRC and 3 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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