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TMC Exam – Secure Comprehensive Therapist SAE Exam
Practice Questions & Answers (Verified Update)
This comprehensive study guide covers the core domains tested
on the NBRC Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination,
aligned with the 2026–2027 curriculum. It includes original
practice questions with detailed rationales, organized by the
official TMC content outline.
Exam Overview & Blueprint:
Parameter Details
Exam
160 multiple-choice items (140 scored + 20 unscored pretest)
Format
Time Limit 3 hours
Passing
Low cut (~86 correct) earns CRT; High cut (~92 correct) grants CSE eligibility
Score
Core Patient Data Evaluation & Recommendations (50 items, 36%); Troubleshooting & Quality Control / Infection Cont
Domains (20 items, 14%); Initiation & Modification of Interventions (70 items, 50%)
Patient assessment, ABG interpretation, mechanical ventilation, airway management, oxygen therapy, pharmaco
Key Topics
neonatal/pediatric care, critical care, pulmonary function testing, ethics, infection control
Section 1: Patient Data Evaluation & Recommendations
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Q1. What is the primary difference between a sign and a
symptom?
A) Signs are subjective; symptoms are objective
B) Signs are objective findings that can be observed or
measured; symptoms are subjective feelings reported by the
patient
C) Signs are only observed in chronic illness; symptoms only in
acute illness
D) There is no difference
Answer: B
Rationale: Signs are objective data that a clinician can directly
see, hear, feel, or measure, such as a rash, fever, or abnormal
breath sound. Symptoms are subjective and reported by the
patient .
Q2. A patient's tobacco use is calculated as 1.5 packs per day
for 20 years. What is the correct pack-year history?
A) 15 pack-years
B) 30 pack-years
C) 20 pack-years
D) 35 pack-years
Answer: B
Rationale: Pack-years = packs per day × years smoked = 1.5 × 20
= 30 pack-years .
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Q3. What is the primary purpose of an advanced directive in
patient care?
A) To provide guidance for medical decisions if the patient
becomes incapacitated
B) To ensure the patient receives all possible treatments
C) To transfer financial responsibility to family members
D) To allow the physician to make all decisions
Answer: A
Rationale: Advanced directives are legal documents that outline
a patient's preferences for medical treatment, ensuring their
wishes are respected when they are no longer able to
communicate them .
Q4. For a patient with a Do-Not-Intubate (DNI) order, which
intervention is typically still permissible?
A) Endotracheal intubation
B) Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (e.g., BiPAP)
C) Tracheostomy
D) Open chest massage
Answer: B
Rationale: A DNI order specifically refers to the refusal of
endotracheal intubation. It does not preclude the use of non-
invasive ventilation, which does not involve an invasive airway .
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Q5. A durable power of attorney for healthcare grants an
individual the authority to:
A) Make healthcare decisions on behalf of the patient if they
are unable
B) Manage the patient's finances
C) Override the patient's living will
D) Prescribe medications
Answer: A
Rationale: This legal designation appoints a healthcare proxy to
make medical choices based on the patient's known wishes or
best interests during periods of incapacity .
Q6. A patient is admitted to the ED following a motor vehicle
accident. On physical exam, the respiratory therapist discovers
that breath sounds are absent in the left chest with a
hyperresonant percussion note. The trachea is shifted to the
right. The patient's heart rate is 45/min, respiratory rate is
30/min, and blood pressure is 60/40 mm Hg. What action
should the therapist recommend first?
A) Administer 100% oxygen via non-rebreather mask
B) Needle aspirate the 2nd left intercostal space
C) Insert a chest tube
D) Perform a bronchoscopy
Answer: B
Rationale: This patient has a tension pneumothorax, indicated
TMC Exam – Secure Comprehensive Therapist SAE Exam
Practice Questions & Answers (Verified Update)
This comprehensive study guide covers the core domains tested
on the NBRC Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) Examination,
aligned with the 2026–2027 curriculum. It includes original
practice questions with detailed rationales, organized by the
official TMC content outline.
Exam Overview & Blueprint:
Parameter Details
Exam
160 multiple-choice items (140 scored + 20 unscored pretest)
Format
Time Limit 3 hours
Passing
Low cut (~86 correct) earns CRT; High cut (~92 correct) grants CSE eligibility
Score
Core Patient Data Evaluation & Recommendations (50 items, 36%); Troubleshooting & Quality Control / Infection Cont
Domains (20 items, 14%); Initiation & Modification of Interventions (70 items, 50%)
Patient assessment, ABG interpretation, mechanical ventilation, airway management, oxygen therapy, pharmaco
Key Topics
neonatal/pediatric care, critical care, pulmonary function testing, ethics, infection control
Section 1: Patient Data Evaluation & Recommendations
, Page |2
Q1. What is the primary difference between a sign and a
symptom?
A) Signs are subjective; symptoms are objective
B) Signs are objective findings that can be observed or
measured; symptoms are subjective feelings reported by the
patient
C) Signs are only observed in chronic illness; symptoms only in
acute illness
D) There is no difference
Answer: B
Rationale: Signs are objective data that a clinician can directly
see, hear, feel, or measure, such as a rash, fever, or abnormal
breath sound. Symptoms are subjective and reported by the
patient .
Q2. A patient's tobacco use is calculated as 1.5 packs per day
for 20 years. What is the correct pack-year history?
A) 15 pack-years
B) 30 pack-years
C) 20 pack-years
D) 35 pack-years
Answer: B
Rationale: Pack-years = packs per day × years smoked = 1.5 × 20
= 30 pack-years .
, Page |3
Q3. What is the primary purpose of an advanced directive in
patient care?
A) To provide guidance for medical decisions if the patient
becomes incapacitated
B) To ensure the patient receives all possible treatments
C) To transfer financial responsibility to family members
D) To allow the physician to make all decisions
Answer: A
Rationale: Advanced directives are legal documents that outline
a patient's preferences for medical treatment, ensuring their
wishes are respected when they are no longer able to
communicate them .
Q4. For a patient with a Do-Not-Intubate (DNI) order, which
intervention is typically still permissible?
A) Endotracheal intubation
B) Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (e.g., BiPAP)
C) Tracheostomy
D) Open chest massage
Answer: B
Rationale: A DNI order specifically refers to the refusal of
endotracheal intubation. It does not preclude the use of non-
invasive ventilation, which does not involve an invasive airway .
, Page |4
Q5. A durable power of attorney for healthcare grants an
individual the authority to:
A) Make healthcare decisions on behalf of the patient if they
are unable
B) Manage the patient's finances
C) Override the patient's living will
D) Prescribe medications
Answer: A
Rationale: This legal designation appoints a healthcare proxy to
make medical choices based on the patient's known wishes or
best interests during periods of incapacity .
Q6. A patient is admitted to the ED following a motor vehicle
accident. On physical exam, the respiratory therapist discovers
that breath sounds are absent in the left chest with a
hyperresonant percussion note. The trachea is shifted to the
right. The patient's heart rate is 45/min, respiratory rate is
30/min, and blood pressure is 60/40 mm Hg. What action
should the therapist recommend first?
A) Administer 100% oxygen via non-rebreather mask
B) Needle aspirate the 2nd left intercostal space
C) Insert a chest tube
D) Perform a bronchoscopy
Answer: B
Rationale: This patient has a tension pneumothorax, indicated
