NBRC Exam Part I 2026/2027 – 150+ Questions & Answers | Patient Assessment, Airway Care, Pulmonary Diagnostics, Oxygen Therapy, Special Procedures & Mechanical Ventilation

This comprehensive NBRC Exam Part I 2026/2027 study guide contains 150+ respiratory therapy exam questions and answers across 107 pages, with scenario-based material designed around clinical assessment, decision-making, respiratory equipment, diagnostic testing, airway management, oxygen administration, and mechanical ventilation. Major sections include Patient Assessment, Airway Care, Therapeutic Procedures, General Patient Care, Special Procedures, Pulmonary Diagnostic Testing, and Mechanical Ventilation, making the document a broad review resource for respiratory therapy examination preparation. The Patient Assessment section develops clinical interpretation skills through questions involving capnography, static and dynamic compliance, pulmonary artery catheters, CVP and pulmonary wedge pressure, pulse oximetry, transcutaneous oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring, breath sounds, percussion findings, chest radiographs, ECG rhythms, blood pressure, cardiac output, pulmonary edema, pneumothorax, pleural effusion, pneumonia, shock, pulmonary embolism, and laboratory values. Clinical scenarios require students to connect assessment findings with appropriate respiratory therapy interventions. A substantial portion addresses cardiopulmonary monitoring and emergency assessment. Students encounter multifocal PVCs, ventricular fibrillation, sinus bradycardia, ventricular tachycardia, hypotension, arterial-line monitoring, pulmonary artery pressure, wedge-pressure tracings, cardiac medications, oxygenation assessment, hemoglobin and hematocrit evaluation, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation scenarios. The questions emphasize choosing appropriate immediate actions based on the patient information presented. The Airway Care material covers nasopharyngeal airways, neonatal and adult endotracheal tubes, airway suctioning, stylet positioning, double-lumen endobronchial tubes, tracheostomy tubes, cuff pressure, one-way resuscitation valves, suction catheter sizing, vacuum pressure, airway obstruction, choking, oxygenation during suctioning, and prevention of tracheal-wall injury. Several scenarios require candidates to recognize airway complications and determine the next respiratory therapy intervention. The Therapeutic Procedures section reviews CPAP, IPPB, oxygen administration, metered-dose inhalers and spacers, oxygen-cylinder duration calculations, postural drainage, suctioning, air-to-oxygen ratios, air-entrainment systems, humidification, oxygen hoods, heat-moisture exchangers, oxygen blenders, and respiratory equipment troubleshooting. Numerical questions include oxygen-cylinder factors, flow calculations, FiO2 ratios, and total-flow calculations relevant to respiratory therapy practice. The guide also contains General Patient Care questions addressing medication dispensing, smoking cessation, ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention, home respiratory equipment, humidifier care, exhaled carbon monoxide monitoring, transtracheal oxygen therapy, portable oxygen systems, and oxygen-conserving cannulas. This section broadens preparation beyond bedside procedures by incorporating infection prevention, patient education, home care, and respiratory equipment management. The Special Procedures section includes hyperbaric oxygen therapy, heliox calculations, inhaled nitric oxide, thoracentesis and pleural-fluid assessment, polysomnography, obstructive sleep apnea, nasal CPAP, cardiopulmonary stress testing, respiratory quotient calculations, neonatal apnea, and management of unstable cardiac rhythms. These questions integrate respiratory physiology with specialized diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. A dedicated Pulmonary Diagnostic Testing section reviews spirometry and pulmonary function testing, including FVC, lung volumes, water-seal spirometers, pneumotachometers, Wright respirometers, body plethysmography, arterial blood gas interpretation, oxygen saturation estimation, and calculations involving lung capacities. Students are expected to interpret clinical measurements and identify appropriate diagnostic equipment or procedures. The extensive Mechanical Ventilation material covers ventilator modes and settings, tidal volume, respiratory rate, FiO2, PEEP, peak and plateau pressures, static and dynamic compliance, airway resistance, pressure-control and volume-control ventilation, SIMV, assist/control ventilation, inverse-ratio ventilation, high-frequency ventilation, ventilator alarms, pressure-volume loops, dead-space calculations, neonatal ventilation, ARDS scenarios, oxygenation problems, and ventilation adjustments based on arterial blood gases. Neonatal and pediatric respiratory care is incorporated throughout the document. Questions address premature infants, respiratory distress syndrome and hyaline membrane disease, transcutaneous monitoring, neonatal pneumothorax and transillumination, meconium-related airway management, CPAP, oxygen hoods, neutral thermal environments, neonatal apnea, high-frequency ventilation, neonatal transport, and appropriate airway equipment. The document also reinforces respiratory calculations and clinical interpretation, including target tidal volumes, minute alveolar ventilation, oxygen-cylinder duration, air-to-oxygen ratios, pulmonary pressures, aortic pulse pressure, FiO2 and total flow, maximum heart rate, respiratory quotient, and pulmonary-function measurements. This combination of calculation-based and clinical scenario questions makes the material especially relevant for students who need practice applying respiratory care principles rather than reviewing definitions alone. Relevant Students This document is particularly relevant for NBRC exam candidates, respiratory therapy students, respiratory therapist certification candidates, CRT candidates, RRT-track students, respiratory care students, cardiopulmonary science students, pulmonary function technology students, respiratory therapy graduates, clinical respiratory care students, neonatal and pediatric respiratory care students, and practicing respiratory therapists reviewing core examination concepts. It is especially useful for learners seeking question-and-answer practice in patient assessment, airway management, pulmonary diagnostics, oxygen therapy, mechanical ventilation, ABG interpretation, neonatal respiratory care, cardiopulmonary monitoring, and respiratory equipment. 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