NBRC-ELE is an examination for the certification credential of respiratory therapists in the United States. This was originally the only examination for all respiratory therapists until the RRT

Registered Respiratory Therapist

A Registered Respiratory Therapist is a cardiopulmonary therapist and specialist who is required to exercise considerable independent clinical judgment in the respiratory care of patients...

 credential was created.

The NBRC-ELE is developed and owned by the National Board for Respiratory Care

National Board for Respiratory Care

The National Board for Respiratory Care Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 with the purpose of awarding and maintaining credentialing for Respiratory therapists in the United States....

 and administers the examination through its for-profit private stock testing company Applied Measurement Professionals

Applied Measurement Professionals

Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc is a for-profit private stock corporation located in Olathe, Kansas, which is in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Incorporated in 1982 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the non-profit National Board for Respiratory Care as NBRC Management Services, Inc...

, Inc. In the United States all 48 contiguous states require at minimum the credential awarded from the NBRC-ELE for eligibility to procure licensure to practice respiratory therapy

Respiratory therapy

Respiratory therapy is a healthcare profession in which specialists work with patients suffering from either acute or chronic respiratory problems. These specialists are termed Respiratory Therapists in most places internationally but may also be referred to as Respiratory Scientists or...

 in that state.

Eligibility

The NBRC requires the candidate be 18 years old at the time of application for the examination. Applicants must have a minimum of an associate degree from a respiratory therapist education program supported or accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care is a non-profit accreditation organization dedicated to Respiratory Care. CoARC accredits degree-granting programs in respiratory care that have undergone a rigorous process of voluntary peer review and have met or exceeded the minimum...

 (CoARC). Applicants enrolled in an accredited respiratory therapy program in an institution offering a baccalaureate degree

Bachelor of Science in Cardiopulmonary Therapy

The Bachelor of Science in Cardiopulmonary Therapy is a four year academic degree in the science and principles of Respiratory therapy, granted by a tertiary education university or similarly accredited school...

may be admitted to the CRT Examination with a "special certificate of completion" issued by a sponsoring educational institution.

Exam content

The Entry-Level CRT Examination is designed to objectively measure essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required of entry-level respiratory therapists. The examination consists of 160 multiple-choice questions (140 scored items and 20 un-scored items) distributed among three major content areas: clinical data, equipment, and therapeutic procedures.