2027 RT Exam Content Outline, Area by Area

The Breadth of Knowledge portion of the 2027 RT Exam is 100 scored items spread over 16 content areas. Here is every area, how many items it carries per form, and the TMC area it grew out of — so you can see where your existing study maps and where to look closer.

Source: NBRC, RT Exam Detailed Content Outline (effective January 2027)

Breadth of Knowledge

Three domains, sixteen areas.

Item counts are per exam form, out of the 100 Breadth items. The matching TMC areas are our mapping, not the NBRC's — most keep the same code; the TMC's II.B and II.C fold into one 2027 area.

Domain I: Patient Data

25 items

Domain I content areas with Breadth of Knowledge items per form
Area	Items	From TMC
I.AEvaluate Data in the Patient RecordFrom TMC I.A	33%	I.A
I.BPerform Clinical AssessmentFrom TMC I.B	66%	I.B
I.CPerform Procedures to Gather Clinical InformationFrom TMC I.C	55%	I.C
I.DEvaluate Procedure ResultsFrom TMC I.D	77%	I.D
I.ERecommend Diagnostic ProceduresFrom TMC I.E	44%	I.E

Domain II: Management of Devices and Patient Safety Procedures

25 items

Domain II content areas with Breadth of Knowledge items per form
Area	Items	From TMC
II.ATroubleshoot Devices During and After AssemblingFrom TMC II.A	1919%	II.A
II.BEnsure Infection Prevention or Control, Safety, and Performance of Quality Assurance ProceduresFrom TMC II.B, II.C	66%	II.B, II.C

Domain III: Initiation and Modification of Interventions

50 items

Domain III content areas with Breadth of Knowledge items per form
Area	Items	From TMC
III.AMaintain a Patent Airway Including the Care of Artificial AirwaysFrom TMC III.A	66%	III.A
III.BPerform Airway Clearance and Lung Expansion TechniquesFrom TMC III.B	44%	III.B
III.CSupport Oxygenation and VentilationFrom TMC III.C	1010%	III.C
III.DAdminister Medications and Specialty GasesFrom TMC III.D	33%	III.D
III.EMake or Recommend Changes to the Respiratory Care PlanFrom TMC III.E	1010%	III.E
III.FUse Evidence-Based PracticeFrom TMC III.F	33%	III.F
III.GProvide Respiratory Care in High-Risk SituationsFrom TMC III.G	55%	III.G
III.HAssist a Physician or Provider in Performing ProceduresFrom TMC III.H	44%	III.H
III.IInteract with Team Members, Patients, and FamiliesFrom TMC III.I	55%	III.I

Read the outline closely

Topics worth checking in the official PDF.

These topics are named in the 2027 outline or sit in the Depth of Clinical Judgment portion's patient conditions. Each points to where it appears; the exact task wording is in the NBRC outline. This is a reading guide, not clinical guidance.

Asthma biologicsIII.D
CFTR modulators / cystic fibrosisIII.D · Depth
SpO₂/FiO₂ and P(A–a)O₂I.D
Vaccination statusI.A
Difficult airway, bougie, video laryngoscopyIII.A
Electrolytes and hyperkalemiaI.A · III.D
Bronchoscopy, mini-BAL, navigational bronchoscopyI.C · III.H
Inhaled nitric oxide / epoprostenolIII.D
Smoking / vaping cessationI.A · III.I
Anticoagulants / antifibrinolyticsIII.D
Ultrasonography / echocardiographyI.A
Pulmonary embolismDepth
Social determinants, cultural awarenessIII.I
CO-oximetry / SpCOI.A · I.C
Immunocompromised, obesityDepth
Sleep studies (AHI)I.A
Neonatal resuscitationDepth (3)
Outpatient, rehab, discharge planningDepth (setting)
Pre- and post-operative careDepth (5)
Drug toxicity / overdoseDepth
Shock and vasoactivesDepth · III.D
Handoffs, closed-loop communication, escalation, ethicsIII.I · ethics

Questions

Common questions.

How many content areas are in the 2027 RT Exam outline?

Sixteen, in three domains: Patient Data (5 areas), Management of Devices and Patient Safety Procedures (2) and Initiation and Modification of Interventions (9). Together they make up the 100 scored Breadth of Knowledge items.

Which content area has the most items?

II.A, Troubleshoot Devices During and After Assembling, with 19 of the 100 Breadth of Knowledge items per form. III.C (Support Oxygenation and Ventilation) and III.E (Make or Recommend Changes to the Respiratory Care Plan) follow with 10 each.

Do the area weights include the clinical judgment items?

No. The outline gives per-area counts for the 100 Breadth of Knowledge items only. Each of the 60 Depth of Clinical Judgment items is also linked to a Breadth task, but the outline does not say which areas those items fall in.

How many neonatal and pediatric items are on the RT Exam?

The outline puts 15 to 18 neonatal and pediatric items on each form, across the whole exam.

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Our question bank was written to the TMC outline. We've mapped it onto the 16 RT Exam content areas with AI assistance, and clinician verification of that mapping and of new 2027 questions is in progress. We haven't verified full coverage of the 2027 outline. RRT Academy is independent and not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the NBRC — confirm dates, fees and eligibility on nbrc.org.