NBRC RRT-ACCS Adult Critical Care Specialty Exam Practice Test
Build your confidence for NBRC RRT-ACCS Adult Critical Care Specialty Exam. Practice the concepts, understand the answers, and strengthen your knowledge one question at a time.
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Preparation for NBRC RRT-ACCS covering advanced critical care respiratory therapy, ventilator management, hemodynamic monitoring, advanced procedures, and complex patient management. Administered by NBRC. Key domains include GENERAL CRITICAL CARE and RESPIRATORY CRITICAL CARE. The exam consists of 150 questions over 240 minutes.
Sample Questions
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A 53-year-old man is cooled to 33 C after cardiac arrest. He is on volume ventilation and develops bradycardia, decreased CO2 production, and a PaCO2 of 29 mmHg when ABGs are reported at 37 C. Which assessment issue matters most?
A patient with ARDS requires deep sedation for proning. After propofol is increased, triglycerides rise to 680 mg/dL, lactate rises, pH worsens, and creatine kinase is elevated. Which medication complication should be considered?
A 63-year-old woman has been intubated for 5 days. The team skips spontaneous awakening because she coughs during suctioning, and no SBT has been attempted despite FiO2 0.35, PEEP 5 cm H2O, and stable vasopressors. Which VAE-prevention principle is being missed?
During transport, a ventilator suddenly shows high pressure and low volume. Manual ventilation through the endotracheal tube is difficult, suction catheter will not pass, and the portable circuit appears intact. What is the priority?
A 59-year-old man with pulmonary hypertension and refractory hypoxemia is started on inhaled nitric oxide. Six hours later, SpO2 is improved but the co-oximeter reports methemoglobin 6.5%, nitrogen dioxide is elevated in the inspiratory limb, and the ordered dose is 40 ppm. Which adjustment is most appropriate?
Career Opportunities & Salary
Exam insights and study advice
In the high-stakes environment of adult critical care, respiratory therapists are essential frontline clinicians managing life-support systems. This credential matters because it directly correlates with enhanced patient safety and outcomes. It validates the advanced clinical reasoning necessary to manage complex ventilator strategies, respond to hemodynamic crises, and guide therapeutic interventions for conditions like ARDS, sepsis, and traumatic injury. For the professional, it demonstrates a verified expertise that can lead to greater autonomy, recognition within the interdisciplinary team, and opportunities for leadership roles, directly impacting career trajectory and professional credibility.
What this exam covers
01GENERAL CRITICAL CARE
This domain covers general critical care principles, including the assessment and stabilization of patients with multi-system involvement and the coordination of care in the intensive care unit to ensure optimal patient outcomes.
02RESPIRATORY CRITICAL CARE
This domain focuses on the management of respiratory conditions within critical care settings, including the application of advanced respiratory support and monitoring techniques for patients with acute lung issues and complex respiratory failure.