10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The RRT exam has 160 questions and runs 7 hours.
These 10 free RRT questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Registered Respiratory Therapist blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A pulmonary function report shows an FEV1/FVC of 0.52, below the lower limit of normal, and an FVC of 61% predicted. The maneuvers are acceptable and repeatable, without early termination. Plethysmography shows a normal total lung capacity and a residual volume markedly above its upper limit of normal. The reduced FVC is best interpreted as:
Correct answer: A - Obstructive impairment with air trapping
During passive volume-controlled ventilation, an adult has an exhaled tidal volume of 480 mL with no circuit leak. Peak inspiratory pressure is 36 cm H2O. A valid end-inspiratory hold gives a plateau pressure of 26 cm H2O, and an end-expiratory hold gives a total PEEP of 10 cm H2O, although set PEEP is 6 cm H2O. What static respiratory-system compliance should the therapist document?
Correct answer: D - 30.0 mL/cm H2O
At handoff, a colleague describes an adult's arterial blood gas as 'metabolic acidosis with adequate compensation because the PaCO2 is normal.' The patient has sepsis, and the results are pH 7.20, PaCO2 42 mmHg, and HCO3- 16 mmol/L. Which acid-base assessment accounts for the expected respiratory compensation?
Correct answer: C - Metabolic acidosis with respiratory acidosis
An attended diagnostic polysomnogram for a 46-year-old records 6 hours of recording time but only 4 hours of EEG-confirmed sleep. During sleep, 144 events are scored in total: obstructive apneas and hypopneas. No central events are recorded. Which apnea-hypopnea index and adult severity category belong in the interpretation?
Correct answer: B - 36 events/hour, indicating severe obstructive sleep apnea
An alert 68-year-old with a COPD exacerbation remains tachypneic at 32/min after inhaled albuterol-ipratropium, systemic corticosteroid administration, and controlled oxygen. Arterial blood gas results are pH 7.28, PaCO2 68 mmHg, and HCO3- 31 mmol/L. SpO2 is 90%. The patient is cooperative, clears secretions, has no vomiting, and has a blood pressure of 132/76 mmHg. Which respiratory support should be started?
Correct answer: C - Bilevel noninvasive ventilation with close reassessment
On the first day of invasive ventilation for pneumonia-associated ARDS, an adult's PaO2/FiO2 ratio remains 85 on FiO2 0.80 despite PEEP titration. Tidal volume is 6 mL/kg predicted body weight and plateau pressure is 27 cm H2O. The patient is hemodynamically stable, and there is no contraindication to repositioning. The team is selecting an adjunct with an established survival benefit in this setting. Which strategy fits that goal?
Correct answer: D - Use prone positioning for 16 hours daily
During treatment of an 8-year-old's severe asthma exacerbation, the wheezing becomes much quieter. The child has already received repeated bronchodilators and systemic corticosteroids. Air entry is now poor, the child is becoming drowsy, and PaCO2 has risen from 27 to 43 mmHg. Which interpretation should guide the respiratory care team's response?
Correct answer: D - Alveolar ventilation is failing despite a normal-range PaCO2
Two family members develop headache, nausea, and confusion after using a charcoal grill inside a poorly ventilated room. One has a conventional pulse-oximeter reading of 99% and a room-air PaO2 of 96 mmHg. High-concentration oxygen has already been started because of the exposure history. Which additional measurement would most directly assess the suspected impairment in oxygen transport?
Correct answer: B - Blood carboxyhemoglobin by co-oximetry
A nurse notices continuous gentle bubbling in the suction-control chamber of a three-chamber wet-suction chest drain and asks whether the tubing should be clamped to find an air leak. The suction-control water level is at the prescribed 20-cm mark. The separate water-seal chamber tidals with breathing but does not bubble. The patient is comfortable with stable vital signs. How should the therapist respond?
Correct answer: A - Leave the system operating; this suction-control bubbling is expected
A term newborn remains apneic with an ECG heart rate of 54/min after 30 seconds of face-mask positive-pressure ventilation. There has been no chest movement despite correcting the mask seal, repositioning the head, and adjusting inflation pressure. An experienced neonatal airway clinician is at the bedside. At this point, resuscitation should focus on:
Correct answer: B - Establishing an alternative airway and ventilation that moves the chest
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