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TMC pass rates and 10 tips to pass at the high cut
What the NBRC's own numbers say about TMC pass rates, and practical ways to land on the right side of them, whether you test before the TMC ends on December 31, 2026, or take the RTE in 2027.
TMC pass rates, 2023 to 2025
From the NBRC's 2025 Examinations in Review:[1]
| TMC | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New candidates, low cut (CRT) | 78.9% | 79.5% | 78.5% |
| New candidates, high cut (RRT-eligible) | 69.4% | 69.9% | 68.2% |
| Repeat candidates, low cut | 50.9% | 50.6% | 48.9% |
| Repeat candidates, high cut | 32.0% | 31.6% | 29.4% |
Two things stand out: roughly one in ten first-time candidates who pass the low cut miss the high cut, and repeat candidates pass far less often. Both point to the same fix: target the high cut from day one, and change your method if you are retaking.
The format you are preparing for
- TMC (through Dec 31, 2026): 160 items (140 scored, 20 pretest), 3 hours.[2]
- RTE (from Jan 4, 2027): 185 items (160 scored, 25 pretest), 4 hours, with a low cut (CRT) and a high cut (RRT).[3]
Practice it now. Find your weak outline sections first: take the free 50-item mock and get a heat map by section.
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Take the free mock
10 tips to pass at the high cut
These are our study recommendations, not NBRC policy.
- Start with a diagnostic. The NBRC's free practice exam uses the real exam software.[5] Score it by section so you know where to spend time.
- Study to the outline, not the textbook. The NBRC advises studying "what will contribute to successful performance" rather than every fact.[4]
- Drill ABGs until they are automatic. Use our step-by-step ABG method.
- Know your ventilator modes cold. See the ventilator modes cheat sheet.
- Read every rationale, including for questions you got right. Know why each wrong choice is wrong.
- Practice "best first action" items. Many items ask what to do first: assess and fix the patient before the machine.
- Redo your misses on a schedule (spaced repetition) instead of rereading notes.
- Do at least one full-length timed run. Pacing is a fixable cause of a low score.
- Know the math. PBW tidal volumes, P/F ratio, A–a gradient, RSBI, and compliance show up constantly. Our free calculators show the formulas.
- Plan exam day ahead. Use our NBRC exam day checklist so ID or arrival time problems can't cost you the attempt.
Related
Practice it now. Try 50 free practice questions, including 3 full clinical-judgment cases. No account or card needed.
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Start free: 50 questions