RPFT

At a glance

Detail
Issued by	National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), the national credentialing body for respiratory care
Starting point	Degree only. No respiratory therapy degree or PFT work hours are listed for the college-credit route
Exam	PFT Examination: 115 multiple-choice items (100 scored, 15 pretest), 2 hours
Cost	$200 first attempt, $170 repeat; AARC members get a one-time $40 discount on a first application
How you earn it	Pass the PFT exam at the high cut score
Renewal	NBRC Credential Maintenance Program; check NBRC for the current cycle

Why it matters for an EP

EPs already know how to test cardiopulmonary function under load. RPFT extends that to resting lung testing, including spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusion. That's useful in pulmonary rehab, PFT labs, hospital diagnostics, and research. It's also a stepping stone: RPFT/CPFT counts as a qualifying credential for the AE-C (Certified Asthma Educator).

What does NBRC mean? NBRC is the National Board for Respiratory Care. It's the organization that runs the exam and awards the credential. You don't put "NBRC" after your name; you put RPFT or CPFT.

Who this fits

EPs with a bachelor's or master's degree who want hospital diagnostic or pulmonary work
EPs in cardiopulmonary rehab who want to understand or run PFTs
Anyone heading toward asthma education (AE-C)

Eligibility routes

You must be 18 or older and meet one of these:

Route	Requirement
A. College credit (the EP route)	62 semester hours of college credit from a regionally accredited college or university (or equivalent), including college-credit biology and mathematics
B. Respiratory therapy education	At least an associate degree from a CoARC-supported or accredited entry-to-practice respiratory therapy program
C. Existing RT credential	NBRC CRT or RRT
D. Existing CPFT	Already a CPFT and seeking RPFT

Most EPs with a bachelor's degree clear Route A on total credits. The things to confirm are the biology and math courses and your school's accreditation.

Your step-by-step path

Pull your unofficial transcript and count semester hours (quarter hours need converting).
Find at least one course that's clearly biology and one that's clearly math. If your biology is titled "Anatomy" or "Exercise Physiology," ask NBRC if it counts before you apply.
Email info@nbrc.org or call 913-895-4900 with any equivalency questions. Save the reply.
Download the PFT Detailed Content Outline and take the free practice exam to find your gaps.
Get hands-on exposure to the parts EPs rarely do (lung volumes, DLCO, bronchoprovocation, quality control), for example by shadowing in a PFT lab.
Apply and schedule the PFT Examination.
Score at the high cut for RPFT. If you hit only the low cut, you still earn CPFT and can retest for RPFT.

Watch-outs

Being eligible to sit for the exam doesn't mean you're proficient in a PFT lab. Plan for supervised practice.
RPFT is not RRT. It doesn't make you a respiratory therapist or let you work outside your state's scope of practice.
Some states license or regulate who can perform PFTs. Check your state and your employer's policy.

Pairs well with

AE-C: RPFT/CPFT is a listed qualifying credential
CCT: rounds out a cardiopulmonary diagnostics skill set
ACSM-CEP: the core clinical EP credential

Official sources

Requirements change. This page summarizes what the issuing organization published as of November 1, 2026. It does not decide your eligibility; only the issuer can. Always check the official sources above before you pay for anything.