RRT-ACCS Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

How Passing Actually Works on the RRT-ACCS Exam

If you're searching for a magic number - "you need an 80% to pass the RRT-ACCS exam" - that number doesn't exist in any official NBRC documentation, and repeating it would be misleading. The National Board for Respiratory Care determines whether you pass by comparing your raw score (the number of scored questions you answered correctly) against an internally set cut score. This is standard practice for high-stakes credentialing exams, and it's why you won't find a universal "passing percentage" published anywhere for the Adult Critical Care Specialty exam.

What this means practically: your goal isn't to hit an arbitrary percentage target. Your goal is to maximize correct answers across both scored domains, because the cut score is calculated using statistical methods applied to the specific set of scored items you receive. For a deeper look at how these numbers have played out for past candidates, see our RRT-ACCS pass rate breakdown.

Exam Format: 170 Questions, 240 Minutes

Understanding the mechanics of the test matters just as much as understanding clinical content, because time management directly affects how many questions you can carefully answer. The RRT-ACCS exam, administered through PSI, consists of 170 multiple-choice questions total: 150 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items used to evaluate future exam questions. You get 240 minutes to complete the full exam.

Here's the catch that trips up unprepared candidates: you won't know which 20 questions are unscored. Every question looks identical in format and difficulty, so you must treat all 170 with the same level of focus. This is one of several format quirks covered in more depth in our RRT-ACCS difficulty guide.

Domain Breakdown and Why It Matters for Your Score

The current Detailed Content Outline, effective August 2026, splits the 150 scored questions across two domains. Knowing this split changes how you allocate study time - it's not a 50/50 exam.

Respiratory Critical Care is the larger of the two domains, with 80 scored items compared to 70 for General Critical Care. That means roughly 53% of your scored questions come from respiratory-specific content, so shortchanging that domain during preparation is a direct risk to your raw score. For a full breakdown of the subtopics inside each domain, our exam domains guide walks through the content areas in detail.

Why There's No Fixed "Passing Number" to Memorize

A common mistake candidates make is treating the RRT-ACCS exam like a classroom test where 70% correct always equals a pass. Because the NBRC uses raw-score-to-cut-score comparison rather than a flat percentage threshold, two candidates who answer a different number of questions correctly on different test forms could both pass - or both fail - depending on how the cut score is calculated for their specific form.

This is exactly why generic test-prep advice falls short for this credential. Instead of fixating on a percentage, focus your energy on mastering the actual content tested in both domains. Our RRT-ACCS study guide breaks this down into an actionable prep sequence, and practicing with realistic scored/unscored question formats on our RRT-ACCS practice test platform will help you get comfortable with the actual question style before test day.

Registration, Eligibility, and Fees That Affect Your Attempt

Before you can even sit for the exam, you need to meet one eligibility requirement: you must hold the RRT credential for at least one year prior to applying. This isn't a content requirement but it directly affects your application timeline, so check our RRT-ACCS requirements page if you're unsure whether you currently qualify.

On the financial side, the standard application fee is USD 300 for new applicants and USD 250 for reapplicants. Eligible AARC members get a one-time USD 40 discount on their first application, bringing that first-time fee down to USD 260 when redeemed correctly through the AARC application link. A full cost breakdown, including the ongoing Credential Maintenance Program expenses, is available in our RRT-ACCS certification cost guide.

Retake Rules If You Don't Pass

The NBRC's retake policy is more forgiving on the first two attempts than most candidates expect. You're allowed two initial attempts with no waiting period between them, which means if you don't pass on your first try, you can schedule a retake relatively quickly. After those two attempts, though, any subsequent attempt requires a mandatory wait of at least 180 days.

This structure has a practical implication for how you prepare: don't treat your first attempt as a "practice run" you can casually retake next week indefinitely. After attempt two, a misstep costs you six months, so it's worth investing real preparation time - including scheduling around current RRT-ACCS testing windows - before you sit for either of your first two tries.

A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline

Generic study techniques like spaced repetition and timed practice blocks only help if they're pointed at the right content in the right proportion. Given that Respiratory Critical Care carries 80 scored items versus 70 for General Critical Care, a reasonable approach is to weight your calendar slightly toward the larger domain without neglecting the smaller one.

If you want a more granular week-by-week plan built specifically around exam-day logistics and pacing, our full RRT-ACCS study guide expands on this framework, and the RRT-ACCS cheat sheet is a useful last-week review tool for both domains.

Frequently Asked Questions