Free Practice Questions for AE-C

The AE-C (Certified Asthma Educator) exam is a multidisciplinary credentialing exam for clinicians who provide asthma education and self-management support. Eligible candidates hold a current, active, unrestricted US license or credential (RN, NP, PA, MD/DO, RT, RPh, MSW, RD, OT, PT, EMT/Paramedic, SLP, health educator, pulmonary function technologist) OR have at least 1,000 hours of direct patient asthma education, counseling, or coordinating services.

The AE-C exam contains 175 multiple-choice items: 150 scored questions and 25 unscored pretest questions. You have 3 hours and 30 minutes (3.5 hours) to complete it. The exam is administered through PSI at over 300 assessment centers across the United States.

The NBRC does not publish a passing score, passing percentage, or cut score for the AE-C examination. Its published scoring information gives only the item counts (175 items, 150 scored, 25 pretest) and points candidates to the Detailed Content Outline. The standard is criterion-referenced, meaning you are measured against a fixed competency level rather than ranked against other candidates, and results are released only as pass or fail — on screen when you finish, then by emailed score report from PSI within 24 hours. Figures such as "75" circulate on third-party test-prep sites but are not sourced to the NBRC.

The AE-C examination fee is $350 for new applicants and $250 for reapplicants. AARC members receive a $40 discount on the first-time application fee. Re-credentialing options include continuing education credits or retaking the exam.

The 150 scored questions are distributed across four major sections: The Asthma Condition (~20%, 30 items), Assessment of an Individual with Asthma and Family (~23%, 34 items), Asthma Management (~47%, 71 items), and Organizational Issues (~10%, 15 items). Asthma Management is the largest section, with subsections on medications/devices, behavioral and environmental modifications, self-management education, written asthma action plans, and periodic reevaluation.

The AE-C credential is valid for 5 years, and every AE-C holder must participate in the NBRC Credential Maintenance Program (CMP), which costs $125 for the cycle billed at $25 per year. There are three compliance options: (1) complete the NBRC quarterly assessments and document continuing education, where the credit requirement depends on assessment performance — 0 credits in the green zone, 15 in the yellow zone, and 30 in the red zone, and AE-C-only holders must earn those credits in asthma education content; (2) retake and pass the AE-C examination during the final year of the credential period; or (3) pass a different NBRC credentialing examination, which extends all held credentials for five years.

Effective September 1, 2022, the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) acquired the Certified Asthma Educator examination and all assets of the National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB). The credential designation (AE-C) and the Detailed Content Outline (effective September 2018) remained the same, and the examination retains its National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accreditation. The exam is delivered by PSI at more than 300 US assessment centers.

Plan 60-100 hours over 8-12 weeks. Anchor your study to the 2020 NAEPP Focused Updates and current GINA report — the exam emphasizes practical asthma education, including ICS-LABA pharmacology, MART/SMART regimens, action-plan zones, peak flow technique, trigger avoidance, and culturally responsive teaching. Complete at least 300-500 practice questions with a focus on Asthma Management (47% of the exam).