Sleep Tech RPSGT Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

Question 1

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is defined by repeated episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep. Which structure most commonly collapses to cause OSA?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Soft palate and posterior tongue base. In OSA, the pharyngeal soft tissues—particularly the soft palate, uvula, and posterior tongue base—collapse against the posterior pharyngeal wall, obstructing airflow. The trachea and hard palate are rigid and do not collapse.

Question 2

According to the AASM criteria, an apnea is scored when airflow drops by at least what percentage from baseline for ≥10 seconds?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

90%. An apnea requires a ≥90% drop in airflow from baseline lasting ≥10 seconds. A 30% drop defines a hypopnea, and 50% is not the threshold for either criterion.

Question 3

The Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) is calculated as the total number of apneas and hypopneas divided by:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Total sleep time in hours. AHI = (total apneas + hypopneas) / total sleep time (hours). Using total recording time would underestimate severity because awake time is excluded.

Question 4

An adult patient has an AHI of 22 events/hour with an oxygen desaturation nadir of 82%. How would this be classified by AASM severity criteria?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Moderate OSA. AHI 15–29.9 events/hour defines moderate OSA. Mild OSA is 5–14.9, and severe OSA is ≥30 events/hour. The oxygen nadir does not alter the AHI-based severity classification.

Question 5

On a PSG, an obstructive apnea differs from a central apnea primarily because:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Continued thoracoabdominal effort is present despite absent airflow. Obstructive apneas show persistent respiratory effort (paradoxical rib-cage/abdominal movement visible on effort belts) despite absent airflow, indicating airway obstruction. Central apneas lack both airflow and effort.

Question 6

Which of the following is the first-line recommended treatment for moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP is the gold-standard first-line treatment for moderate-to-severe OSA, effectively splinting the airway open pneumatically. Oral appliances are an alternative for mild-to-moderate OSA or CPAP-intolerant patients.

Question 7

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is characterized by the absence of:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Both airflow and respiratory effort. In CSA, the brain fails to send respiratory drive signals, resulting in loss of both airflow and thoracoabdominal effort simultaneously. This distinguishes it from obstructive apnea, where effort persists.

Question 8

Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) is most commonly associated with which underlying condition?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Congestive heart failure. CSR—a crescendo-decrescendo breathing pattern with central apneas—is strongly associated with congestive heart failure due to prolonged circulatory time and hypersensitive chemoreceptor feedback loops.

Question 9

Treatment-emergent central sleep apnea (TECSA) most commonly occurs after initiating therapy for which condition?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Obstructive sleep apnea treated with CPAP. TECSA (also called complex sleep apnea) is the appearance of central apneas after OSA is treated with CPAP. The prevailing theory involves CO2 below the apnea threshold once upper airway obstruction is eliminated.

Question 10

High-altitude periodic breathing is a form of central sleep apnea driven primarily by:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Hypocapnia due to hypoxia-driven hyperventilation. At altitude, hypoxia triggers hyperventilation, lowering PaCO2 below the apneic threshold and causing central apneas. The respiratory control loop becomes unstable because CO2 is the main chemoreflex driver.

Sleep Tech RPSGT Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

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