Ensuring professional competency through excellence in testing.
The NBCE is the trusted source of professional examination services. Using our resources and expertise, we will expand our organization through innovative product development to fulfill the evolving professional assessment needs of the communities we serve.
The NBCE embraces the philosophy of lifelong learning and demonstrates the values of integrity, honesty, fairness, transparency, and accountability in its interactions and relationships.
The NBCE Board of Directors is composed of five directors elected by their districts, four directors who serve as at-large representatives, and two directors who are appointed by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards.
The examinations developed, administered and scored by the NBCE are available to candidates seeking initial chiropractic licensure as well as to licensed practitioners in certain circumstances. NBCE pre-licensure examinations are accepted and/or required in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as documentation of a doctor's readiness to practice chiropractic.
NBCE pre-licensure written examinations are administered six times each year at chiropractic colleges across the United States, as well as in Canada, England, France, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. The NBCE Part IV Examination is administered each May and November at chiropractic colleges in the United States. For test site locations, deadlines and schedules, please visit www.MyNBCE.org.
Part I tests six basic science areas including general anatomy, spinal anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pathology, and microbiology.
Part II tests clinical science areas including general diagnosis, neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, principles of chiropractic, chiropractic practice, and associated clinical sciences.
Part III addresses nine clinical areas: case history, physical examination, neuromusculoskeletal examination, roentgenologic examination, clinical laboratory and special studies, diagnosis or clinical impression, chiropractic techniques, supportive techniques, and case management.
Part IV National Practical Examination assesses three important clinical areas: diagnostic imaging, chiropractic technique and case management skills.
Physiotherapy assesses passive adjunctive procedures, including thermotherapy, electrotherapy, mechanotherapy, and phototherapy, and active adjunctive procedures, including functional assessment, exercise physiology, endurance training, muscle rehabilitation, neuromuscular rehabilitation, and disorder-specific rehabilitation.
Acupuncture assesses acupuncture history and philosophy, acupuncture techniques, basic treatment tenets and protocols, safety and hygiene, and other areas important to acupuncture as an adjunct to practice.
Following successful completion of Parts I, II, III and IV, examinees receive a Certificate of Attainment free of charge from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
Although the NBCE certificate is generally recognized by state licensing authorities, each state imposes unique requirements for licensure, which are subject to change. Examinees should contact the licensing authority in the state(s) in which they desire to practice to obtain current information on licensure requirements and privileges afforded to those who hold the NBCE certificate. The NBCE issues separate certificates upon successful completion of the optional Acupuncture and Physiotherapy examinations.
Special Purposes Examination for Chiropractic (SPEC): Available only at the request of state or foreign licensing agencies that are considering cases of reciprocity/endorsement, reinstatement following licensure lapse, disciplinary action, suspension, revocation, etc. SPEC assesses the clinical competency of licensed or previously licensed practitioners in areas reflecting clinical conditions generally encountered in chiropractic practice. It addresses various components of clinical competency, including patient evaluation and case management.
Ethics and Boundaries Assessment Services, LLC (EBAS), is a wholly owned subsidiary of the NBCE. It was established to address the post-licensure testing needs of regulated professions concerning ethical and/or boundary issues. The Ethics and Boundaries Examination is a computerized essay examination that provides a tool to assess a licensee's comprehension of ethical and boundary issues as relevant to the professional workplace environment.
The International Board of Chiropractic Examiners (IBCE) was established to assist interested regulatory authorities in the international chiropractic community. The IBCE does not embrace any particular chiropractic philosophy. Instead, the IBCE produces tests according to information provided collectively by the chiropractic educational institutions, regulatory authorities, field practitioners, and subject specialists, along with an analysis of the chiropractic profession within each jurisdiction that chooses to utilize IBCE services. The IBCE was formed out of an initiative of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE), the principal testing agency for the chiropractic profession in the United States. To learn more, visit www.ibce.org.
The Board of Directors for the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners is composed of five directors elected by their districts, four directors who serve as at-large directors and two directors appointed by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards.
Steven R. Conway, D.C., J.D.
NBCE Treasurer, At-Large Director Cynthia Tays, D.C.