Earn the Profession’s Highest Credential
Become Board Certified
Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (BCTMB®) is the only nationally recognized certification and the highest credential you can receive to enhance your career.
Why should you become Board Certified?
✓ Enhance Client Confidence
✓ More Career Opportunities
✓ Integration In Healthcare Settings
Get Discounts On Products & Subscriptions To Further Strengthen Your Practice
Becoming Board Certified opens you to a community of therapists who, like you, are proud of their advanced skills, knowledge and abilities. In addition, being Board Certified provides the following benefits to make clients and employers aware of your skills and the quality of your practice:
Testimonials
"I have an ethical responsibility to provide cutting edge & current information for my students. Board Certification ensures that I’m directly connected to the progressive evolution of our profession."
Jill Kristin Berkana, LMT, BCTMB
"Professionals RECOGNIZE and RESPECT Board Certification. It symbolizes commitment, dedication, and expertise. Massage therapists who are Board Certified have gone above and beyond licensure—they have achieved more than minimum requirements. You can expect more from professionals who chose to become Board Certified."
Susan Salvo, EdD, LMT, BCTMB
"I chose to become Board Certified because I’m proud to be a massage therapist—and I wanted to let the world know how much I love this profession. I’ve done so much in my career, and I wanted to elevate myself to the next level."
Ryan Hoyme, BCTMB
"Board Certification is the closest thing we have to a national credential. Our field is in a time of great transition, and I am eager to be part of the solution. NCBTMB is in a position to help massage therapy mature into a well-respected profession—That’s why I choose Board Certification."
Ruth Werner, BCTMB
"An educator for many years, I design classes with innovative concepts and teaching strategies. Above all, though, that starts with doing what’s right for our profession. That’s why I encourage all massage therapists to become Board Certified. It is the right thing to do to advance both your career and the value of massage therapy."
Sandy Fritz, BS, MS, BCTMB
"It’s about holding oneself accountable in an ever-growing, ever-changing and ever-demanding health care system of which I am proud to say we are all a part of. I highly encourage others to consider their part and choose a career pathway of professionalism—CHOOSE BOARD CERTIFICATION!"
Judith Kennedy Silcock, LMT, BCTMB, CNMT, CSRT
Who We Are & Our Mission
The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) is an independent, private, nonprofit organization founded in 1992. NCBTMB’s mission:
Elevating the massage therapy profession nationwide by establishing and advancing the highest credentials and standards of excellence.
Through its accredited status, NCBTMB creates, promotes, and sustains a culture in which the highest quality of professional credentialing and standards are advanced in the massage therapy profession.
The NCBTMB Board Certification program is proud to be accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), an independent resource recognized as the authority on accreditation standards for professional certification programs.
How Do I Become Board Certified?
If you are practicing in a licensed state:
- Verification of current massage therapy state license
- Passing score on the Board Certification Exam
- Pass a criminal background check (performed by NCBTMB)
- Agree to uphold NCBTMB’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics
If you are practicing in a state without a state license:
- Graduation from a NCBTMB Assigned School*
- Passing score on the Board Certification Exam
- Pass a criminal background check (performed by NCBTMB)
- Agree to uphold NCBTMB’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics
*If you did not graduate from a NCBTMB Assigned School, your school is now closed, or you completed international training, you may instead apply for Board Certification via Portfolio Review. (additional $75 fee).
BCETMB Exam FAQs
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Where do I go to take the Board Certification exam?
NCBTMB partners with Prometric, a computer-based testing solution, to administer the BCETMB exam. Prometric has multiple testing centers in each state; most centers are open 5-6 days per week.
Once you are eligible to schedule your exam, you will receive an email notification with instructions on how to search all available testing locations available (as well as the dates and times) to conveniently schedule your exam within your eligibility period. Within this email, you will be linked to Prometric’s system directly to schedule online, as well as provided with a phone number to contact them.
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What do I need to know for the Board Certification exam?
The Board Certification exam contains 140 questions and you will have 140 minutes to complete the exam. Content found on this exam embraces application of technique and is assessment based—simulating real-life scenarios you will more than likely encounter as a certified massage therapist.The Board Certification Exam is built around the below main categories:
- Assessment (25%)
- Applied Science, including Anatomy, Physiology, Kinesiology, Pathology/Injury, and Pharmacology (25%)
- Massage Modalities, Techniques, and Manual Forces (20%)
- Professional Communication (15%)
- Professionalism and Ethics (10%)
- Laws and Business Practices (5%)
To download the full BCETMB breakdown, click here.
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Is there a tool to help me study for the Board Certification Exam?
Yes! NCBTMB is proud to offer our exclusive Online Practice Exam, which contains Level 1 (entry-level) questions to better prepare you for any licensing exam, as well as Level 2 questions to better prepare you for any licensing exam, as well as Level 2 questions to better prepare you for the Board Certification (BCETMB) exam.
For more information on the Online Practice exam, click here.
For a list of resources utilized to create the Board Certification Exam and the Board Certification Study Guide, click here
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What score do I need to pass the Board Certification Exam?
The Board Certification exam is graded in Scale Score Format. A Scale Score of 410 is required to pass the Board Certification Exam.