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Exam score FAQ
What is the passing score for National Certification Examinations?
NCBTMB has set the passing score for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB) and the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage (NCETM) at 300 – scaled.
How was the passing score determined?
The passing score(s) for the NCETMB and NCETM were established using a systematic procedure called a cut score study, which employed the judgment of a representative group of nationally certified therapeutic massage and bodywork professionals from across the country. Upon completion of the cut score study, the group recommended a standard to the NCBTMB Board of Directors that reflected what they believed a certificant needs to know about tested content, at minimum, in order to receive a passing score. After reviewing the results of the cut score study and the group’s recommendations, the NCBTMB Board of Directors determined the passing score(s) for the NCETMB and NCETM.
What is a scale score?
NCBTMB does not report raw test scores. It reports candidate performance using scale score. A scale score is a transformed raw test score (i.e., the number of test questions answered correctly), wherein the raw score is transformed into different measurement units (i.e., a scale score). This is something like transforming inches into centimeters – the distance measured does not change, only the units used to express that distance.
A scale score of at least 300 is required to pass one of the NCBTMB examinations. Scale scores range from a low score of 100 to a high score of 400. Please note that a scale score is neither the number of questions answered correctly, nor the percentage of questions answered correctly.
Is the current test easier or harder than past or future tests?
Because of NCBTMB's commitment to quality and test security, there are multiple forms of NCBTMB tests being administered in the field at any given point in time. While these different test forms were developed from the same set of content specifications within each testing program, the level of difficulty associated with an individual test form may vary slightly because different questions appear on different test forms. Since it would be unfair to require a candidate taking a slightly more difficult form of a test to answer as many questions correctly as a candidate taking an easier form of that test, a statistical procedure known as equating is used to correct for differences in test difficulty. Please note that the passing standard for the tests is consistent for all test takers within a testing program, regardless of the test form that is administered to them.
Why are scores scaled?
If the number of questions answered correctly (a candidate’s raw score) was reported on score reports, there would be a different passing score for each form of the test because of the differences in difficulty. As you can imagine, this could potentially become very confusing to candidates. In order to keep the passing standard constant across test forms within a testing program, while allowing the number of correct answers necessary to pass an examination to vary in accordance with test difficulty, scaling is used to report candidate test performance (i.e., scale scores).
What information will a score report provide?
A scale score of 300 or above will be reported as PASS (i.e., no numeric raw and/or scale score will be reported for passing examinees).
If a candidate fails a test, they will receive a numeric scale score. In addition, they will receive diagnostic information on their score report. The candidate performance will be indicated in each content area of the test. Diagnostic information is designed to help identify those areas that may need further study before retaking an examination.
- Areas shown as Unsatisfactory or as an Area of Improvement indicate that the score is well below the level needed to pass the examination. Substantial review and study of this associated content is highly recommended prior to retaking the examination.
- When performance is somewhere in the middle, it means that the score is marginal in this area. A review of this content is recommended prior to retaking the examination.
- If a score if reported as Satisfactory or High, the score meets or exceeds an acceptable level in this area. Although the candidate may have demonstrated an acceptable understanding of the content area, a review may still be helpful prior to retaking the examination.
What are the content areas of the tests?
Each exam is comprised of 160 questions. The content area(s) and their associated weights for each respective examination program are detailed below.
National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB)
Major Content Areas and Percentage Weights |
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| |
|
Subject Area |
Percentage of
Examination |
|
| I. |
|
General knowledge of body systems |
16% |
| II. |
|
Knowledge of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology |
19% |
| III. |
|
Pathology |
13% |
| IV. |
|
Therapeutic massage and bodywork assessment |
18% |
| V. |
|
Therapeutic massage and bodywork application |
22% |
| VI. |
|
Professional standards, ethics, business and legal practices |
12% |
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| |
|
TOTAL |
100% |
National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage (NCETM)
Major Content Areas and Percentage Weights |
|
| |
|
Subject Area |
Percentage of
Examination |
|
| I. |
|
General knowledge of body systems |
16% |
| II. |
|
Knowledge of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology |
19% |
| III. |
|
Pathology |
13% |
| IV. |
|
Therapeutic massage and bodywork assessment |
16% |
| V. |
|
Therapeutic massage and bodywork application |
24% |
| VI. |
|
Professional standards, ethics, business and legal practices |
12% |
|
| |
|
TOTAL |
100% |
If another version of the exam was administered, would the same score be obtained?
If another version of the exam was taken, a candidate probably would obtain a slightly different score because no single test measures with perfect accuracy and consistency. The content consistency of the NCBTMB tests is about 0.93, based on an index that varies from 0.00 (no content consistency) to 1.00 (perfect content homogeneity). This index indicates that the test a candidate will take measures relatively similar, yet still different, kinds of content.
If a candidate took several different versions of the test, they would probably obtain a number of different scores that cluster around their typical or average value, due to differences in the content of each test form. Some of their scores would be higher and some would be lower than their average score. In actual practice, you do not know an average score, but only the score from a single test administration. The "error of measurement" can be used to determine where a candidate’s average score would lie, that is 68% of the time a candidate’s average score would lie somewhere within a band defined by the error of measurement. A statistical estimate of this variation is called the "standard error of measurement." The standard error of measurement for reported scale scores is less than 14 points. Thus, the standard error of measurement can be said to capture where a candidate’s average score might lie by adding and subtracting it from the obtained score on an examination (i.e., +14 points).
If the same test was taken a second time, would the same pass/fail status be obtained?
If a candidate were permitted to take the same version of the test a second time, the estimate of consistently passing or failing the same people can be determined through a statistic known as a pass-fail classification reliability index. The probability of obtaining the same passing or failing classification following repeat testing of the same test form is about 0.90. This number indicates that if a candidate were you to take the test a second time without further study or review, their test performance would have a moderately high probability of receiving the same passing or failing classification. |
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