NBCE Part III Test: What You Have to Know (Updated August 2024)

The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) is the organizing body that administers the national licensing chiropractic exams in the United States. There are four parts (Part I, Part II, Part III and Part IV) and an additional Physiotherapy (PT) exam that is accepted and used to show chiropractic competency for licensure. This article gives you everything you need to know about the NBCE Part III exam.

• What is the NBCE Part III exam?
• What sections are on the NBCE Part III exam?
• How many questions are on the NBCE Part III exam?
• How long do I get to take the NBCE Part III exam?
• How can I sign up for the NBCE Part III exam?
• When can I take the NBCE Part III exam this year?
• What is a passing score for the NBCE Part III?
• How much does it cost to the NBCE Part III exam?

What is the NBCE Part III Exam?

The NBCE Part III is a computer-based test that tests those who are working towards chiropractic licensure on case management. Part III dives into the clinical topics with a case management lens that you Part I and Part II exams tested you on and your Part IV exam is a practical exam that demonstrate your ability to perform select tests and case history skills.

The NBCE recently changed the format of the Part III exam to include diagnostic imaging interpretation (which was previously tested in the Part IV exam). Due to this change, there are currently two different versions of the Part III exam.

FIRST VERSION: with DXI

This version is composed of three types of test questions: TMCQ, EMCQ and DXI.

1. 80 questions traditional multiple-choice (TMCQ): for these questions you will be given four potential answers, one of which is correct
2. 20 extended multiple-choice cases (EMCQ): for these questions you will be provided case information of a patient, followed by a question with five answer choices, two of which are correct

The TMCQ and EMCQ sections cover 9 clinical categories:

• Case History
• Physical Examination
• Neuromusculoskeletal Examination
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Clinical Laboratory and Special Studies
• Diagnosis or Clinical Impression
• Chiropractic Techniques
• Supportive Interventions
• Case Management

30 diagnostic imaging interpretation (DXI): for each item of this portion you will see images, followed by one question with four possible answers, one of which is correct. This portion makes up ~20% of the exam content.

The DXI covers 6 categories:

• Arthritic Disorders
• Congenital Anomalies and Skeletal Variants
• Trauma
• Tumors and Tumor-like processes
• Miscellaneous Osteoarticular
• Soft Tissue

SECOND VERSION: without DXI

This version of the NBCE Part III exam does not require diagnostic imagining interpretation and will only consist of the first two types of questions as the first version.

How many questions are on the NBCE Part III exam?

The first version of Part I consists of 100 questions. The second version of Part III consists of 130 questions across all three types of questions (see above).

How long do I get to take the NBCE Part III exam?

You are allotted 4.5 hours of total testing time for Part III. Testing appointments are broken out as follows:

• A pre-test tutorial on how to navigate the computer testing program
• Session 1 (120 minutes)
• One (1) optional 15-minute break after the first session
• Session 2 (120 minutes)
• End of exam survey

How can I sign up for the NBCE Part III exam?

If you’re wondering, “Am I eligible to take the NBCE Part III exam?” make sure to read this section.

You must be enrolled in, or graduated from, an eligible college to take Part III and meet the following requirements:

• Have passed NBCE Part I Exam
• Are within nine months of graduation before the administration of Part III

You must first get online approval from your college before applying for the NBCE Part III exam. Approval from your chiropractic college is typically contingent on you passing certain courses before applying for a test. Chiropractic schools want to ensure the highest pass rates for their school so they only approve students who have satisfactory passed a minimum number of courses for the particular subjects that are tested for any given NBCE exam.

The courses must be completed by the application deadline. Individual chiropractic colleges may establish additional requirements.

If you have already graduated from a chiropractic school (it must be part of the NBCE’s approved or eligible college list) you may take Part III with online approval from the chiropractic college you attended.

While enrolled in a chiropractic college, you may take the examinations as many times as needed to pass. If you have graduated from a chiropractic college and are taking your NBCE Part III exam, you may take the examinations as many times as needed to pass too. Once you have passed Part II, you may not retake these exams without special requirement of a state licensing authority.

A doctor or a student of chiropractic who has successfully passed Part III is not allowed to retake any previously passed exam, except when required by a state licensing authority. Scores from retake examinations based on this criteria do not void the original passing scores.

When can I take the NBCE Part III exam this year?

The next exam dates for Part III in 2024 at Prometrix testing sites are as follows:

• September 14 - September 29
• October 12 - October 27

The next exam dates for Part III in 2024 at select chiropractic colleges are as follows:

• September 21 - September 22
• October 19 - October 20

For all Part III testing dates in September, your scores will be released October 14.

For all Part III testing dates in October, your scores will be released November 11.

Note, you must apply at least 16 days prior to the scheduled test date you’re applying for.

For the full 2024 exam and fee schedule for all NBCE exams, read this article: Updated 2024 NBCE Schedule and Fees For Chiropractic Board Exams.

What is a passing score for the NBCE Part III?

A passing score of at least 375 is required for the Part III. Note: Some states have state-specific written clinical competency examination. For current information on state regulations pertaining to Part III scores, make sure to contact your licensing board of the state(s) in which you plan to practice.

How much does it cost to the NBCE Part III exam?

It costs $710 to take Part II exam. This is the case for Part I and Part II as well. There are also a few scholarship opportunities, through the NBCE and NCMIC.

NBCE Scholarship for Chiropractic Board Exam

Amount per winner: $2,500 is awarded per each winner

How many chiropractic students can win?: Four (4) chiropractic students in 2024

Total amount in prizes: $10,000 in 2024

Submissions accepted: February 1, 2024 - October 1, 2024 (no later than 12 noon Pacific time)

How to submit your essay:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NBCE2024EssayCompetition

Date when winners are announced: December 31, 2024

Rules:

• Submit an original essay on any topic of your choice, as long as the topic is relevant to chiropractic. Themes may include: history, philosophy, practice perspectives, jurisprudence/law, ethics, theory, sociology, politics, or social sciences.
• Your original essay must be submitted as a Word document.
• Essay must be no shorter than 1200 and no longer than 3500 words. Word count does not include title or references.
• The essay should include the following components:
  • Introduction - the introduction should provide a brief overview of the topic, a well-referenced and grounded rationale for the paper, and the purpose (or hypothesis) for the paper.
  • Discussion – the discussion should address the topic in a scholarly manner. Important points should be elaborated upon, and relate to the study's purpose. The discussion should cogently relate the current discussion and findings with other relevant publications.
  • Conclusion – The conclusion should provide insightful statements about the importance and relevance of the study without generalizing beyond the study's findings. The conclusion should not interject author opinions, make unsupported claims, or give statements that go beyond the limits of the study findings. This section should be brief, perhaps 1 paragraph, and provide clear answers and summarize how the purpose/hypothesis presented in the introduction was addressed.
  • References – References are expected and should be included throughout the paper. All statements made as fact should have supporting references. All references should be numbered according to their appearance in the text.
• Only one essay is allowed per student per competition and only one author per essay. Students who submitted in the past but did not win may compete again with a new essay.
• In addition to your essay you must confirm eligibility and identity:
  • You must sent a letter from your registrar confirming enrollment and that you are in good academic standing in your chiropractic program.
  • A portrait photo of yourself (JPEG, PNG, 300 dpi)

Judging criteria: includes relevance to the chiropractic profession, scholarly style, writing quality, originality and use of references.

Eligibility: Being in good academic standing and enrolled in a United States, CCE-accredited, chiropractic program at any time during 2024. You must also submit your essay by October 1, 2024.

All questions about the competition should be directed to Dr. Claire Johnson at [email protected].

To read more about this NBCE Essay Scholarship, read this.

NCMIC Bucks of Boards Awards

Amount per winner: $1,000 awarded per each winner

How many chiropractic students can win?: Twenty-five (25) chiropractic students every quarter in 2024

Total amount in prizes: $100,000 for the entire year of 2024

Entry Periods & Drawings

July 1 - September 30 (Winner will be drawn: October 7, 2024)

October 1 - December 31 (Winner will be drawn: January 7, 2025)

Rules: Complete the application (simply put your first name, last name, email, date of birth, address, chiropractic school, anticipated graduation month and anticipated graduation year).

Eligibility:

• Current chiropractic student or have graduated within the last 6 months

To read more about this NCMIC Award, read this.

What is the best review course for the NBCE Part III exam?

As chiropractic students, you have many options when it comes to reviewing and preparing for your NBCE exams. The best review course for the NBCE Part III exam for you will depend on what type of student you are.

Which of the following do you agree with more?

• I need to be held accountable while reviewing and need to go to a live review.
• I prefer to review material all at once, in one or two sittings.
• I only need to go over the review material once.
• I don’t need to take any practice questions.
• I don’t care when my review course lands before my test.

If you agreed with the above statements, you will probably benefit from an in-person review. However, if you didn't feel like you resonated with this statements, read the below.

• I prefer for my review to work around my schedule, not the other way around.
• I thrive when I can review material multiple times.I
• would benefit from taking as many practice questions as I can.
• I value a review that has a pass guarantee.
• I want to be able to study anytime and anywhere.

However, if you agree with the above, you would benefit from an online review course. But not all online reviews are made equal.

Chiro AlignEd Learning review courses are:

• Comprehensive and Efficient: Our courses cover the most highly-tested concepts so there are no surprises on exam day. Information is simplified into digestible chunks so you can retain and recall it all easily.
• Convenient and Flexible: With our self-paced review, you can make the most of your time with access to all course materials anytime, anywhere. With 90 days of unlimited access you will have plenty of time to feel ready on exam day.
• Stress-Free: While we are confident you can pass on your first try, our Access Until You Pass Guarantee means you can study with peace of mind knowing we will renew your 90 day access until you pass.

If you want to learn more about our review courses, check them out here!

Whichever review course you choose to use, we hope you are able to pass your exam on your first try because the world needs more chiropractors like YOU.