National Certification Exam for Therapeutic Massage - NCETM®

Find NCETM exam resources to help you become a massage therapist, such as NCETM practice tests with sample massage questions, massage licensing information, and other test prep study offerings. Massage therapists are required to take an exam in most states to become licensed. The exam is offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).

Introduction to the NCETM / NCETMB

Exerpt from the 350 Question NCETM Practice Exam Kit

The NCBTMB, or the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, was founded in 1992 as a nonprofit organization to establish a minimum level of competency for the massage therapy profession. The NCBTMB was accredited by the National Organization for Competency Assurance in 1993 and maintains the certification to this day. The accreditation assures that the NCBTMB’s program is conducted under strict standards of compliance and fairness. There are 160 questions on both exams. However, the NCETMB adds questions about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The last section of the Tests.com Practice Test addresses CAM theories and concepts. On the actual exam, the NCBTMB scores the questions differently such that some questions possess a higher score potential than others. For this reason, it is not possible to discern how many questions you need to answer correctly to pass. Instead, the NCBTMB calculates the sum of all questions based on their weighting to quantify a passing or failing score. A minimum score of 300 out of 400 is needed to pass.