What is the NCETMB?

The National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB) is one of two exams given by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork to practitioners who have completed an accredited massage therapy program. Successfully passing this exam leads to national certification in massage therapy, a prerequisite for state or local licensure.

The NCETMB is organized into five sections:

• General Knowledge of the Body Systems
• Knowledge of AnatomyPhysiology, and Kinesiology
• Pathology
• Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork–Assessment
• Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork–Application
• Professional Standards, Ethics, and Business and Legal Practices

Sixteen percent of the NCETMB focuses on General Knowledge of the Body Systems. This section includes questions about the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, urinary, respiratory, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and energetic (chakras, meridians, etc.) systems, and medical terminology.

Knowledge of Anatomy, Physiology, and Kinesiology is 19 percent of the test. This section includes questions about anatomy, including muscle groups, attachments, and fiber direction; tendons; connective tissue; ligaments; joint structure; and meridians. Also included are questions on physiology, such as physical response to stress, nutrition, and the connection between the mind and body. Questions on kinesiology include individual muscle actions, muscular contraction, and movement patterns.

Another 13 percent of the NCETMB is devoted to Pathology, including questions about etiology, contagions, terminology, emotional states, life stages, the effects of trauma, physiological healing, acute and chronic illness and pain, terminal illness, drug interactions, supplements, and Eastern and Western medical approaches.

The section on Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork–Assessment completes 18 percent of the NCETMB and includes questions about sensory, energetic, and intuitive assessment methods, as well as range-of-motion and somatic assessments. The section on Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork–Application is another 22 percent of the test. This section includes questions on theory, methods and massage, and stretching techniques.

The final section, on Professional Standards, Ethics, and Business and Legal Practices comprises the last 12 percent of the test. This section is concerned with professional boundaries, communication, client referral, legal parameters, record keeping, business practices, and the code of ethics. Free sample test questions are available to help familiarize oneself with the NCETMB.