1.1 Current Exam Facts
Key Takeaways
- NBCE Part I is a computer-based basic-sciences exam with 255 questions across six domains, not a 300-question paper test.
- Session 1 covers General Anatomy, Spinal Anatomy, and Physiology; Session 2 covers Chemistry, Pathology, and Microbiology.
- Total testing time is 3 hours 26 minutes inside a 4-hour appointment that includes a tutorial, an optional 15-minute break after Session 1, and an end-of-exam survey.
- A scaled score of at least 375 is required to pass; the published full Part I fee is $710.
- Testing is offered at chiropractic-college CBT sites and Prometric centers; the 2026 CBT table has no May window.
Why Part I exists in the D.C. licensure sequence
State chiropractic licensing boards need a shared way to confirm that a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) candidate commands the same basic-science foundation regardless of which eligible college produced the transcript. The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Part I examination is that national checkpoint. It is a computer-based basic-sciences test—not a diagnosis exam, not a technique exam, and not a license by itself. Passing Part I documents anatomy-through-microbiology competence so a board can compare candidates from different programs on one scale.
Most U.S. licensure pathways then expect Part II (clinical sciences), Part III (written clinical competency), and Part IV (practical). Some jurisdictions also require the separate NBCE Physiotherapy examination. Treat Part I as the gate that has to be honest before those later parts: a passing Part I score does not authorize practice, and it does not replace Parts II–IV. College course grades are local; Part I is the portable record that boards actually read.
Quick Answer: Current MyNBCE Part I facts are 255 questions across six domains, two sessions of three domains each, 3 hours 26 minutes of testing time inside a 4-hour appointment, a passing scaled score of at least 375, and a $710 full-exam fee. Sample tests are 50 items per domain and are not the live exam.
Current live-exam specifications
The Part I page on MyNBCE is the specification you should memorize for logistics. The live examination consists of 255 questions across six domains. Administration is split into two sessions, and each session contains three domains:
| Session | Domains tested | Role in the day |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | General Anatomy, Spinal Anatomy, Physiology | First block of scored testing |
| Session 2 | Chemistry, Pathology, Microbiology | Second block after the optional break |
You are allotted 3 hours and 26 minutes of total testing time. That is the question-answering clock. Testing appointments are 4 hours because NBCE also builds in a tutorial, an end-of-exam survey, and an optional 15-minute break after the first session. Do not confuse the appointment length with the testing clock. Third-party pages that still say “4-hour testing” are describing the appointment envelope, not the 3-hour-26-minute testing allotment.
If you spread 255 items evenly across 206 minutes (3 hours 26 minutes), the derived pace is about 48 seconds per question. That figure is a study-planning calculation from the published item count and time, not an NBCE-published per-item limit. Some items will take longer (a multi-step biochemistry pathway, a plexus lesion, a necrosis-versus-apoptosis discriminator). Build speed in practice so the hard items have room.
Passing score: a scaled score of at least 375. Scores are not a raw percent correct. The next section of this chapter covers Classical Test Theory (CTT), Item Response Theory (IRT), equating, and the 125–800 reporting scale. For now, lock the decision rule: 375 or higher is pass; below 375 is fail.
Fee: $710 for full Part I. Individual Domain Retakes (IDR) ended January 1, 2026. After that date, a candidate who needs another Part I sitting must retake the full Part, not a single domain. A $335 per-domain figure that still appears on older Part I marketing copy is not a current 2026 retake option. Sample tests remain a separate $15/$60 product and are not domain retakes.
Sample tests (not the live exam): $15 per domain (50 items) or $60 for the all-domain sample. You receive an overall score only. NBCE does not show which sample items you missed. Never treat the 50-item sample size as the live per-domain item count. NBCE does not publish a live per-domain item count on the Part I page. If a blog says “50 scored items per domain on test day,” that is the sample product, not the 255-item examination.
Where you sit and what you bring
NBCE offers Part I at chiropractic-college computer-based testing (CBT) sites and at Prometric centers. You select a test site when you apply. College sites often cluster around published on-campus weekend dates inside each window; Prometric dates fill the rest of the window. The only item allowed into the secure testing area is one form of identification. NBCE provides storage for one car key. Plan a government-issued photo ID that is valid on test day; digital IDs are not accepted, and an expired card will keep you out of the room.
2026 CBT windows (Parts I, II, III, and PHT)
Scheduling for computer-based Parts I/II/III/Physiotherapy uses the published 2026 administration table. There is no May window on that table. On-campus dates sit inside each window; Prometric appointments fill the remaining dates. Scheduling closes 17 days before the test date at 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time—so “I will book next week” is not a plan if you are already inside that lock.
| 2026 window | Dates | On-campus dates (inside the window) |
|---|---|---|
| January | Jan 10–25 | Jan 17–18 |
| February–March | Feb 14–Mar 1 | Feb 21–22 |
| March | Mar 14–29 | Mar 21–22 |
| April | Apr 11–26 | Apr 18–19 |
| May | None published | — |
| June | Jun 6–21 | Jun 13–14 |
| July | Jul 11–26 | Jul 18–19 |
| August | Aug 8–23 | Aug 15–16 |
| September | Sep 12–27 | Sep 19–20 |
| October | Oct 10–25 | Oct 17–18 |
| November | Nov 7–22 | Nov 14–15 |
Score-release dates for those windows appear in the next section with the rest of scoring and eligibility. The operational point for this section: pick a window that leaves you 17+ days after college approval and payment, then treat the 4:00 p.m. Mountain cutoff as a hard stop.
Stale numbers you should discard
Older blogs, forum posts, and even some outdated local summaries still recycle logistics that do not match the current Part I page. If you see any of the following, replace them with the official row.
| Stale claim | Current official fact (MyNBCE Part I / fees / deadlines) |
|---|---|
| 300 questions | 255 questions across six domains |
| $1,100 exam fee | $710 full Part I |
| 4 hours of testing | 3 hours 26 minutes testing; 4-hour appointment |
| 50 live items per domain | 50 is the sample size; live per-domain counts are unpublished |
| Domain weights such as 25/9/10 | Official weights 20 / 22 / 18 / 13 / 16 / 11 (next section of this chapter details study implications) |
Those stale figures are not “close enough.” A 300-item mental model overstates volume. A $1,100 mental model overstates cost. A 4-hour testing mental model understates how tight 3 hours 26 minutes actually is once tutorial, break, and survey occupy the extra appointment time.
Official pages to bookmark
Verify logistics on the owner’s site before you apply, not on a screenshot from a classmate’s prior cohort:
- Part I overview — item count, sessions, time, passing score, fee, sample-test prices, sites
- Part I test plan — six domain weights and numbered sub-topics
- Part I PDF test plan — same topic list in printable form
- Part I eligibility — college approval, second-year timing, graduate path, retakes
- Fee schedule — $710 Part I and sample-test prices
- Pass rates — first-time comparison figures, including the 71% Part I part-level note
- Understanding scores — CTT/IRT, equating, 125–800 scale
- CBT dates and deadlines — 2026 windows, 17-day lock, score-release dates
- Part I reference texts — college-used references NBCE cites for item development
According to the current NBCE Part I page, how many questions does the live computer-based exam contain?
What scaled score does NBCE currently require to pass Part I?
How much total testing time does NBCE allot for Part I, not counting tutorial, optional break, and survey?