Once you’ve graduated from chiropractic school with a Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine, or D.C. degree, your goal of becoming a chiropractor has almost come to fruition. However, there are a few additional steps you must take in order to earn the right to practice at a national and state level.
The first important step you must take after your chiropractic school graduation is to take the chiropractic board examinations. These are administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and are offered twice a year in the United States, as well as in areas of Europe, Asia, and Australia. In some cases, you may take the board examinations while still enrolled in chiropractic school.
The tests consist of four parts, three of which are written examinations. Parts I, II and III feature 110 multiple-choice questions, and range from more general scientific material to specific questions on chiropractic adjustment.
Licensing Tests
Part IV is a test which focuses on applied patient-treatment situations, and may involve diagnostic situations to which you will need to respond in real time.
According to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a score of 375 is required to pass the exams. Although the National Board does not impose any limits on the number of times you can take the tests, some states do restrict the number of times an applicant can retest.
In addition, several states require that you pass additional state boards in order to achieve licensure. These testing requirements vary from state to state.