General Inquiries

All first-time candidates may continue to attempt certification for a period not to exceed 24 months from the date of their initial score report as a first-time candidate.

You may retake each portfolio entry or assessment center exercise on which you received a score of less than 2.75 up to 2 times during the 24 month period that your scores are banked, beginning from initial score notification. You will have an opportunity to retake once each 12 months. You will also need to pay the required retake fee each time you elect to retake and meet all deadlines in order to receive a new score.

Note: Your highest numeric score - whether it is the original score or a retake score - is used to compute your Total Weighted Score. If your current retake score is lower than your original score or a previous score, your score report shows the highest numeric score you have received and any associated feedback statements. However, if you receive a Not Scorable (NS) due to disqualification or due to a portfolio entry overlap with a previous submission, a previous score does not carry forward. This policy is effective for all candidates scored in 2010 and beyond.

No. To ensure an equitable assessment experience for all candidates, extensions of a candidate's eligibility period or submission deadlines are not granted.

The retake fee is $350 per entry or exercise.  Retake fees are nonrefundable, regardless of the circumstances. There is also a nonrefundable $15 application processing charge which is due at the time the retake application is submitted online.

You may choose to retake any individual portfolio entry or assessment center exercise on which you received a score of less than 2.75. You are not permitted to retake any portfolio entry or assessment center exercise on which you met or exceeded a score of 2.75. You also have the option to apply to repeat the National Board Certification process in its entirety. However, you should be aware that if you repeat the assessment process, the scores you received in your previous efforts would not be retained (banked). Candidates who apply to repeat the entire assessment are considered first-time candidates with no banked score data.

You may choose to retake any combination of portfolio entries and/or assessment center exercises on which you received a score of less than 2.75. However, keep in mind those candidates who must declare a specialty area must retake entries and exercises within that same declared specialty area.

Teachers who are not currently in the classroom may "borrow" a classroom in order to complete the portfolio requirements for National Board Certification. The lesson would need to fit the content area of the certificate, as defined in the standards. Your students must also meet the certificate area's age requirements. It must be a regularly scheduled class during the regularly scheduled school day within the school's curriculum — not an after school program or an artificial class (i.e., one that is a conglomerate of students from different classes or organizational groups or one that is fabricated or assembled for the purpose of completing the portfolio entries).

If after paying the retake fee for one or more portfolio entries or assessment center exercises, you find that you cannot complete your portfolio retake entries or take your assessment center retake exercises during the assessment center testing window, you may choose to defer submitting a new response for up to one year, provided you are still eligible to retake.

Your retake fee will not be refunded, and NBPTS will assess a $125 fee for each deferred portfolio entry or assessment center exercise.

To defer, your request must be submitted via the Status section in My Profile prior to the deadline for submission of retake portfolio entries, and at least 10 business days prior to the end of your designated assessment center testing window. You cannot defer any portfolio entries or assessment center exercises if you are in your last year of eligibility. Retake submissions can only be deferred once.

No. When you elect to defer a portfolio retake entry or assessment center retake exercise, you are effectively declining one retake opportunity. Retakes must be taken within your 24-month eligibility period that begins with the date printed on your score report as a first-time candidate. No extensions of the retake period will be granted.

If you do not submit a response to a portfolio entry or retake an assessment center exercise that you paid to retake, your most recent score on that entry or exercise will remain the same. You will have effectively declined one retake opportunity. If you are in your last year of eligibility, you will not be able to retake portfolio entries or assessment center exercises at a later date. Your retake fees cannot be rolled over to the next assessment year or refunded. Retake fees are nonrefundable, regardless of the circumstances.

Payment of a $75 fee is required for each retake entry/exercise changed after your application has been submitted and paid in full. This change fee does not apply to entries and/or exercises that you add or deselect prior to paying the $350 retake fee. Requests for changes to retake selections are intended for candidates who wish to replace the retake selections they originally chose on their retake applicaiton with alternate retake selections. The change is not intended for candidates who decide they do not want to retake some or all of the selections they chose on the retake application they submitted. Retake fees are nonrefundable regardless of the circumstances.

Changes to your retake selection can be made via the Status section of My Profile. If the retake fee has been paid, you will be charged $75 per change.

The deadline to change your retake selection is January 31. Changes must be made prior to scheduling your assessment center appointment or submitting a portfolio entry.

You may not deselect an entry after you have paid the retake fee, but if you are eligible, you may defer that entry. If you have paid the full retake fee, but find that you will be unable to complete the process this year, you can defer selected retakes until the next cycle, if you have a year of retake eligibility remaining. If you defer, there is a $125 fee for each entry/exercise deferred. If you defer to the next year, you will be effectively declining one retake opportunity.

The ten-year period begins from the date you receive National Board Certification.

The deadline to apply and submit payment for retakes is January 31.