Candidate FAQs

Effective September 19, 2022, the National Board will open access to educators interested in the Board certification process by allowing candidates to begin the board certification process before completing three (3) years of successful teaching. While this change allows candidates to begin the process earlier, educators will need to complete three years of teaching employment to become Board-certified.

*This policy was revised, effective for first-time candidates in the fall of the 2022-23 registration cycle. For more information, see the Policy Change FAQ page, or the Guide to National Board Certification and the Eligibility Verification Forms and Instructions.

Part-time and long-term substitute teaching does count toward the three-year employment requirement. To calculate your actual years of employment, please refer to the instructions located on page six of the Eligibility Verification Forms and Instructions.

Candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree and a valid state teaching or school counseling license may begin the certification process before having completed three years of full-time teaching/counseling. (NOTE: Candidates for the Career and Technical Education certificate are required to hold a bachelor’s degree only if their state requires one for their current license).

You will need to have met the three-year employment requirement by June 30 of your third year of National Board candidacy. If you don’t meet the three (3) years of employment requirement by June 30 of your third year, you will not be eligible to achieve certification.

No. The National Board will audit first-time candidate records and request proof of meeting the eligibility requirements. If you are selected for the audit, by the audit deadline you must provide supporting documentation demonstrating you met the specified eligibility requirements. Please note the following:

• Candidates who have completed three or more years of teaching when they register will be randomly audited and required to submit proof of meeting the education, licensure, and employment requirements.

• All candidates who have completed less than three years of teaching when they register will be required to complete two separate audits:
  • Initial Audit: Proof of meeting the education and licensure requirements must be submitted during the initial year of candidacy.
  • Employment Audit: After completing the initial audit, an employment attestation button will appear on the Candidate Dashboard of the candidate’s National Board account. Candidates will need to complete the attestation and submit proof of meeting the employment requirement after completing three years of successful teaching, and no later than June 30 of their third year of candidacy, to be eligible to achieve certification. A candidate who does not meet the employment requirement by June 30 of the third year of candidacy will not achieve National Board Certification.

All candidates who are being audited will be notified by the National Board via email within 30 days of the purchase of their first component and will then have 30 days to return the appropriate verification forms located in the Eligibility Verification Forms and Instructions. Audited candidates will be notified of their eligibility status within 15 days of receipt of the completed verification forms.

Yes. Go to the Candidate Resources section and review the Guide to National Board Certification, download the Eligibility Verification Forms to see if you meet the education, employment and licensure requirements. Note: The computer-based assessment (Component 1) is only administered in the United States, some U.S. Territories and Puerto Rico.

National Board Certification is available in 25 areas structured around 16 different disciplines and six student developmental levels (early childhood, middle childhood, early and middle childhood, early adolescence, adolescence and young adulthood, early childhood through young adulthood). Candidates in six certificate areas also select a specific specialty area within their discipline.

Go to Choosing the Right Certificate. This document helps candidates determine which of the 25 certificate areas are appropriate to apply for and what the assessment will include. In general, candidates who meet the education, employment, and licensure requirements can register for any certificate of their choosing. For example, you can choose to certify under a different certificate area than your current teaching license if you wish to do so. It is important to remember when you make your selection that the evidence you submit for a component must fall within the stated age range and the content area for the certificate area you select; otherwise, your component(s) will not be scorable (see the General Portfolio Instructions and Choosing the Right Certificate for more information). Watch this video for step-by-step instructions on how to choose your certificate area.

Take time to read all the information presented in the Guide to National Board Certification, paying close attention to important dates, deadlines and policies. When ready, create an account in the National Board Candidate Management System (NBCMS) to register and purchase components. Note: A $75 registration fee is required during each cycle year and must be paid before you are permitted to purchase a component. Registrations that do not have at least one component purchased will be withdrawn after the registration deadline. Watch this video for step-by-step instructions on how to register.

Log in to your National Board account and click Browse under Certifications in the left-hand navigation menu to access available certification areas and components. Use the search bar to select your certificate area and view components available for purchase. To purchase a component, click the component name link and follow the onscreen prompts. You will be required to verify your contact information and sign attestations before submitting payment– you should only purchase the components you plan to complete during the current cycle and must purchase at least one component to remain active during the current cycle.

Assessment materials, including National Board Standards, Component Instructions, and Scoring Guide, are paperless and are available here. Candidates who are eligible and fully paid will receive emails throughout their candidacy about scheduling and testing the component-based assessment (Component 1 which is completed at a Pearson VUE testing center) and how to upload and submit the portfolio components (Components 2-4) electronically.

The registration window for each assessment cycle opens in May and closes on February 28 of the following year. This window includes registration and component purchase deadlines.

Component 1 testing and submission of Components 2-4 takes place in the Spring, after the registration window has closed. Scoring occurs in the summer, with scores being released no later than December 31.

Each of the four components must be completed within the first three years of your candidacy, and you have a five-year window to achieve certification.

See the Important Dates and Deadlines section in the Guide to National Board Certification for specific details related to the most current candidate cycle.

Yes. Candidates can have a year during which they don’t take or retake any components as long as they attempt each of the four components within the first three years of their candidacy and complete the entire process within the required five-year window. Note: Although you have a five-year window to complete the certification process, you are expected to complete all components you purchase during the assessment cycle in which the component is purchased.

1. You must earn a minimum unweighted average score of 1.75 on Component 1 (i.e., the assessment center section). The minimum score requirement on this section is based on unweighted rubric scores, not weighted scores.
2. You must earn a minimum unweighted average score of 1.75 on Components 2 through 4 (i.e., the portfolio section). The minimum score requirement on this section is based on unweighted rubric scores, not weighted scores.
3. You must earn a total weighted score of at least 110.

The National Board’s assessors use a rubric score scale based on four primary levels of performance (Levels 4, 3, 2, and 1), with plus (+) and minus (–) variations at each level. Scores in Level 4 and Level 3 represent accomplished teaching practice.  A score of 2.75 is the lowest rubric score in the range of clear evidence of accomplished teaching practice. Scores in Level 2 and Level 1 represent not yet accomplished teaching practice. More information about rubric scores can be found in the component instructions and Scoring Guide: Understanding Your Scores.

The component scores will be weighted as follows:

• The assessment center section (Component 1: Content Knowledge) makes up 40% of your total weighted score:
  • The weight of the three constructed response items is 50% of the assessment center section (each constructed response item is weighted 6.67% of the total weighted score).
  • The selected response part is 50% of the assessment center section (the section is weighted 20% of the total weighted score).
    • The portfolio section (Components 2, 3, and 4 combined) makes up 60% of your total weighted score:
  • Component 2: Differentiation in Instruction weight is 25% of the portfolio section total (15% of the total weighted score)
  • Component 3: Teaching Practice and Learning Environment weight is 50% of the portfolio section total (30% of the total weighted score)
  • Component 4: Effective and Reflective Practitioner weight is 25% of the portfolio section total (15% of the total weighted score)

For more details, see the Scoring Guide: Understanding Your Scores.

Look at the 4-level scoring rubric in the Scoring Guide to understand what your unweighted scores mean. There are four score levels, and levels 3 and 4 represent accomplished teaching practice. A score of 2.75 or higher on each component or part of Component 1 will mean you demonstrated at least clear evidence of accomplished teaching, and you are in an excellent position to earn National Board Certification.

While you should aim to earn a 2.75 on each component and each part of Component 1, you could, in theory, earn a 2.63 on each component and each part of Component 1 and earn a total score of 110 and thus achieve National Board Certification. See “A Note About Scores and Weights” in the Scoring Guide.

See Score Release FAQs for First-time and Returning Candidates.

The National Board releases scores and certification decisions by December 31 each year. See the Scoring Guide: Understanding Your Scores for a sample score report.

Yes. Candidates can retake each component up to two times. Retakes can happen at any time during the five-year window. The highest numeric score received on each component will be used for the total score calculation. For information on retakes and preparing for the next assessment cycle, see the Scoring Guide: Understanding Your Scores and General Portfolio Instructions.

When scores are released, candidates receive results for each component attempted. Candidates should refer to information in the Scoring Guide: Understanding Your Scores to assist them in making decisions about whether or not to retake. Candidates will have up to two opportunities to retake a component after an initial attempt. Candidates may simultaneously register to initially attempt one component and also retake other component(s). Note: Component 1: Content Knowledge consists of four individual parts which a candidate may or may not elect to retake.

For additional information on retaking components refer to the Scoring Guide: Understanding Your Scores and the General Portfolio Instructions.

Of all teachers receiving a certification decision since 2017, the year the National Board revised its assessment, 71% earned the National Board Certified Teacher designation. The cumulative certification rate includes teachers who received a certification decision after receiving scores on all four of the assessment’s components. Learn more.

There is a $75 nonrefundable and nontransferable registration fee that must be paid during each assessment cycle before you can select a component plus a $475 fee for the initial attempt of each of the four required components. Components can be purchased and paid for separately, at any time prior to the registration deadline for each assessment cycle. Purchase only the components you plan to complete during the assessment cycle for which you are registered.

The National Board payment plan is available to any candidate pursuing National Board certification or MOC, including retakes. Visit the Payment Plan page of our website to learn more.

Yes. The $75 nonrefundable and nontransferable registration fee is charged once per assessment cycle and is required for each cycle in which you purchase and complete a component.

Some states and districts provide financial support to teachers who want to earn their National Board Certification. There are some state, and/or local funds available to support National Board Certification fees. In addition, states and districts offer salary increases, bonuses or other incentives to educators who become NBCTs.  Before you register, contact your state or local program administrator for information about fees and incentives available in your state, as well as for any special application requirements that may apply. Find out your state information.

Log in to your National Board account and select the components you plan to purchase, including retakes, by choosing the component from the certificate table at the bottom of your Candidate Dashboard– you should only select the components you plan to complete during the current cycle. If you are expecting payment from a third party, you will simply indicate on screen that you are expecting full funding for the component. When the organization providing full funding for your component submits payment to the National Board, we will automatically complete the component purchase for you. You should allow up to 10 business days after payment has been received from your third-party payer for your purchase to be completed.

Through the generosity of corporate and foundation partners, the National Board is periodically able to offer a limited number of scholarships to help offset a portion of the fees for National Board Certification. Scholarships are allocated under the guidelines set by the donors. If you have selected a component and you meet the guidelines for receiving any remaining scholarship funds, you will be notified via email with required next steps. Please note that funding is limited, and you should not rely on a scholarship to cover your component fees.

The Guide to National Board Certification is the best and most detailed resource for prospective candidates to learn more about the certification process. Our Customer Support team is also available to answer questions and assist with the registration process. In addition, candidate support is provided by networks of NBCTs in many locations across the country. Learn more about NBCT Networks.