1. What is board certification?

Certification by the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN) is a voluntary process and the last step in professional credentialing. It is designed to assure competent neuropsychological assessment through the evaluation of essential practice knowledge and skill. ABCN certification is granted to clinical neuropsychologists who successfully complete four stages of a rigorous peer review process: Credentials review and vetting; written examination to assess breadth of knowledge; practice sample (casebook) submission; and an oral examination by peer reviewers held semi-annually in Chicago.

2. What are the requirements for a clinical neuropsychologist to become ABCN certified?

Candidates meet at least one of two sets of requirements, depending on their date of doctorate completion: Before and after Jan 1, 2005. For details, click here: ABCN Requirements. The requirements for those graduating after 1/01/2005 reflect an evolved, more standardized training model (the Houston Conference Guidelines) that parallels and addresses the rapid expansion of knowledge in clinical neuropsychology and related sciences.

3. Why are ABCN candidates viewed differently if they completed their doctorates after 2004?

The new candidacy criteria fit the history of mature certifying boards. It is customary for all boards, medical and non-medical, to evolve. Standards change over long epochs. Not so long ago, physicians went directly from high school to medical school, and no such thing as a residency or board certification existed. In the 30 years since ABCN’s creation, neuropsychology and other clinical neurosciences have advanced with great speed; the evolved certifying process reflects this.

4. Is ABCN board certification in clinical neuropsychology anything like board certification in medicine?

ABCN is intended to mirror board certification in medicine. Principally, board certification represents acknowledgment by one's professional peers that one is competent to practice in a designated specialty following thorough examination of one's knowledge and abilities. The ABPP affiliation status is another similarity. The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the umbrella body for 18 medical specialty boards, including the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In psychology, the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) is the umbrella board for 13 specialty boards, including ABCN. The ABCN examination process is analogous to that of medical specialty boards, and includes training requirements, credentials review, written examination, practice sample evaluation, and oral examination.

The primary difference is that training and experience standards are fairly uniform in medical schools, while more variable in clinical psychology programs-- a difference intended to be addressed through the Houston Conference Guidelines.

5. How is ABCN structured?

ABCN is an affiliated board, one of the thirteen specialty member boards of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). Started by APA in 1947 and later spun off, ABPP has been the only board-certifying body in psychology with an umbrella structure. Our structure is distinct from a free-standing, “vanity” or “entrepreneurial” board, as no ABCN board member or single employee profits. All board members, who are elected by the 700+ AACN membership (AACN website), volunteer their time and pay their own travel.

6. What is the relationship between ABCN, AACN, and ABPP?

The American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology (AACN) is a membership organization comprised solely of neuropsychologists who have successfully completed ABCN certification. ABCN manages the certification process, and AACN promotes the interests of certified neuropsychologists. Both organizations are overseen by the ABPP Board of Trustees.

7. How many ABCN board certified Clinical Neuropsychologists are there?

As of May 2011, there were 805 board certified Clinical Neuropsychologists in 48 states and the District of Columbia, and four provinces in Canada.

8. Is ABCN mostly for academic neuropsychologists?

No. ABCN is a practice certification, not an academic certification. Practice certification means peer review of clinical work product in the neuropsychological evaluation of individual patients. The most recent directory of AACN members shows that the majority of diplomates are not affiliated with any academic setting. ABCN is especially important as an external credential for psychologists involved in private practice.

9. I’ve heard ABCN written and oral examination pass rates are abnormally low. What are my real chances of getting certified?

Chances are good. ABCN pass rates are attractive when compared to the benchmark of medical board rates. As of August 2009, the average three year pass rate for the written exam was 64%, and for the oral exam, 80%. Because cohorts differ, there is fluctuation. Year to date (2009), 70% passed the written and 82% the oral exams.

Per the last available statistics, the neurology portion of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology exam pass rates were 52-64% for the written portion and 70-73% for the oral exam. ABCN shows the same pattern of a written exam that is somewhat more difficult than the oral (although ABCN has higher pass rates), and furthers shows that those who pass the written are well-prepared for the oral.

10. I’ve heard rumors that ABCN is "elitist and exclusionary". Is there any truth to it?

No, and our candidate pipeline figures show why. As of July 2009, 500+ candidates were at some stage of the examination process. No other psychology specialty board can claim this. The only "discrimination" built into the exam is that based on competence. It is the mission of the ABCN to have all competent practicing clinical neuropsychologists pass board examination and receive their diploma. Anyone who earns a doctorate degree from a recognized program, and receives specialized training in Clinical Neuropsychology, is eligible to take the examination. Exceptions are also regularly made for individuals with nontraditional training backgrounds, as there is more than one viable path to competence. Many prominent diplomates did not train at high-profile institutions, and many work in community and social service settings.

In summary, the written examination is no different than any other content valid psychological test.

11. What does the test cover?

The written examination (WE) consists of multiple choice questions grouped into five domains: Neuropsychological Assessment, Clinical Neuropsychology, Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Behavioral (Clinical) Neurology, and General Clinical Psychology. Like any content valid test, the domains are chosen to measure each recognized facet of the complex skill being measured. The questions are developed by a team of expert item writers, with items referenced to classical and current literature. General Clinical Psychology items are added to stress the importance of fundamental clinical skills, without which it is difficult to achieve competence in clinical neuropsychology.

The examination takes approximately two hours to complete and is offered four times per year at key meetings (AACN, APA, INS, NAN). The fee is $300. The examination will be coordinated through the ABCN office.

12. If I don’t pass the written/oral examination the first time, does that mean I am not qualified or not sufficiently competent?

No. There are many reasons that competent neuropsychologists may not pass the written or oral examination, including stress, anxiety and insufficient or misapplied study. In such cases, competence may not be demonstrated, even though the candidate is otherwise qualified. Every effort is made to support the candidate through the process, and procedures are in place for relatively painless re-taking of the exam in the cases where the candidate does not pass. Support methods include involvement with BRAIN, an energetic on-line study group managed by neuropsychology residents and ABCN candidates (BRAIN portal). There is also a separate mentoring program for the practice sample phase, which is overseen by Dr. Jacobus Donders. And, one may retake all parts of the examination, multiple times.

13. What benefit is there to certification through ABCN?

As mentioned above, legitimate board certification is validation by one’s peers of competency in a specialty area. If you want to represent yourself to patients as a specialty practitioner, it helps greatly to support your marketing with external validation. ABCN represents a genuine examination of knowledge and competence and consumers of clinical neuropsychological services can be assured that the individual with board certification has stood for and passed such an examination.

In addition, because of the current climate of shrinking health-care resources, unproven representation of specialty competence raises risks of significant public harm. It does so by confusing potential consumers about adequate credentials.

In brief, board certification provides external validity of specialty competence which, besides verifying capabilities to your own satisfaction, also verifies them to others, including health service organizations and hospitals, courts, licensing bureaus, etc.

14. Do any governmental bodies or institutions recognize ABCN?

Yes, many do. ABPP, and by inference all its specialty boards, is recognized in 40 states as evidence for transferability of license. The Veteran’s Administration also recognizes only ABPP as grounds for a salary increase to staff psychologists. No other neuropsychology certifying body can make that claim. State psychology licensing laws may require that claims of specialty certification meet criteria. Florida for example requires a certifying body that is national in scope, incorporates standards of the profession, provides assessments, and collaborates closely with organizations related to specialization in psychology (FL Statutes, Rule 490.0149). This language is based on the ABPP model. As another example, the Mississippi psychology board specifically names ABPP as satisfying statutory requirements for proving specialization. Other states are preparing legislation to this effect.

15. Do you have a “Senior Option” for mid- or late-career neuropsychologists, making it easier to get certified?

No. We are aware that one of the thirteen ABPP specialty board offers this simplified process. But there are no current ABCN plans to develop such an option, given that reasonable flexibility is already incorporated into the current process that takes into account historical training milieus. As explained above, we make every effort to support the candidacy of neuropsychologists who had non-traditional career trajectories prior to 2005. Otherwise, early career clinical psychologists who received their doctorates after 2005 must have completed programs meeting the Houston Conference Guidelines. Those guidelines include a two year post-doctoral residency.