Questions, Facts, and Figures

1. Is ABCN an entrepreneurial, freestanding, or an affiliated board?

ABCN, incorporated in 1981, is a member board of the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) which has been the board-certifying body in psychology since 1947.

2. Is ABCN board certification anything like board certification in medicine?

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.

In medicine, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the umbrella body for 18 medical speciality boards, including the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In psychology, ABPP is the umbrella board for 13 specialty boards, including ABCN.

The ABCN examination process is strictly analagous to that of medical speciality boards, and includes training requirements, credentials review, written examination, work sample evaluation, and oral examination. Thus, ABCN board certification in Clinical Neuropsychology is strictly analagous to medical board specialty certification.

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

As of October, 2006, there are 580 board certified Clinical Neuropsychologists in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

4. Is ABCN mostly for academic neuropsychologists?

This is a false rumor that is commonly circulated. ABCN is a practice certification, not an academic certification. In fact, if one looks through the most recent directory of AACN members, the majority are not affiliated with any academically-related setting. ABCN is especially important as an external credential for psychologists involved in private practice.

5. Are ABCN pass rates abnormally low?

No, ABCN pass rates are quite fair and comparable to those of the medical boards. In 1994, the pass rate was 76% for the written exam and 72% for the oral exam. In 1995, the pass rate was 59% for the written exam and 68% for the oral exam.

For comparative purposes, from the neurology portion of the exam for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, in 1994, the pass rate was 64% for the written exam and 70% for the oral exam. In 1995, the neurology board pass rate was 52% for the written exam and 73% for the oral exam.

The ABCN pass rates in 1999 were 76% for the written exam, and 82% for the oral exam.

6. Is ABCN an "exclusionary" vehicle?

Nothing could be further from the truth. It is the goal of the ABCN to have all competent practicing clinical neuropsychologists pass board examination and receive their diploma. Anyone who receives an earned doctorate degree and receives specialized training in Clinical Neuropsychology is eligible to take the examination. Exceptions are also regularly made for individuals with nontraditional training backgrounds.

The only "discrimination" which is designed into the exam is discrimination based on competence.

Of course, individuals may not pass the examination for multiple reasons, including anxiety, acute illness, etc., and in such cases, competence may not be demonstrated even though the candidate is not lacking. 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.

7. Why should I or anyone else be concerned about board certification through ABCN?

As mentioned above, legitimate board certification is validation by one's peers of competency to practice in a given specialty. If one wants to represent themselves to patients as a specialty practitioner, it is appropriate to have one's claims to competence verified. 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.

Certifications attesting to specialty status which do not require rigorous examination or which do not discriminate specialty competence from interest areas or self-designation, do neither the patient nor the profession any service. In addition, in the current climate of shrinking health-care resources, misrepresentation of specialty competence can do significant damage to the professional status of Clinical Neuropsychology by confusing potential consumers about adequate credentials and risking the reputation of the specialty by generalizations from inferior practice.

In brief, board certification provides external validity of specialty competence which, besides verifying capabilities to oneself, verifies them to others, including health service organizations and hospitals, courts, licensing bureaus, etc. In addition, if one moves from state to state, board certification through ABPP is recognized in over 40 states as evidence for transferability of license.

Page Last Updated: November 15, 2006