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Marital and Family Therapy National Examination

The Marital and Family Therapy (MFT) National Examination is the national licensure examination developed by AMFTRB and used by U.S. state MFT licensing boards: each form contains 180 four-option multiple-choice items (all scored) completed in four hours at Prometric test centers during monthly one-week testing periods, with a passing score set by an expert panel on an anchor examination using a modified Angoff method and held consistent across the four statistically equated forms given each year; registration and scoring are handled by PTC (Professional Testing Corporation), and current test specifications are based on a 2025 role delineation study.

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Questions180 items per form; all items are counted in computing the candidate's score; each item has four alternative answers, only one of which is correct
Testing time4 hours
ScoringPassing score established by a panel of expert judges on an 'anchor examination' using a modified Angoff method, then held consistent across forms by psychometric equating — there is no fixed numeric passing score across exam administrations, and licensure decisions are the responsibility of the individual state boards
Exam feeNot publicly disclosed — The current first-party exam pages and candidate materials cited for this record were reviewed; they do not publish this field.

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Exam overview

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Who runs it
AMFTRB
Category
Marriage & Family Therapy
Current version
Current test specifications based on the role delineation study performed in 2025 (no public edition label beyond this); four different statistically equated exam forms are given each year
Where it applies
United States — national
Exam languages
English
Score scale
Reported score equals the total number of correct responses (raw number-correct score; no penalty deducted for incorrect answers)
Testing provider
Prometric (test delivery); PTC — Professional Testing Corporation — manages application/registration and scores the exam
Format
Computer-based at Prometric test centers (presented ID at the testing center; Prometric provides lockers; no remote/at-home delivery)
Availability
Administered monthly during an established one-week testing period; applications are due the first day of the month before each testing window (e.g., January 1 for the February window); 2026 testing windows are listed monthly (e.g., Jan 17–24, Feb 14–21)
Results
Scores reported approximately 20 business days after the close of each testing period — to the state licensing boards and by email to candidates (distributed by PTC, not AMFTRB)
Remote testing
Not available

Exam structure

Single 180-item form of objective four-option multiple-choice questions covering knowledge essential to professional practice of marital and family therapy; all items scored; four different forms per year, statistically equated to equal difficulty; the full content outline (domains, task statements, knowledge statements from the 2025 role delineation study) is published in the Handbook for Candidates

Where rules vary

A uniform national examination used by U.S. state and territorial MFT licensing boards ('used by all of the other US jurisdictions including the District of Columbia and Guam'); each board sets its own eligibility requirements and makes its own licensure decisions, and candidates must obtain an approval code from their jurisdiction before applying. California is the exception: 'The California LMFT exam is not the same exam as the AMFTRB National Examination,' so California licensure candidates use state-specific exams. Candidates may sit for the exam at any Prometric test center in the United States, U.S. territories, and Canada, regardless of the jurisdiction of licensure.

Eligibility

Candidates must first contact their jurisdiction's state board and receive an Approval Code confirming they meet that board's education and experience requirements before applying with PTC; AMFTRB does not determine eligibility, and approval codes are issued once (generally valid up to one year or until the exam is taken)

Retake policy

A candidate may take the examination no more than three times in any 12-month period (there are only four exam forms a year and a candidate cannot retake the same form); each attempt requires a new approval code from the state board and a new application and examination fee paid to PTC; after failing, the next available testing period is about three months later

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