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National Board Examination (NBE)
The National Board Examination is the licensure examination of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, consisting of two separately administered and separately scored computer-based sections — NBE-Arts (funeral directing) and NBE-Sciences (embalming) — each with 170 items (150 scored plus 20 unscored pretest), delivered year-round at Pearson Professional Centers in the United States at USD 285 per section; candidates must pass both sections (passing standard: scaled score of 75) to be considered passing the NBE. The ledger row 'Funeral Service Examination (NBE)' is an umbrella over the two sections; both are recorded here with structure = two exams.
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Questions170 items per section (150 scored + 20 unscored pretest), two sections: NBE-Arts — Funeral Arranging and Directing 51, Funeral Service Marketing/Merchandising 21, Funeral Service Counseling 19, Legal and Regulatory Compliance 35, Cemetery and Crematory Operations 24, Pretest 20; NBE-Sciences — Embalming 62, Restorative Art 34, Preparation for Disposition 28, Funeral Service Sciences 26, Pretest 20
Testing timeNot publicly disclosed — The current first-party exam pages and candidate materials cited for this record were reviewed; they do not publish this field.
ScoringPass/fail; passing standard is a scaled score of 75 (any score of 75 or higher passes). The Arts and Sciences sections are scored separately and candidates must pass BOTH sections to be considered passing the NBE. Only the 150 core items per section are used to calculate scores; numerical scores are not released to candidates, and failed results include a Performance Feedback Chart.
Exam feeUSD 285 per section (USD 570 total for the two required sections, NBE-Arts and NBE-Sciences), paid to The Conference with the application; a $25 change fee applies to appointment changes made 29 days or less before the exam, and absentees forfeit the exam fee
Prep options
Study resources for NBE
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- The Conference
- Category
- Funeral Service
- Current version
- NBE-Arts and NBE-Sciences format in effect since January 1, 2023 (the streamlined program that replaced the separate SBE/NBE tracks), built on the updated 2023 NBE content outline; no separately versioned blueprint label beyond 'UPDATED NBE Blueprint (2023 – TBD)' is published
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- Scaled scores (equated across forms; passing standard 75); the numeric scale range is not published on official HTML pages, and numerical scores are not released to candidates — only pass/fail plus a Performance Feedback Chart for failures
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE (The Conference's exam delivery vendor)
- Format
- Computer-based, in person at Pearson Professional Centers in the United States; one section per appointment, scheduled separately
- Availability
- Year-round by appointment at Pearson Professional Centers (after The Conference releases the candidate's authorization to test to Pearson VUE; applications take two to three business days to process)
- Results
- Pass/fail results report given immediately at the test center; results released to the licensing board(s) selected on the application, with 2-3 business days for the board to receive them; wall certificate mailed three to four weeks after passing both sections
- Score validity
- Passing scores remain valid indefinitely; NBE results do not expire. (School-submitted eligibilities do not expire; state-board eligibilities may expire per state rules, and exam applications/fees expire after one year from submission.)
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
Two separately administered, separately scored computer-based sections (candidates must pass both): NBE-Arts (funeral directing) with 150 scored + 20 pretest multiple-choice items across Funeral Arranging and Directing (51), Funeral Service Marketing/Merchandising (21), Funeral Service Counseling (19), Legal and Regulatory Compliance (35), and Cemetery and Crematory Operations (24); and NBE-Sciences (embalming) with 150 scored + 20 pretest items across Embalming (62), Restorative Art (34), Preparation for Disposition (28), and Funeral Service Sciences (26). Pretest items are mixed into the scored items; basic calculators are built into the exam software on both sections.
Where rules vary
The NBE-Arts and NBE-Sciences are a national U.S. licensure exam accepted as a licensure component by state licensing boards; delivery is at Pearson testing locations in the United States (The Conference's member boards include Canadian boards/agencies, but exam delivery is U.S.-only).
Eligibility
Candidates must meet one of: 1) graduation from an ABFSE-accredited mortuary science program (funeral directing and embalming), 2) completion of an affiliated mortuary science program, or 3) state eligibility requirements for a funeral directing and/or embalming exam; eligibility is submitted by the school or state board, and candidates must read the Candidate Handbook and watch the exam security video before applying
Retake policy
30 days between exam attempts for failing candidates, with no limit on the number of retakes; candidates may reapply during the 30-day window to schedule ahead. Appointments may be canceled/rescheduled free up to 30 days in advance, with a $25 change fee at 29 days or less and no changes within 24 hours; absentees forfeit the fee and must re-register and repay.