NABNE
- Qualifies applicants to take the NPLEX
- Administers the NPLEX
- Sends exam results to examinees and regulatory authorities
- Manually verifies responses on answers sheets upon request
NPLEX
- Surveys the profession to determine the competencies that an entry-level ND must master
- Publishes the competencies on which examinees will be tested
- Develops the NPLEX
- Establishes the passing score
- Scores the NPLEX
States and provinces in the US and Canada (with the exception of Ontario) that regulate the naturopathic medical profession recognize NABNE as the examining body and NPLEX as the examination that will ensure that naturopathic physicians/doctors who are licensed/registered meet minimal competency standards. NABNE and NPLEX have been endorsed by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND), and the naturopathic medical programs recognized by the CNME.
NABNE (the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners) is an independent, nonprofit organization formed as a service to the naturopathic profession and the agencies that license/register naturopathic physicians.
The purpose of NABNE is to determine the eligibility of applicants to take the NPLEX, to administer the NPLEX to examinees, and to send exam results and transcripts to regulatory authorities. The institutions that regulate naturopathic medicine grant authority to NABNE to be the examining body for the naturopathic medical profession through their agreement to use the results of the NPLEX in their determination of a candidate’s eligibility for licensure (US) or registration (Canada, with the exception of Ontario).
The five-member NABNE Board works with an Advisory Council comprised of representatives of:
- The Federation of Naturopathic Medicine Regulatory Authorities (FNMRA) representing the state/provincial naturopathic regulatory authorities
- The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME)
- The Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC)
- The Council of Chief Academic and Clinical Officers (CCACO) representing the eight CNME-approved naturopathic medical programs
- The Naturopathic Medical Student Association (NMSA)
- The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP)
- The Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND)
- The naturopathic profession at large
NPLEX (Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examinations) is an independent, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to prepare valid and reliable biomedical science examinations (Part I) that assess the readiness of students to enter the clinical phase of training, and clinical science examinations (Part II) that assess the entry-level competence of candidates who plan to become licensed/registered naturopathic physicians.
The purpose of NPLEX is to provide excellent board examinations that are reliable and will provide a valid assessment of a candidate’s readiness to be a safe pracitioner. NPLEX follows the testing standards set forth in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education). These are the standards endorsed by the Council on Licensure, Enforcement, and Regulation (CLEAR), a North American organization, of which NABNE and NPLEX are members.
Both NABNE and NPLEX tax returns are available upon request.