Application Information > Learn About Specialty Boards > Clinical Neuropsychology > Exam Registration & Process > Oral Examination

Oral Examination InformationImage result for professional meeting

Oral Exam Stage 4 of 4
 
When practice samples are accepted, the candidate is scheduled for oral examination. Oral examinations are typically held twice per year in Chicago, in late spring and late fall. Click here for the schedule of oral examinations. 

The examination takes consists of three, one-hour components, each conducted by a different examiner. The three components include: (1) examination of the Practice Sample; (2) Fact Finding within the context of a neuropsychological case and (3) examination of Ethics and Professional commitment.  

The oral examination consists of three parts, each of which is designed to allow examiners the opportunity to evaluate the candidate’s scientific knowledge and clinical expertise in assessment, consultation, intervention, and ethical practice. The three portions of the examination include:
  1. Practice sample examination.
    The candidate is questioned about the practice sample to explore the rationale for assessment and clarity of the candidate's interpretation, report, and conclusions. The practice sample also offers a point of departure for the examiner to query the candidate about related psychometric, diagnostic, scientific, or practice-related issues.
  2. Ethics and professional issues.
    The candidate is asked to provide an ethical analysis of a presented vignette and to describe the nature of their professional development, current professional activities, and efforts to foster continuing education.
  3. Fact Finding Examination.
    The candidate is given a brief clinical vignette and instructed to elicit from the examiner all relevant clinical information (history, test results, etc) required to conceptualize the case and formulate conclusions.
Immediately following the examination, the examiners meet to discuss how well each candidate was able to demonstrate his or her scientific knowledge, clinical expertise, ethical practice, social responsibility, and professional commitment. After discussion, the examiners vote to either award or not award board certification based on the candidate’s overall performance across the entire examination. Candidates do not pass or fail individual portions of the examination. A favorable decision of two out of three examiners is required to award certification. Please refer to the Document Library for more detailed information.
 
Oral Examination Format

Candidates congregate before the exam, between examination exercises, and at the conclusion of the exam in a room that is reserved for them. One or more ABCN officials meet with the candidates prior to the start of the examination. At this time the procedures outlined in this manual will be reviewed and the Confidentiality Agreement will be signed. A final check will also be made to ensure that no candidate is examined by an oral examiner with whom the candidate may have had a substantive relationship that could bias the outcome – either negatively or positively.

Each of the three examination exercises begins with the examiner greeting the candidate in the waiting area and escorting the candidate to an exam room. Each examiner works in a separate exam room. An observer or trainee may be present during the examination to observe the examiner, not the candidate. Observers are present to ensure that all procedures are correctly followed. Trainees are present to learn how the examination is conducted. Observers and trainees do not participate in the examination or the deliberations that follow, but may be called upon to clarify procedures and facts, if needed.  The time allotted for each exercise is approximately 45 to 55 minutes.

Candidates may bring a pen and paper to each examination exercise, but any notes that are made during an exercise must be given to the examiner at the end of that exercise. No other material may be brought to either the Fact Finding or Ethics & Professional Practice exercises.  The candidate may, however, bring a copy of their Practice Sample (original version submitted without notes or additional markings) to that portion of the examination.

After completing the last examination exercise, each candidate returns to the waiting area and anonymously rates each of their examiners on behaviors that are important to performing a competent and fair examination. These exit ratings are an important aspect of ABCN’s quality assurance efforts.