Quick answers: NBCE Part II
What is on the NBCE Part 2 exam?
Clinical science, split six ways. By the NBCE's test plan, Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis carries 20% of the score weight, General Diagnosis 19%, Diagnostic Imaging and Chiropractic Practice 17% each, Principles of Chiropractic 14%, and Associated Clinical Sciences 13%. Together they make up 255 questions, delivered in two sessions.
How long is NBCE Part 2, and what is the format?
It's a computer-delivered exam. The first session runs General Diagnosis, Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Imaging; the second runs Principles of Chiropractic, Chiropractic Practice, and Associated Clinical Sciences. You get 3 hours 26 minutes of actual test time, and the appointment lasts 4 hours once the tutorial, survey, and optional midpoint break are included.
When is NBCE Part 2 offered?
On the same shared calendar as Parts I, III, and Physiotherapy. Each 2026 window opens on a Saturday (Jan 10, Feb 14, Mar 14, Apr 11, Jun 6, Jul 11, Aug 8, Sep 12, Oct 10, Nov 7) and runs roughly two weeks, with no May window. Registration closes 17 days ahead of your appointment date.
Who can take NBCE Part 2?
Third-year students at an eligible chiropractic college, once the registrar approves the application online and the related coursework is finished by the application deadline. Graduates and retakers face added requirements. While you're enrolled the NBCE lets you keep retesting until you pass; after you pass, a retake happens only if a state licensing authority demands it.
How is NBCE Part 2 scored, and what is a passing score?
The NBCE reports a scaled score from 125 to 800 and sets 375 as the Part II pass mark. Because items are weighted for difficulty, your score is not the share you got right. Scoring is also compensatory across the six domains: per the NBCE, a surplus in one domain can cover a minimal shortfall in another. Results post within about four weeks.
How do I study for NBCE Part 2?
Start from the weights. Diagnosis or Clinical Impression is the biggest subtopic in three domains (40% of General Diagnosis, 30% of Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis, 50% of Diagnostic Imaging), so train on moving from a presentation to a diagnosis. Divide hours by domain share, test each domain first, revisit the weak ones, and close with timed runs. See the plan below.
Where can I find NBCE Part 2 practice questions?
For official questions, the NBCE sells 50-question sample tests for each Part II domain at $15, or all six for $60; you see a score, not which items you missed. ChiroEDU's Part 2 exams are a different product: 24 tests of 50 questions (four tries per domain) with item-by-item analysis.
Sources for this block, all from the NBCE: Part II · Part II Test Plan · Eligibility · Dates · Scoring · Sample test fees · CBT changes FAQ. Checked September 30, 2026.
What Part II covers
Part II is a computer-based exam of 255 questions across six clinical-science domains, taken in two sessions of three domains each. The NBCE's Part II test plan gives each domain a weight. The last two columns are simple arithmetic on those weights (weight times 255 questions, and weight times an 80-hour study budget), so treat them as planning guides, not NBCE numbers.
| Session | Domain | Share of exam | About how many of 255 questions | Hours in an example 80-hour plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | General Diagnosis | 19% | 48 | 15 |
| Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis | 20% | 51 | 16 | |
| Diagnostic Imaging | 17% | 43 | 14 | |
| Session 2 | Principles of Chiropractic | 14% | 36 | 11 |
| Chiropractic Practice | 17% | 43 | 14 | |
| Associated Clinical Sciences | 13% | 33 | 10 |
Two things in the test plan are worth knowing before you build a schedule. First, the three diagnostic domains are built around reasoning: Diagnosis or Clinical Impression is the biggest subtopic in each (40% of General Diagnosis, 30% of Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis, and 50% of Diagnostic Imaging). Second, Associated Clinical Sciences is a grab bag of nine topics, from Geriatrics and Dermatology to Toxicology, Emergency Procedures, Pediatrics, and Jurisprudence, Ethics and Basic Economics, each worth between 7% and 15% of the domain. It is the smallest domain, but it is also the easiest one to skip by accident.
Format, timing, and scoring
- Time: 3 hours 26 minutes on the clock, in a 4-hour slot.
- Score: scaled 125 to 800, with 375 as the pass mark. Harder items carry more weight, so the score isn't a straight percentage. Per the NBCE's 2024 FAQ on computer-based testing changes, Part I and Part II are scored across all six domains together: a surplus in one domain can offset a minimal deficit in another, but not a significant one.
- Navigation: questions arrive domain by domain under one timer, with an optional break at the halfway point. Since August 2024 the computer-based exams are forward-only, so every question must be answered before you advance.
- Results: each 2026 window has a posted release date (October 12 for the September window, for instance). The NBCE's scoring page says scores generally arrive within four weeks.
- Fee: $710 to the NBCE.
When to take it
Third-year students at an eligible chiropractic college can sit Part II, with registrar approval. It shares the 2026 computer-based calendar with Parts I and III and Physiotherapy: ten windows, January to November. Close your registration 17 days before the date you want. The NBCE has posted 2026 only; its dates page is where 2027 windows will appear.
How Part II is different from Part I
Part I rewards recall. Part II asks you to reason from a presentation to a diagnosis or a next step. Many questions give you a patient, a finding, or an image and ask what it means. That changes how you should practice, and it is why the study plan below leans on timed, board-style questions.
How to study for NBCE Part 2
Everything below rests on published NBCE numbers (weights, format, timing) plus standard test-prep habits. Part II is an applied exam, so the plan leans on reasoning practice more than memorization.
- Get the blueprint. The Part II test plan lists every topic with its weight. Your college textbooks are the source: the NBCE writes the exam from college reference texts.
- Find your starting point. Sit one 50-question test in each domain before you study anything. Either the NBCE's sample tests or ChiroEDU's domain exams will do.
- Turn weights into hours. In the 80-hour example, Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis gets about 16 hours and Associated Clinical Sciences about 10. Then trade hours from your strong domains to your weak ones.
- Put extra reps on diagnosis. The biggest block in each of the three diagnostic domains is naming the condition. Read a presentation, find the single detail that decides the answer, then commit.
- Keep imaging in rotation. At 17% it is a full domain, and it returns in Part III as DXI.
- Mine your mistakes. For each wrong answer and each guess that landed, write one sentence on why the correct option wins.
- Retest, then compare. A weak domain should score higher after a study block. If it doesn't, change the method, not just the hours.
- Do a dress rehearsal. In your last two weeks, sit a full session on a computer: three domains, a break, three more, about 3 hours 26 minutes in total.
The NBCE states that third-party courses and guides are not affiliated with, endorsed, or approved by it, so check any outside resource against the test plan.
How ChiroEDU's Part 2 course fits the plan
ChiroEDU's Part 2 course mirrors that structure: one exam per domain, four tries on each, 24 tests of 50 questions, and item analysis on every question. The first try works as your starting point (step 2), later tries as retests (step 7), and the item analysis feeds step 6. For daily practice between full exams, ChiroQuiz covers Part 2 too. ChiroEDU is independent of the NBCE.
What comes next
After Part II comes Part III, the clinical competency exam with diagnostic imaging interpretation. See how all the exams fit together on the NBCE board exam overview.
Sources: NBCE Part II · Part II Test Plan · Part II Eligibility · Fee Schedule · Understanding Scores · Deadlines · CBT changes FAQ (2024). Checked September 30, 2026; verify dates and fees with the NBCE before registering. ChiroEDU is independent and not affiliated with the NBCE.