My first tip is–get organized. Before you begin studying anything, figure out how you want to approach your study plan. There are multiple resources available for board exam prep, including NBS, Irene Gold, Chiropractic Board Review (CBR) books and apps and others. The first thing I suggest is figuring out what resources you want to focus on, so that all the resources out there don’t become too overwhelming. I personally found the NBS review videos to be very helpful and found that Irene Gold ended up being a bit more extensive and detailed than I personally was looking for. Most of the apps in the app store cost money, but I want to reassure you that you do not need to spend money on resources to pass your board exam. Quizlet has lots of chiropractic board exam specific study sets that are formulated from Irene Gold and CBR resources, and typing “NBCE part 1” in the search bar should help you find them.

Next, think about how much time you are able and willing to devote to board prep. Will it be an hour a day? Can you only fit it in at the weekends? Once you figure out how much time you’ll be able to put in, then think of a good time frame you want to register for. Studying a little bit at a time might make you want to prepare farther in advance, and being able to study a lot might make you want to take them sooner. Figure out your comfortability level and follow the registration steps on the NBCE website to schedule your testing time. A bonus tip–try to schedule your exam outside of the midterm and finals weeks if possible!

As for studying itself, the exam is split into the following sections: General Anatomy, Spinal Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Biochemistry and Microbiology. The 2024 updated format of this exam requires a 375/800 to pass, so when studying, I found it helpful to really focus on the subjects I felt least confident about. I personally felt well prepared for the first three sections listed and needed to focus my studying on the latter three. I brushed up on the anatomy and physiology concepts I needed a refresher on, but the bulk of my studying ended up being in the subjects in which I tend to struggle. I personally am happy I approached it that way, but if that were something that would bring you stress, surely study how you see fit.

The last thing I want to say is be confident! Getting through the curriculum of our classes is tough in-and-of-itself, so boards are something that you are intelligent and hard-working enough to get through. Do what you need to do to keep yourself relaxed and be sure to get a good night’s rest before tackling your exam. You got this!

Wishing you all the best of luck! — Christina Sweiss

Learn more about NUHS’ Doctor of Chiropractic Program here.