Exam content is based on the current Board Certification Domains developed from the 2024 Practice Analysis Study. The exam consists of 150 multiple choice questions, 130 of which are scored and 20 are pre-test questions collecting reliability and validity data for possible future use. The current passing point is 97/130* questions. Contact CBMT for data prior to 2010.
First-time candidate pass rate and Overall candidate pass rate is updated quarterly and is a running total for the current year. All other data is updated annually.
| First-time candidate pass rate | 61% |
| **Overall candidate pass-rate | 49% |
| New MT-BCs in 2024 | 719 |
| Total MT-BCs | 10,511 |
| Recertification Rate | 76% |
*The cut score is set by the standard setting process. Difficulty of exam items is considered when setting the cut score. Cut scores change with standard setting practices every five years. The 2025 standard setting determined that the new cut score reflects the relative consistency in assessed competencies between the previous and current Exam Content Outline.
A higher cut score does not necessarily mean the exam is harder. Cut scores are adjusted based on the difficulty of each test to ensure a consistent standard of knowledge across different exam versions. Every five-years the Standard Setting process ensures that the cut score reflects the minimum knowledge required for an entry level music therapist to practice safely and competently. For example, a more difficult test may require fewer correct answers to pass, while an easier test may require more correct answers to meet the same competency standard. The goal is to maintain a consistent level of competence required to pass, regardless of the specific questions on any exam version.
**Overall pass-rate calculated using the number of exam administrations in the reporting period.