The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) announced they will increase the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) fee from $195 to $265 beginning April 1, 2020. This is the first time in 13 years FSMTB has raised the fee for the examination.
“The board of directors explored every possible avenue to avoid or minimize a price increase, and sought valuable input from the membership and the examination and finance committees,” says FSMTB Board Chair Charlene Russell, LMT. “Ultimately, we must keep up with inflation to maintain a viable organization for the benefit of the regulatory community, the profession, and the public we serve.”
The MBLEx fee covers application processing, transcript validation, provision of the examination at secure test centers, and exam result reporting and storage. Behind the scenes, expenses include examination development as well as psychometric and legal defensibility. Additionally, FSMTB provides testing accommodations for those who qualify and MBLEx Candidate Handbooks to schools and candidates, all at no cost.
“While this increase will not take effect until next year, we felt it necessary to share this information now to give schools time to prepare as new students enroll in massage therapy programs who are expected to apply for the MBLEx after March 31, 2020,” states FSMTB Executive Director Dr. Debra Persinger.
FSMTB remains dedicated to maintaining the quality and integrity of the MBLEx in the most cost-effective manner possible and supporting FSMTB member boards in their work to ensure the practice of massage therapy is provided to the public safely and competently.