4151 Wisconsin Repeals Stiff NBCE Exam Requirement
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Dynamic Chiropractic – April 1, 2018, Vol. 36, Issue 04

Wisconsin Repeals Stiff NBCE Exam Requirement

By Editorial Staff

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has signed Assembly Bill 834, legislation repealing the requirement that DCs wishing to practice in Wisconsin score higher on Parts III and IV of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) examination than is required in most other states. A summary of the bill specifies both the new and old scores needed for successful completion of Part III and Part IV of the NBCE exam:

"Under this bill, an applicant is required to score at least 375 on Part III of the examination administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and to score at least 375 on Part IV of that examination in order to be granted a chiropractor license. Current law [prior to the passage of AB 834, which took effect April 16, 2018] requires a score of at least 438 on Part III and at least 475 on Part IV of that examination in order for an applicant to be granted a chiropractor license."

The Wisconsin exam standards were unique in that while several other states require higher minimum passing scores on Part III or Part IV of the NBCE examination, Wisconsin was the only state to mandate higher scores on both parts of the exam. With the enactment of AB 834, Wisconsin DCs can earn the minimum scores on Part III and Part IV as stipulated by the NBCE.

pass fail - Copyright – Stock Photo / Register Mark The Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin heavily favored the passage of AB 834; the WCA reported on its website that it remained neutral, citing that "membership was evenly divided in terms of their opinions on this issue, and [the] WCA Board of Directors found that there was no evidence or correlation to support that higher test scores lead to better, more successful professional Wisconsin chiropractors in the real-world."

Readers will recall that until 2013, chiropractors wishing to practice in Wisconsin also were required to pass a state exam in addition to meeting the elevated NBCE score requirements. The WCA fought to establish and then preserve the state exam, while the Chiropractic Society opposed it.


Dynamic Chiropractic editorial staff members research, investigate and write articles for the publication on an ongoing basis. To contact the Editorial Department or submit an article of your own for consideration, email .


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