The Certification Examination: Thoughts from Someone Who Only Took It Once...In the Last Century

I was offered an interesting opportunity recently that has made me start to think a bit about our Board Certification examination. No details about the opportunity, but I am thinking again...

Before I get too far into this particular topic, let me tell you a bit about myself and where I come from as a board certified music therapist.

I took the examination in November 1993. In those days, back in the last century, the test was administered once per year. You had to go to the closest examination center where you sat in a room full of people taking all sorts of certification tests. There weren't many music therapists in the large auditorium that my test was held, but all of the seats were full of people taking all sorts of tests. I am a fast test taker, and I finished my test in 20 minutes. I was terrified that I had failed because it did not take me any time at all to finish, but I passed. I have no idea if I passed well, but I passed and that is all that matters for this examination. I have not taken the test since because I haven't felt like I have had to - I can get 100 continuing music therapy education credits without any problem every five years, so I have not taken the examination since 1993. This has been purposeful, but it is important for you to know because I have no idea what the examination is like now, almost 30 years later.

So, keeping this in mind, let me tell you a bit about what I think about the Board Certification Examination.

First of all, I have made a Music Therapy Morsel about this very topic - just a little bit about this exam and my thoughts for others who are trying to take and pass the examination. You can find that link here. (By the way, I have released all of my presentations and morsels to anyone who is interested - if you find value in my content, please like and subscribe to my channel for more music therapy information!)

Second, I feel that the Board Certification Examination is part of the process of being a music therapist. I know that there are problems with it, and I know that the cost is daunting, especially when you are fresh off an often unpaid internship experience. It is the tool that we have to tie in our processes of music therapy advocacy and title protection and presumed competence as a profession. I know that the folks at the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) are constantly working on issues of inclusion as well as cost. We do not often think too much about the people behind the examination, but there are many!

Third, I think the Board Certification Examination is something that we don't always talk about well during our education and clinical training processes. I know that I feel pretty helpless when I am talking about it because of the fact that I have not taken it since I first had to! I cannot really talk too much about what the test is like because I don't know! I think many professors and internship directors are in the same boat - we cannot tell you what to expect because things have changed so significantly in the past 30 years. Since we can't really help you know what is going to happen, we tend to rely on new professionals to help us get some insights into what happens when you go to the closest testing center.

Lastly, the Board Certification Examination is a test of how you synthesize information. It does not measure your effectiveness or competence in the clinical area. It can only measure how you approach situations and how you problem-solve. The idea behind the examination is "what do most music therapists do in this situation?" The questions are often written with the idea that there is a "best" answer as opposed to only one "right" answer. The clues to what is "best" are often in the question and will help you center your ideas about what to select for your answer. This means that your personal way of doing things in the music therapy clinic are not always the way that others would do things.

I have heard that the best things to study for the examination are introduction to music therapy texts - books that offer multiple theoretical perspectives and frameworks so you can think globally about music therapists from different ways of doing things when you enter the exam. You have to really let go of what you would do during any sort of situation and focus on what most music therapists would do.

One more thought about all of this.

We are not a test score. The Board Certification Examination does not measure how you interact with your clients. It does not measure your musical performance skill. It does not indicate anything other than you were able to pass the examination. Did you know that CBMT will arrange for any sort of accommodation that you might need to take the exam? You just have to let them know what circumstances you have and they will work with you. Your peers will do things differently than you do - you are not compared to anyone during this process - you are just required to do what you can do the way you do it best. I think we often (at least, from my perspective and what former interns have told me) feel like we are lacking when our path is different from that of our peers. We are NOT! We will do what we can do with this profession and that includes the board certification examination! 

Next time, on Music Therapy Secrets...

The Annual Maintenance Fee from CBMT - It is not a joke, it is something to budget in!

Let me know your impressions of the Certification Examination. I would love to know if you were surprised by anything that happened during your test. I would also love to know what your opinions are about what I've said here...Leave a comment here or comment on social media where you found this link!

Happy Wednesday - mine is a 10 hour day followed by my part-time job, so it will end up being a 15 hour day before I get home. I am already tired, but that's just part of who I am these days.