The American Board of Electrodiagnostic Medicine’s (ABEM) Certified Nerve Conduction Technologist (CNCT) Examination is changing beginning in 2015:
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The ABEM Board of Directors and the CNCT Examination Committee have voted to eliminate the practical portion of the exam starting in 2015.
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The exam will be computer-based, so it will not require the candidate to travel to Chicago or the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic’s (AANEM) Annual Meeting to become CNCT certified.
Reasons for the Change
Originally, the CNCT Examination required the candidate to pass both parts of a two-part exam (written and practical) to be CNCT certified. The Board approved eliminating the practical portion of the CNCT exam, as it has not been a discriminatory determinant of passing or failing the overall exam (i.e., very few candidates fail the practical that have not already failed the written). However, the new format will not completely lose the practical side of the exam, as it will incorporate concepts from the practical exam into the online exam.
“As a technologist, I understand the amount of time and money it takes to travel for the exam,” said Teresa Spiegelberg, co-chair of the CNCT Examination Committee. “That’s one of the reasons we are exploring options for exam administration that might allow candidates to take it at their workplace or possibly from their personal computer with a security monitor. Both would help cut the cost of travel and time off of work.”
Moving Forward
The CNCT Examination Committee will meet in fall to review and make final recommendations related to the new exam. As these decisions are made, ABEM staff will communicate them with technologists.
One decision already has been made: “Going forward, each candidate will have three chances instead of three years to pass the examination in its new format,” said Kathryn Stolp, ABEM Chair. “With the exam having only one part and possibly being offered more than once a year, we felt that was the fairest way for candidates.”
The ABEM will communicate more information on
www.abemexam.org as it becomes available.