NBCE Acupuncture study guide
NBCE Acupuncture · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The NBCE Acupuncture Examination is a specialty examination administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE), the organization that also delivers the pre-licensure chiropractic exams (Parts I, II, III, PHT and Part IV), the SPEC exam, and state exams. In the NBCE site navigation, acupuncture appears as one of the "Specialty Exams," and specialty exams are listed alongside the other testing programs under the Testing menu. Candidates apply for NBCE exams through the board's online application system, and pass-rate information is published separately on the NBCE site. This page is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the NBCE, and it is not an official source of exam information. No official page dedicated to the acupuncture exam was available when this page was prepared: the NBCE URL historically used for acupuncture content returned a "No Results Found" page. Topics on this exam: Acupuncture (specialty content). The NBCE Acupuncture study guide has 1 section and about 365 words.
01Acupuncture (Specialty Content)
The NBCE Acupuncture specialty exam assesses safe, competent acupuncture practice within chiropractic scope: channel and point theory, point location by proportional cun, needling technique and deqi, point categories, contraindications, and clean-needle standards. Questions are applied-you must select a point, justify its location and depth, and recognize when not to needle. Locate points using proportional cun, not fixed inches. CV4 is 3 cun inferior to the umbilicus; ST25 is 2 cun lateral to the umbilicus; CV17 is on the anterior midline at the level of the fourth intercostal space; PC6 is 2 cun proximal to the wrist crease between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis.
365 words, about 2 minMore study resources for NBCE Acupuncture
- Practice questionsWhich point is the Yuan-Source point of the Lung channel?
- FlashcardsJing-Well points. The most distal points on each channel, located at the tips of the fingers or toes; used for loss of consciousness, heat, and fullness below the heart.
- Cheat sheetJing-Well points are the most distal points on each channel; they are indicated for loss of consciousness, heat in the body, and fullness below the heart.
- Key termsDeqi. The characteristic needle sensation reported by the patient at an acupuncture point, commonly described as aching, heaviness, distension, or tingling, and often sought by the practitioner as a sign that the needle has engaged the point.
- Study planMap the full acupuncture content outline into a personal topic checklist with weighted point allocations.
- Common mistakesMost prep materials present points in tables keyed by number, and candidates drill the table rows rather than tracing the channel from its origin, which is the organizing logic the exam uses to test location questions.
- Exam-day guideBring the exact form of identification named in your admission or scheduling notice, and ensure the name matches your registration.