NBCE Part I study guide
NBCE Part I · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Part I examination is one of the board's pre-licensure computer-based exams, listed on the NBCE site alongside Parts II and III and the PHT. It is aimed at chiropractic students progressing toward licensure and serves as a standardized national measure of basic-science knowledge that sits before the later clinical and practical examinations in the sequence. The NBCE Part I study guide has 8 sections and about 2,136 words.
01General Anatomy
General anatomy tests the language and framework of the body: anatomical position, planes, directional terms, body cavities, and the four basic tissues. Know that sagittal planes divide left and right, coronal planes divide anterior and posterior, and transverse planes divide superior and inferior.
292 words, about 1 min02Spinal Anatomy
Spinal anatomy integrates vertebrae, ligaments, cord, roots, and regional relationships. Know the 33 vertebrae: 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, 5 fused sacral, and 3 to 5 coccygeal.
294 words, about 1 min03Physiology
Physiology asks how cells, organs, and systems maintain homeostasis. Understand membrane transport, resting and action potentials, synaptic transmission, muscle contraction, and autonomic control.
257 words, about 1 min04Chemistry
Chemistry supports biochemistry and physiology. Know atomic structure, electron configuration, periodic trends, ionic and covalent bonding, polarity, hydrogen bonding, and intermolecular forces.
262 words, about 1 min05Pathology
Pathology explains disease mechanisms and tissue changes. Know reversible versus irreversible cell injury, necrosis subtypes, apoptosis, inflammation, repair, hemodynamics, neoplasia, and immunopathology.
240 words, about 1 min06Microbiology and Public Health
Microbiology and public health combines organism biology with prevention and epidemiology. Know bacterial structure, Gram stain behavior, growth requirements, culture characteristics, and major virulence factors.
235 words, about 1 min07Physical Diagnosis
Physical diagnosis moves from history to focused examination. Know vital signs, general inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation, and region-specific maneuvers.
273 words, about 1 min08Neuromusculoskeletal Diagnosis
Neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis combines regional orthopedics with neurologic localization. Know dermatomes, myotomes, deep tendon reflexes, and peripheral nerve territories.
283 words, about 1 min