NBCT cheat sheet

Component 1 is the only test-center component; it is a computer-based assessment administered at a secure Pearson VUE site and scheduled separately from all portfolio submissions.

The assessment combines selected response (multiple-choice) items with constructed response exercises; constructed responses are typed into the testing platform under timed conditions.

Constructed responses are scored by trained assessors, generally teachers in the same certificate area, using content-specific rubrics on a 0–4.25 scale.

Selected response items are scored correct/incorrect; constructed responses are scored by human judgment, so credit depends on explicit content reasoning rather than length.

Content is defined by the NBPTS standards for the chosen subject and developmental level, not by any single curriculum, textbook, or state test blueprint.

Every component, including Component 1, receives a 0–4.25 score that is weighted into a total weighted score; certification is determined by that total, with no separate minimum required on Component 1 alone.

Constructed response prompts commonly require explanation of a concept, prediction of student misconceptions, and justification of an instructional sequence for a described classroom.

A candidate whose total score falls short may retake Component 1 in a later assessment window; only the most recent component score counts toward the total.

Component 2 is a portfolio entry built from the candidate's own classroom: a class profile, two lessons or instructional sequences with materials, student work samples, and a written commentary.

The class profile summarizes class composition, prior knowledge, strengths, and learning needs, and is the evidence base for the differentiation decisions analyzed later.

Differentiation in the entry may target content, process, product, or learning environment, and must be tied to students' readiness, interests, or learning profiles.

Each adaptation must be justified with specific evidence about identified students; generic statements about 'all learners' or 'visual learners' do not satisfy the rubric.

Student work samples with teacher feedback are submitted as evidence of both the differentiation and its effect on student learning.

The written commentary explains reasoning, cites evidence, and evaluates impact, including what the teacher would change; it must stay within the stated page limit because assessors score only the permitted pages.

All evidence must come from the candidate's own teaching during the current certification cycle; other teachers' lessons or borrowed materials are inadmissible.

Student names and identifying details must be removed or replaced with initials or pseudonyms before work samples are submitted.

Component 3 requires two video recordings from the candidate's own classroom, each roughly fifteen minutes, submitted with instructional materials and a written commentary.

Videos must be one continuous, unedited take: no cuts, no spliced segments, no added narration, captions, or music, with audio that makes teacher and student speech audible.

Signed parent or guardian release forms are required for every student who appears or is heard on the recording; adults who appear also give consent.

At least one video must show the candidate teaching and interacting with students, with both teacher and students visible for a substantial portion of the segment.

Commentary must analyze the learning environment (routines, rapport, expectations, emotional safety, physical arrangement, equitable participation) using specific moments from the recording.

Commentary must also analyze instructional practice: the reasoning behind a teaching move, how students responded, and what the teacher would keep or revise.

Citations should reference specific moments in the video so assessors can locate the evidence being described rather than reading generic lesson summary.

Evidence of student-to-student discourse and student ownership of learning is a core target; recordings in which only the teacher speaks provide limited evidence.

Component 4 requires documentation and analysis of student growth over time, using assessment data collected at two or more points (for example, baseline and post-instruction).

The entry has three strands: the candidate's impact on student learning, use of professional learning to change practice, and collaboration with colleagues, families, or the community.

Claims about growth must be supported by artifacts: assessment results or data tables, student work, professional learning records, and collaboration documentation.

The analysis must explain why the chosen assessments validly measure the intended learning goals, including limitations of the measures used.

Data are disaggregated to show which students or subgroups grew and which did not, with an explanation of the instructional response to the patterns found.

Professional learning evidence must show a specific activity (course, coaching, study group) and the resulting change in practice and in student outcomes.

Collaboration evidence must show a resulting change in practice or student learning, not merely attendance at meetings or a list of contacts.

National Board Certification requires all four components; a certificate earned is valid for five years and is maintained afterward through Maintenance of Certification.