NBCT study guide
NBCT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
National Board Certification is the professional certification that the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) describes as the highest certification a teacher may obtain and the most respected one in education. It was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide, and more than 146,000 teachers have achieved it. Candidates complete four components in all 25 certificate areas, and the specific instructions and the standards assessed vary by certificate area. Component 1 is a computer-based assessment, delivered through Pearson VUE, made up of three constructed response exercises and 45 selected response items covering content knowledge and pedagogical practice across the full age and ability range of your certificate. The NBCT study guide has 4 sections and about 1,335 words.
01Component 1: Content Knowledge - Reasoning With What You Know
Component 1 is a computer-based assessment in your certificate area. It pairs selected-response items with constructed-response exercises.
320 words, about 2 min02Component 2: Differentiation in Instruction - Two Students, Real Evidence
Component 2 is a portfolio entry built around two students you teach. You submit knowledge-of-student profiles, work samples or artifacts, your instructional plans and modifications, and an analysis of each student's growth.
332 words, about 2 min03Component 3: Teaching Practice and Learning Environment - Analyze the Video
Component 3 requires video of your practice - typically one whole-group and one small-group segment - plus written analysis of the learning environment, student engagement, and your instructional decisions. The video is the evidence; the writing is the argument about what that evidence means.
340 words, about 2 min04Component 4: Effective and Reflective Practitioner - Data, Learning, Impact
Component 4 is the evidence-of-impact entry. You show how you use assessment data, professional learning, and collaboration to change instruction and improve learning for a group of students, and you reflect on your own growth as a professional.
343 words, about 2 min