Examination Requirements, Scheduling Deadlines, and Reasonable Accommodations
The examination
New York uses the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), owned by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). It is computer-delivered at approved test centers, contains 110 multiple-choice items (100 scored plus 10 unscored pretest items), takes about two hours, and reports a scaled passing score of 630. Results are sent to the candidate and to the state.
Sequence and deadlines
- File the NYSED application first; the Department must find you eligible before you may sit.
- Then register with FSMTB, pay the exam fee, and schedule a seat.
- Eligibility approvals and score reports are time-limited. If your approval or passing score ages out, you reapply or retest rather than assuming the old result still counts.
- Failing candidates must observe the vendor's retake waiting period (currently about 30 days) plus any attempt limits set by the state.
Reasonable accommodations
Accommodations are requested in advance under the ADA from the testing vendor: FSMTB for the MBLEx, NYSED for any Department-administered exam. You submit documentation from a qualified professional describing the diagnosis, the functional limitation, and the recommended accommodation, such as extra time, a separate room, or a screen reader. Approval is issued in writing and attached to your reservation, and it does not carry over to another exam, another vendor, or license renewal.
Worked example
A candidate with documented dyslexia needs 50 percent additional time. She books a test seat, then requests accommodations two weeks later. The approval cannot be applied retroactively to a confirmed appointment. The correct sequence is request plus documentation, then written approval, then scheduling, while expecting a longer appointment block.
Traps that cost marks
- Scheduling and paying before NYSED eligibility is confirmed.
- Assuming a passing MBLEx score is itself a license.
- Bringing documentation to the test center instead of filing it beforehand.
- Confusing an accommodation with a waiver of a licensure requirement.