How to Prepare for the MBLEx Exam

Congratulations on your decision to pursue a career in massage therapy! At this point, you’ve likely either already finished your massage education, or else you’ve nearly completed your course of study. Now, though, there’s a big question looming before you: how do I prepare for the MBLEx exam?

The Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination, or MBLEx test, is used nationwide by 44 states and 3 territories to assess a candidate’s mastery of the techniques and knowledge necessary for practicing massage therapy. The MBLEx is administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards, or FSMTB. It can be taken all across the country, and is the sole testing requirement for massage licensure in the vast majority of the United States. For a more in-depth primer, you can read more about the MBLEx test here.

MBLEx Test Prep

At first glance, studying for something like the MBLEx can feel like a monumental task. How are you supposed to review such a massive amount of information? It feels like you learned a million different things in massage school: how could anyone actually remember every single technique, anatomical location, and historical detail?

The important thing to recognize when studying for the MBLEx is that it’s a standardized test. This means that you can know more or less what to expect on the exam, including how the test itself will be formatted.

In the terms of the basics of studying for the MBLEx, you’ll want to know your learning style first and foremost. Are you a visual learner that does best with written information? Or, are you an auditory learner who retains information that they hear? Maybe you’re a kinesthetic learner: retention is greatest for you when you’re learning something in a hands-on environment. Be sure to maximize your study time in accordance with your learning type.

MBLEx Practice Tests

Understanding what type of learner you are can help to make the time you spend studying as effective and productive as possible. However, this might still leave you wondering: what exactly should I study?

First off, it’s helpful to review the content that’s contained on the MBLEx exam itself. By going over what sections the test contains and what key terms and topics are included in each section, you’ll get a sense of the scope of the test. This will allow you to brush up on certain subjects. It’s helpful to find a good review course to work from.

At the end of the day, though, the most important thing to do when studying for the exam is to take as many MBLEx practice tests as possible. Research shows that when it comes to taking a standardized test, the best way to study is to take practice versions of the test itself.

You’ll want to select a practice test company that offers plenty of test questions, and that allows you to take as many tests as you want in preparation for the actual exam. Bamboo™ offers the best value in the industry, with unlimited access to more than 5,000 practice test questions. Click here to learn more.