Neonatal Therapy Certification™
- Requirements for neonatal therapy certification™ include a minimum of 3 years as a credentialed professional (physical therapist, occupational therapist, or speech-language pathologist), 3500 hours of experience in the NICU*, 40 hours of education about NICU-specific content within the last 3 years, 40 hours of mentored experiences, and a passing score on the Neonatal Therapy Certification™ Examination.
- *Up to 1000 hours (of the 3500 hours) can come from service to infants< 3 months corrected age in other areas of the hospital or follow-up clinics.
- Applicants who fulfill all of the requirements of Neonatal Therapy Certification™ will earn the credentials of Certified Neonatal Therapist™.
- Certification is valid for 5 years from the date of certification.
Neonatal Therapy Certification™ Application Process
- Download the NTCB Applicant Checklist and the application instructions before you get started.
- Each applicant will have access to an individual portal after establishing a username and password and paying the application fee. This portal will allow applicants to create a professional portfolio where all required documentation for certification will be submitted to the certification board.
- Technical problems with the application website can be addressed by emailing support@rsnlcreative.com
Neonatal Therapy Certification™ Examination
- Applicants who have submitted their completed certification application will be notified within 90 days of their application submission.
- The certification examination is computer-based and administered by a third party professional testing center. Testing centers are located throughout the United States and abroad. The Pearson VUE website will always offer the most up-to-date testing center list. You can visit their website and select “Find a test center” on the page menu.
- To meet the final requirement for certification, applicants must receive a passing score during administration of the Neonatal Therapy Certification™ Examination.
- The exam is 90 – 100 questions and takes 2 hours to complete. Refer to the NTCB Certification Examination Manual for more details.
The NTCB abides by the US Treasury Department embargoes and sanctions in accepting applications from outside of the United States.
Applications will open on March 15th and will be accepted until May 15th.
The initial Neonatal Therapy Certification application system is currently closed. See the clock above for a countdown to the system opening for new applications.
*Please note that recertification is on a different schedule. CNTs with expiration between January and June will have their recertification application due March 31st of that year. CNTs with expiration between July and December will have their recertification application due September 30th of that year. If you are due to complete recertification, please follow the instructions provided in your notification email or click the recertification application tab at the top of this page.
“The Neonatal Therapy Certification process has made me a more well rounded developmental care specialist. It has forced me to step out of my feeding/dysphagia bubble and I have been able to apply my new knowledge every time I interact with a baby and their caregivers.”
After the exam:
“The test was a challenging yet fair representation of what an advanced NICU therapist should know. I strongly encourage every NICU therapist to pursue certification. You owe it to your patients to be the best therapist you can be!”