The National Board of Nutrition Support Certification (NBNSC) is an independent credentialing board established in 1984 by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.).

Policies and Procedures

 

Download the current Candidate Handbook.

 

Eligibility Requirements

NBNSC recommends that candidates have at least two years of experience in specialized nutrition support, but it is not required. You must also meet the following eligibility requirements:

 

  • Completion and filing of an Application for the Certification Examination for Nutrition Support Clinicians.
  • Payment of the required fee.
  • Registered Dietitians (RD) who are registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) or the Canadian Equivalent
  • Registered Nurses (RN) who are licensed to practice in the United States or Canada
  • Physicians who are licensed as doctors of medicine (MD) or doctors of osteopathy (DO) in the United States or Canada
  • Pharmacists who are registered/licensed to practice in the United States or Canada
  • Physician assistants who are registered/licensed to practice in the United States or Canada 

 

You do not have to be an A.S.P.E.N. member to become a CNSC.

 

Policies

NBNSC publises a complete list of policies in the Candidate Handbook, including report of results, confidentiality, scoring, etc. We've highlighted some important policies below for your reference.

 

International Candidates

It is the purpose of the NBNSC to provide an avenue for international candidates with credentials equivalent to those in the United States to be eligible to sit for the CNSC examination.  The Certification Policy For International Candidates contains detailed information about the certification information for international candidates. 

 

Accommodations

Special testing arrangements may be made for special needs individuals submitting the application, examination fee, and a letter describing the nature of the disability and the special accommodations needed for testing. Requests for special testing needs individuals must be received at least EIGHT weeks before the testing period begins.

 

Cancellations

If you need to cancel your examination appointment or reschedule to a different date within the two-week testing period you must contact LaserGrade at (800) 211-2754 no later than noon, Eastern Standard Time, of the second business day PRIOR to your scheduled appointment. If you fail to arrive for your appointment or cancel without giving the required notice, you will forfeit your testing fee.

 

Refunds

There will be no refund of fees. Fees will not be transferred from one testing period to another.

 

Confidentiality

The NBNSC will release individual test scores ONLY to the individual candidate via postal mail. It is unethical to recall or memorize and share test questions or to solicit questions on the certification exams from candidates who have taken the exam.

 

Report of Results

Candidates will be notified within six weeks from the last date of the testing window whether they have passed or failed the examination. Scores on the major areas of the examination and the total examination will be reported. Successful candidates will also receive certificates from the NBNSC approximately six to eight weeks following notification of passing the examination.

 

Reinstatement for Expired Certification

Individuals with an expired certification must retake and pass the examination during one of the testing periods.

 

Re-examination

The certification examination may be taken as often as desired upon filing of a new application and fee. There is no limit to the number of times the examination may be repeated. Candidates may only take the exam once per testing window.