NBNSC publishes 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.

NBNSC and PTC support the intent of and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). PTC will take steps reasonably necessary to make certification accessible to persons with disabilities covered under the ADA. According to the ADA, an individual with a disability is a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity (such as seeing, hearing, learning, reading, concentrating, walking) or a major bodily function (such as neurological, endocrine, or digestive system). The information you provide and any documentation regarding your disability and test accommodations will be held in strict confidence.

All approved testing accommodations must maintain the psychometric nature and security of the examination. Accommodations that fundamentally alter the nature or security of the exam will not be granted.

Please refer details and processes outlined in the Candidate Handbook.   

Eligible candidates who pass the Certification Examination for Nutrition Support Clinicians are entitled to use the registered designation CNSC^® after their names and will receive certificates from the NBNSC. A registry of Certified Nutrition Support Clinicians will be maintained by the NBNSC and may be reported in publications. 

Nutrition support clinician certification is recognized for a period of five years at which time the candidate must retake and pass the Certification Examination for Nutrition Support Clinicians in order to retain certification. 

The purpose of requiring recertification renewal is to measure continued competent and knowledgeable nutrition support practice. Certification demonstrates to your patients, colleagues, and employers that you have the skills necessary to provide the best care possible. 

Should an individual with a current CNSC^® credential opt to take the certification examination early, all maintenance of the CNSC^® credential will be based upon when the individual took the certification examination.  
 
      Scenario 1: Certifee A is currently certified as a CNSC^® from October 2011 – October 2016. Certifee A wants to become recertified and opts to take the certification examination in April 2016 instead of October 2016. Certifee A  successfully passes the certification examination, then the certification period is April 2016 – April 2021. 
 
      Scenario 2: Certifee A is currently credentialed as a CNSC^® from October 2011 – October 2016. Certifee A wants to become recertified and opts to take the certification examination in April 2016 instead of October 2016. Certifee A is unsuccessful in passing the certification examination. Upon receiving the exam results Certifee A is no longer a CNSC^® and cannot use the credential until the certification examination is again taken and successfully passed. In summary anytime the certification examination is taken and not passed, certification lapses. 

NBNSC will release the individual test scores ONLY to the individual candidate. Any questions concerning test results should be referred to NBNSC or PTC. 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. 

If you fail to report for an examination, you will forfeit all fees paid to take the examination. A completed application form and examination fee are required to reapply for the examination.

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 International Candidate Policies contain detailed information about the certification information for international candidates. International candidates should note that the CNSC^® exam is a US-based exam and may relate to practice in the US.

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. 

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

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

Candidates will be notified by PTC via email when their score reports are available online. Score reports will be available approximately four weeks after the close of the testing period. Scores on the major areas of the examination and on the total examination will be reported. Examination scores cannot be provided verbally over the phone. Score Reports will be available online only for 30 days. Be sure to save a copy of your score report in your permanent files.

Successful candidates will also receive certificates from the NBNSC approximately six to eight weeks following notification of passing the examination. 

Please refer details and processes outlined in the  Candidate Handbook.

If it appears that an answer to an exam question may vary depending on the reference used the following policy will be followed: 

1. The ASPEN Practice Guidelines and Standards and Practice papers will be considered the final authority when questions of answers are raised. These papers are available at no charge on the ASPEN Website. 
2. If the NBNSC determines that a guideline or standard from another organization differs from those published by ASPEN, it will only be considered authoritative if it is a peer reviewed document from a recognized organization and has been published after the publication date of the ASPEN document it disagrees with. 
3. In the event that a question's answer is challenged the question and answer will be reviewed by the exam chairperson, the chairperson of the Executive board and, if necessary by a third person with special knowledge of the field.