MBLEx FAQ
Short, sourced answers to the questions MBLEx candidates ask most, about the exam and about LMTPrep. Exam facts come from FSMTB's Candidate Handbook (effective September 17, 2026), fsmtb.org and Pearson VUE; product answers describe exactly what our simulator does.
How many questions are on the MBLEx and how long is it?
The MBLEx has 100 multiple-choice questions, each with 3 or 4 answer options, and you get 110 minutes to answer them. The appointment itself runs 120 minutes because it adds a 5-minute agreement and a 5-minute survey. The exam is a fixed-length computer-adaptive test: everyone answers 100 questions, but which questions you get adapts. The full format is on our MBLEx exam guide.
Can I go back to a question?
No. You answer in the order the questions appear, with no skipping, no flagging and no returning, and you can change an answer only before you move to the next question. Pearson VUE's FSMTB page puts it directly: "Flagging exam questions for later review is not permitted on the MBLEx." Our simulator follows the same rule: one question per screen, Next only.
What happens if I run out of time?
You fail. FSMTB requires all 100 questions to be answered within 110 minutes, and an unfinished exam is a fail with no diagnostic report. There are no scheduled breaks, and the clock keeps running if you step out. Candidates often report finishing with time to spare, many in 35 to 60 minutes, but pace yourself to finish. In our simulator, any question still unanswered at 0:00 counts as wrong and the run is marked incomplete.
Can I take the MBLEx online?
No. The MBLEx is delivered only at Pearson VUE test centers in the US; there is no online or at-home version. Once FSMTB processes your application, you receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) and have 120 days to take the exam, booking your appointment through Pearson VUE.
Is the MBLEx offered in Spanish?
Yes. The MBLEx is offered in English and Spanish, with the Spanish edition provided for Puerto Rico, and FSMTB's MBLEx Check practice exam is available in both languages. The Candidate Handbook covers language options.
How much does the MBLEx cost?
The application fee is $265, paid to FSMTB with your application, and it is nonrefundable and nontransferable. Every retake is a new application and another $265. If you miss your appointment, your ATT expires and you reapply and pay $265 again; rescheduling carries consequences too, so check the current Candidate Handbook before changing a date. State licensing fees are separate, so check your board. Details are on our MBLEx exam cost page.
What score do I need to pass the MBLEx?
There is no number to hit. FSMTB reports results as pass or fail against a criterion-referenced standard set by the FSMTB Board, and it publishes no numeric score, scale or cut score. Pass, and you see an on-screen message; fail, and you get a diagnostic report by content area. Numeric pass marks printed on third-party sites have no FSMTB source, which we cover in MBLEx passing score and what MBLEx prep sites get wrong.
If I fail, how soon can I retake the MBLEx?
Right away. FSMTB's MBLEx FAQ says you "may submit a new application for the MBLEx immediately," and each attempt costs $265. FSMTB sets no limit on attempts, but your state board may. Guides that still mention a 30-day gap are repeating a rule last printed in the July 2023 handbook. Our MBLEx retake guide shows how to use your diagnostic report.
Does FSMTB have its own practice test?
Yes. MBLEx Check costs $25 and has 100 timed questions weighted like the content outline, in English or Spanish. FSMTB calls it "the only FSMTB-authorized practice exam." FSMTB also sells an e-Study Guide ($35) with a 100-question practice exam and answers, and a print guide ($39.95). Using MBLEx Check alongside LMTPrep is a reasonable plan.
Are these the real MBLEx questions?
No, and no legitimate prep provider has them. FSMTB keeps exam content secure: its handbook says sharing exam questions, including ones recalled from memory, is illegal, and theft of exam content is a felony. We wrote every LMTPrep question ourselves to FSMTB's published content outline: three full forms with 300+ original questions, each with a worked explanation.
Is LMTPrep affiliated with FSMTB?
No. LMTPrep is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). MBLEx is a registered trademark of FSMTB. FSMTB names no third-party prep provider; its own practice exam is MBLEx Check. We build to FSMTB's published Candidate Handbook and content outline.
Is the simulator adaptive like the real MBLEx?
No. The MBLEx is a fixed-length computer-adaptive test: everyone answers 100 questions, and which questions you get adapts. We can't reproduce FSMTB's engine or how it calibrates its questions, so we don't pretend to. Our simulator is a fixed form of 100 questions drawn to the outline's weights (11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 16 and 15 questions across the seven areas), with the same 110-minute clock and the same one-way navigation.
How is my readiness scored?
We compute your percent correct overall and per content area, then apply the bands from our documented model: Ready at 90% or more, Borderline at 70–89%, Not ready yet below 70% (or an incomplete run). Each area is marked Strong, Borderline or Weak on the same cut-points. FSMTB publishes no cut score, so these bands are a study signal, not a prediction, and the results screen says so. The method, with its version and date, is on our scoring method page.
What do I get for free?
A free account gets one full timed run: 100 questions in 110 minutes, one at a time with no going back, weighted to the seven content areas, scored with your percent correct and readiness band. Take the free full-length MBLEx practice test. What the paid plans add is on our pricing page.
Is there a refund?
Yes. Our paid plans, Starter at $29 and Elite at $49, are one-time payments with a 7-day money-back guarantee; the terms are on our pricing page. That's separate from FSMTB's $265 MBLEx application fee, which FSMTB does not refund.
Written by Tom Prescott for LMTPrep. Facts checked against FSMTB's MBLEx Candidate Handbook (effective September 17, 2026) and fsmtb.org on October 8, 2026.