How our readiness estimate works

What FSMTB publishes about MBLEx scoring

• The MBLEx has 100 multiple-choice questions, each with 3 or 4 answer options.
• It is a fixed-length computer-adaptive test: everyone answers 100 questions, and which questions you get adapts as you go.
• You have 110 minutes. All 100 questions must be answered; an unfinished exam is scored as a fail.
• Results are reported as pass or fail only, against a criterion-referenced standard set by the FSMTB Board. FSMTB publishes no numeric score, score scale or cut score.
• Candidates who fail receive a diagnostic report by content area.
• FSMTB's content outline gives the approximate share of questions from each content area:
  • Anatomy & Physiology: 11%
  • Kinesiology: 12%
  • Pathology, Contraindications, Areas of Caution, Special Populations: 14%
  • Benefits and Effects of Soft Tissue Manipulation: 15%
  • Client Assessment, Reassessment & Treatment Planning: 17%
  • Ethics, Boundaries, Laws, Regulations: 16%
  • Guidelines for Professional Practice: 15%

Source: FSMTB, MBLEx Candidate Handbook, effective September 17, 2026

What we model (ours, not FSMTB's)

• Every full run is 100 questions drawn to those shares exactly (11 questions from Anatomy & Physiology, and so on). Questions are delivered one at a time, with no skipping, flagging or going back, on a 110-minute clock that never pauses.
• Our form is not adaptive. We cannot reproduce FSMTB's adaptive engine, so the questions in a run are fixed when it starts.
• We compute your percent correct overall and in each content area, the time you used, and the questions left unanswered.
• If time runs out, every unanswered question counts as wrong and the run is marked Incomplete. An Incomplete run is always Not ready yet.

Readiness bands

Overall:

• Ready: 90% or more. Our Ready band: a study signal from our model, not a prediction of your MBLEx result.
• Borderline: 70% to 89.9%. Close the gaps in your weakest areas, then take a fresh form.
• Not ready yet: below 70%, or Incomplete. Work your weakest content areas before you book a date.

Per content area:

• Strong: 90% or more
• Borderline: 70% to 89.9%
• Weak: below 70%

FSMTB publishes no cut score, so these thresholds are ours. They are a study signal, not a prediction of your MBLEx result. We will review them after 300 completed runs and record every change here with its date.

Percentile

We compare your best full-length run with each other candidate's best run on LMTPrep, on any form. A percentile appears only once 30 candidates have a ranked run.