Question 1KN.D · Muscle attachments and actions
What is the superior attachment of the sternocleidomastoid?
Is the massage licensing exam hard?
Most people who prepare pass, but the exam is broad. 100 questions in 110 minutes range from muscle attachments and pathology to ethics, client assessment and business practice, and the questions adapt to how you are doing.
| Questions | 100 multiple choice |
|---|---|
| Time | 110 minutes, inside a 2-hour appointment |
| First-time pass rate | 70.4%, July 2024 to June 2025 |
| Result | Pass or fail |
What makes it hard
- Breadth: seven content areas, from body systems and muscle attachments to draping, sanitation and business records.
- Adaptive questions: a right answer brings a slightly harder question, so the exam feels difficult even when you are doing well.
- No going back: you answer each question in the order it appears.
- The clock: all 100 questions must be answered within 110 minutes, or the exam is failed.
- Judgment: many questions describe a client and ask what you should do, not only what a term means.
What makes it easier
FSMTB publishes the content outline with the approximate weight of every area, so you know where the questions come from. The handbook says the exam has no trick or ambiguous questions, and FSMTB does not limit the number of attempts, although a state board may.
How to prepare
Learn the outline area by area, then practice at the exam's pace of about 66 seconds a question. Start with the free diagnostic: your score in each area shows where to begin.
Try 3 questions
Question 2PA.C · Areas of caution
Why is deep pressure avoided in the popliteal fossa behind the knee?
Question 3ET.E · Dual relationships
A close friend asks to book regular sessions with a therapist. What is the main ethical risk?
Next step
Questions people ask
How many questions are on the MBLEx?
100 multiple-choice questions, answered in 110 minutes.
What percentage of people pass the MBLEx?
FSMTB reports a first-time pass rate of 70.4% for July 2024 to June 2025, with 17,160 candidates tested.
What is the hardest part of the massage licensing exam?
It depends on your training, but the largest areas are client assessment (about 17%) and ethics, boundaries, laws and regulations (about 16%), and kinesiology asks for exact muscle attachments and actions.
How many times can you take the MBLEx?
FSMTB does not limit attempts, but your state board may. Each retake needs a new application and fee.