Lacy wanted credibility and confidence as she started her health coaching career. That’s why she chose to attend ITN in the first place.

Not only did the school have a variety of accreditations and endorsements, their graduates qualify to take the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP) Board Exam in Holistic Nutrition – something Lacy had always wanted to do.

Lacy was finishing up her certification program at ITN and was beginning the NANP prep course offered by the institute. She was so excited to take this next step in gaining credibility as a health coach – after all, ITN had a 100% pass rate due to their extensive prep course!

As Lacy was preparing for the exam, she did have quite a few questions she wanted to make sure she asked so she didn’t miss any necessary steps.

If you’re like Lacy and would like to know all the requirements ahead of time so you can better prepare yourself, you’ve come to the right place.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NANP BOARD EXAM

The Board Exam in Holistic Nutrition offered by the NANP is a wonderful way to show your expertise and build credibility. While it’s completely optional, it is something in which we make sure to set you up for success during your studies at ITN.

Let’s take a look now at some of the questions we get asked by students interested in this prestigious certification.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO QUALIFY?

In order to qualify to sit for the NANP Holistic Board Exam, you need to have a Professional Membership with the NANP.

ITN graduates qualify to apply for Professional Memberships!.

You must also meet the education requirements set by the NANP. ITN is an NANP approved school. Therefore, all ITN graduates meet this requirement.

Lastly, you need to send in all documentation of contact hours working professionally in holistic nutrition. If you are a new graduate, you are exempt from this rule!

WHAT IS NEEDED TO APPLY, AND ARE THERE ANY FEES?

To apply for the board exam, you must complete the application. This application does require a non-refundable fee of $75 and an examination fee of $300.

Documentation of professional contact hours in holistic nutrition is also required unless you have just graduated, and a form for this will be provided to you once your application fee has been received.

You must also provide a copy of your ITN Certificate with your application and a signed and dated copy of the “Professional Conduct Agreement” which you will also receive once you send in your application fee.

With your application, you need to provide a photo of yourself, a copy of your driver’s license, your resume, any professional licenses you might have, and any liability insurance you have if you are working in nutrition counseling services.

Official transcripts are needed and must be sent from ITN to the NANP, and you will need two reference letters sent by the people writing the letters directly to the NANP.

One of your reference letters must be written to attest to your personal character by someone who has known you for a minimum of three years, and the second letter must be written by a different person who can attest to your academic or professional performance. These letters need to include a working phone number, email address, and business address of the person providing the reference.

All applications will be held for 12 months. If you don’t take the exam in that timeframe, you will be required to reapply.

WHAT ARE CONTACT HOURS?

Like we mentioned earlier, students must complete 500 contact hours to qualify to sit for the NANP exam. This can include a combination of 250 direct and 250 indirect contact hours.

The exception to this rule is for new graduates. In order for new graduates to qualify, the student must take the exam within 12 months of graduating from ITN and must make up the 500 hours with appropriate documentation within 2 years of passing the exam.

WHAT ARE DIRECT CONTACT HOURS?

Direct contact hours are hours spent in a nutrition consulting position or providing clients with nutritional counseling or education.

These may include internships or externships that are approved by the NANP or ITN, and documentation must be provided by a supervisor to confirm completion.

They might also include self-employed nutritional counseling services.

Documentation of your business must be provided by submitting a copy of your business license, three 500 word case studies for your clients, two letters of recommendation from people who can verify your professionalism, and a client log.

You may also include hours working as an educator of holistic nutrition or as a nutrition consultant.

WHAT ARE INDIRECT CONTACT HOURS?

Indirect contact ours are those spent writing, researching, or using other methods that contribute to the development of educational material in the area of holistic nutrition.

These might include being a part of a research team, which would require documentation and a letter from your supervisor, or doing research on your own for a publication or educational organization.

These hours would also include any written or recorded non-research related work prepared for educational presentations or publications, which includes any assisting done for writers, educators, venues, or consultants.

Documentation would also be required here as well.

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

The NANP Holistic Board Exam is a proctored exam, so you will locate an independent proctor and find a time in your schedule to take the exam.

Some proctors might charge a small fee to sit for the exam. The proctor may not be a professional acquaintance, friend, or family member.

Common places to find a proctor include a school, church, library, or learning center, and acceptable proctors include a school principal a university or college testing officer or guidance counselor, a notary public, a licensed member of the clergy, a military education officer, testing officers of adult schools or boards of education, police or sheriff’s department supervisors, and librarians.

You will be given 3 hours to take the exam with a 15-minute break, and a grade of 70% or higher is required to pass the board exam.

It’s helpful to note that ITN graduates have a 100% pass rate when taking the NANP Holistic Board Exam as of this writing.

Results will be mailed to you within 6 weeks of taking the exam.

If you do not pass, you must wait 6 months to re-test and pay a re-test fee of $250. If you fail to pass a second time, you’re required to submit proof of additional education prior to taking it a third time, where you’ll also need to submit a $250 re-test fee. If you fail to pass the exam a third time, you will be ineligible to take the exam again.

The NANP does require you to complete 15 continuing education units per year in order to maintain your board-certified status. You may also choose to complete 30 units per two-year period.

The NANP provides many CEU options in addition to their CEU requirements. You are also required to maintain a Professional Membership with the NANP to keep your board-certified status.

IN SUMMARY

While this may seem like a lot of information, ITN makes it simply by not only providing you with an NANP Exam Prep Course complete with study materials, sample tests, and flashcards. We also provide you with checklists and additional information so you don’t miss a step and getting a “Board Certified” title next to your name will be simple!

Are you interested in becoming board certified, or do you have any further questions? Leave them in the comments below!