Why Bamboo?

Welcome to Bamboo, the most comprehensive MBLEx study guide available. We pride ourselves on having more review questions than any other program (5,100 + and growing) for you to practice as many times as you need.

All questions are developed by a diverse team of Subject Matter Experts in the massage industry, and are independently reviewed by item writing experts to ensure our content mirrors the MBLEx exam experience.

Our innovative learning management system tracks your progress as you work through over 5,100 flashcards, four interactive review courses, an unlimited number of practice exams, as well as simulated timed exams. The exam content matches the categorical breakdown of the MBLEx test, so you become acclimated to the exam day experience.

The convenient pricing options allow for the purchase of various packages to meet your individualized test prep needs.

The Bamboo Difference

Bamboo is your best option when it comes to studying for the MBLEx test. Why choose Bamboo for your MBLEx study guide needs?

Thousands of practice test questions

It’s not easy studying for a test like the MBLEx. There’s a lot of material to take into account, and countless ways that it might be presented on the test itself. The more practice questions you’re able to work with ahead of time, the more prepared you’ll be for the actual test. Bamboo offers students more than 5,100 practice questions altogether: that’s thousands more than other companies.

No limits on MBLEx practice tests

After reviewing the base material, it’s important to take as many practice tests as possible. Other companies place a limit on how many practice tests you can take. Bamboo lets you take as many as you’d like.

Interactive review courses

Test review is essential, but let’s be honest: it’s far from thrilling. Sometimes, you might even find yourself nodding off while trying to study. Bamboo understands the importance of creating engaging review material: that’s why we’ve put together review courses that utilize animation. Higher engagement leads to better retention.

Customized
content

When it comes to massage test prep, everyone’s a little different. Your background leading up to your time in massage school will have a significant impact on what material you’re familiar with, and where you need to spend more time studying. Unfortunately, some of our competitors offer the same content to everyone who signs up: they even present it in the same order. Bamboo takes a different approach. Based on your performance, our practice test content is tailored to help you work on the areas where you’re weakest. This translates to less hours spent studying, and a higher MBLEx score.

Smartphone and tablet compatible

In the digital age, we’re always on the move. While it’d be great to have time set aside each day to sit in our home office and put in a few hours of studying, this isn’t always realistic. Bamboo understands this. That’s why all of our review courses and practice tests are available on mobile devices and tablets. Our content follows you wherever you go: on a break at the office, sitting at a coffee shop, or whenever you have a few minutes to devote to MBLEx study time.

Value that
can’t be beat

We’re proud to offer top caliber MBLEx exam prep. But, we understand that affordability is important, too. That’s why our pricing is designed to suit any budget. With packages starting at only $39, Bamboo is the perfect blend of value, features, and quality.

MBLEx Study Guide Basics:
How to Prepare for the Exam

Massage and bodywork is a fascinating and highly engaging profession. Where else do you have the opportunity to engage with such a wide segment of the population, all while simultaneously helping your clients feel better in their daily lives? While massage is sometimes demanding, there’s no question: it’s a highly rewarding profession.

When you first start out on the path to become a professional practitioner, you enroll in a massage therapy program. As part of this program, you learn all that you can about massage in a relatively short period of time. Of course, it’s not just therapeutic techniques and applications that you encounter in your courses. In addition to massage and bodywork-specific topics, you also spend a considerable amount of time on pathophysiology, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology, kinesiology, and a number of other scientific subjects. At the same time, you delve into what’s involved in running a small business and managing a massage practice. All in all, it’s a considerable amount of information to assimilate, digest, and eventually master: and you have to do it all in the span of months, not years.

Eventually, the day comes when you finally graduate. After devoting all of your time to absorbing the information presented to you from week to week, you’re ready to go out into the world and practice massage.

There’s only one thing standing between you and your career as a massage therapist: the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx). Before you can start your practice, you need to become licensed in your state. And in the vast majority of states, the MBLEx is your ticket to licensure.

Unfortunately, passing the MBLEx is different from what you’ve encountered in previous months as part of your massage therapy program. Sure, the material is similar: after all, the MBLEx test is meant to verify what you’ve learned as part of your massage therapy program. But there’s a big difference between what you’ve been doing in school, and what you’ll need to do in order to pass the MBLEx.

As part of your course of MBLEx study, you’ve been interacting with your teachers day in and day out, working with fellow students, engaging in hands-on learning, and eventually taking various types of tests to gauge your understanding.

Meanwhile, the MBLEx exam is a standardized test. By definition, standardized tests are designed to serve a single purpose: determining whether a wide and varied sample of the population is able to perform a shared, central set of tasks. They’re not tailored to your particular learning style, or to your individual background. They’re standardized, by definition.

While standardized tests aren’t perfect, they’re still our best bet for measuring performance and mastery when it comes to something like licensing for massage professionals. And while passing the MBLEx isn’t easy for certain types of learners, it’s certainly achievable for everyone. The key is to know how and what to study.

We’ve put together this guide to help you prepare for the MBLEx. Apart from their time in massage school, many adult learners who are preparing for a standardized test like this one have been out of school for years. It’s easy to feel intimidated by this exam: but remember, there’s no need to be. After reviewing our guide to studying for the MBLEx, you’ll be ready to start studying. And, next thing you know, you’ll be a licensed massage practitioner.

Ready to get started? Read on to learn more.

Standardized Tests: An Overview

Standardized tests exist for one primary purpose: as a means of scoring or ranking individual test takers relative to one another, using a “standardized” set of questions as the means of measurement. While there may be some debate in the world of education about the pros and cons of standardized tests, there’s also considerable agreement that they serve an important purpose. And, especially when it comes to something like measuring an individual’s capacity to enter a professional field, it’s easy to understand why standardized tests are important.

As an adult learner, there’s a ton of information floating around about how to prepare for standardized tests. Some of it’s helpful and relevant, and some of it’s little more than wishful thinking. That said, there are a number of ways to approach a test like the MBLEx in an efficient, logical, and straightforward way that will help you prepare for the test itself.

First, you’ll want to identify and understand your particular learning style as an adult learner. Once you know how you learn, it’ll be easier to adapt your learning style to the process of studying for a standardized test. From here, you’ll want to review and understand key terms related to the test itself. With all of this in mind, you’ll need to set goals and practice self-discipline in order to make progress.

Most importantly of all, you’ll need to practice the exam itself. There’s no replacement for actually practicing the standardized test in a format that matches what you’ll experience on testing day.

Below, we’ll explore each of these points in detail. Let’s get started.

Know Your Learning Style

Have you ever tried studying with a friend for an upcoming exam? Think back to when you were in high school or college. You sat down, ready to go over your notes with them. But as you start to compare notes, something seems off. Pretty soon, you realize that the two of you have processed the information presented in class in an entirely different way. Maybe you took note of everything that was written on the board, and committed a good portion of it to memory. Meanwhile, your study partner has all sorts of things in their notes that the instructor said, but never wrote on the board. Ultimately, the two of you can’t come to an agreement about what information is the most important to study.

This is a classic example of two people with very different learning styles. Depending on your individual style of learning, you’ll absorb different material in different ways. More importantly, though, your learning style has a significant impact on your ability to review and gain mastery of information: some techniques work better for certain learning styles and are a poor match for others.

There are three primary learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

Visual Learners

Visual learners tend to learn by processing information visually. You take in what you see, and commit it to memory easier than others. You may spell quite well, but have a poor auditory memory when it comes to remembering someone’s name that you’ve only heard out loud. You’re a fan of charts and graphs, but you can only study with absolute silence: noise tends to distract you and throw you off base.

Auditory Learners

Auditory learners do best when they’re given the opportunity to listen to and absorb information that’s presented out loud. They often read out loud to themselves, and are good at explaining things to others. They tend to remember people’s names that they’ve heard, and can recall a song note for note. Meanwhile, they often read fairly slowly, and have trouble with processing information on written tests.

Kinesthetic Learners

Kinesthetic learners are largely tactile: they learn best when they’re experiencing and doing, as opposed to simply sitting and passively taking in information. These types of learners often have trouble sitting still for long periods of time in class and are happy for the opportunity to engage with the material (such as in a group activity, or in a weekly chemistry lab). They often need to take breaks when studying for long periods and can remember material more easily if they’re able to model it physically somehow.

Many people are some combination of the above three learning types: don’t assume that you have to identify as just one of the three. That said, understanding which one applies best to you can help you with your approach to studying for the MBLEx.

If you’re primarily a visual learner, take the time to write out what you’re studying. You might even consider creating outlines, or drawing maps of the information. Create lists, and make use of videos if they’re available.

For auditory learners, try repeating information with your eyes closed and focusing on the sound. Videos can be helpful if there’s an audio component: you’re better off listening to them than simply watching them. Consider finding a study partner, and devote some time to studying out loud with them. If you’re able to explain the material orally to someone else, it’ll help reinforce your understanding of it. Kinesthetic learners should study for small chunks of time. Don’t try to force yourself to sit for too long at once. Consider something tactile as a study aid: flashcards are a great option.

Understand Key Terms

You likely spent hundreds of hours taking in a wealth of information while in massage school. Fortunately, not every single thing discussed will be featured on the MBLEx exam. In fact, FSMTB has announced the MBLEx will be updating its content in July 2018.  That said, it’s important to understand what key terms will be featured and focus some of your study time on them.

When studying for the exam, be sure that any information you opt to review fits into one of these categories. Take the time to file the information away in your memory as related to a particular key term and/or topic. If what you’re studying doesn’t related to one of these topics or terms in some way, it’s likely not relevant to the test.

As of July 1, 2018, the MBLEx test content is organized into a number of sections:

  • Anatomy and Physiology (11%)
  • Kinesiology (12%)
  • Pathology, Contraindications, Areas of Caution, and Special Populations (14%)
  • Benefits and Physiological Effects of Techniques that Manipulate Soft Tissue (15%)
  • Client Assessment, Reassessment, and Treatment Planning (17%)
  • Ethics, Boundaries, Law and Regulation (16%)
  • Guidelines for Professional Practice (15%)

Self-Discipline and Goal Setting

You now have a sense of what topics to study, and how you might want to go about studying them. You’re on your way to mastering the information necessary to pass the MBLEx. However, all the good intention in the world won’t get you where you want to go: you need to set goals, and you’ll need to have the self-discipline to achieve them.

In terms of goal setting, be realistic. Look at your weekly schedule. How many hours per week do you currently work? What kind of family obligations do you have? What’s your personal life like? Examine your daily routine and look for chunks of time that you might be able to devote to studying. Add up these time slots and determine how many hours per week you can realistically set aside for test preparation. “Realistically” is the key here: don’t set goals that you can’t achieve. Failing to reach your goals will just discourage you, which won’t help you with your exam prep.

Once you know what your goals are, you’ll need to exercise some self-discipline to achieve them. Schedule study time into your day-to-day. Determine the time of day in advance, and consider setting up a calendar reminder on your phone. Tell your significant other, family, and friends about your study plans: encourage them to hold you to your commitment.

The Importance of Practice Tests

Studying and reviewing key concepts and information is a vital part of preparing for a comprehensive test. But when it comes to standardized testing, there’s one approach to test prep that should occupy the largest portion of your time: practice tests.

It’s true that generically reviewing various test-related materials can be helpful. However, in terms of efficiency, this approach simply can’t compete with practice tests. Standardized tests don’t just measure your mastery of the material that’s being tested: they also measure your ability to perform well within the parameters of the test itself. Every standardized test is different in terms of format, layout, time limit, types of questions, and so on. The more time you spend actually going through the motions of “taking the test” in advance, the better prepared you’ll be.

While there are a variety of MBLEx practice test questions scattered across the Internet, you need something that’s organized, comprehensive, and guaranteed to be accurate. After spending thousands of dollars and many months of your time in school, test prep isn’t the time to cut corners. You need a solution that’s proven to work. You need a company that’s helped countless students pass the MBLEx. You need Bamboo™.

Frequently
Asked Questions

Will I be able to use my mobile phone or tablet with this site?

Yes. Bamboo is mobile responsive, enabling you to effectively use the practice quizzes and exam simulator on your mobile device.

Which licensing exam should I take?

As of 11/1/2014, the NCBTMB will no longer administer an entry level licensing exam.
This means the MBLEx will be the only licensing exam available in most states.

How do I apply for the MBLEx?

In order to apply to take the MBLEx, applicants must submit a completed Application Form and fee payment. Follow this link to get started.
Click Here

Who can I contact if I have feedback about a test question?

If you have a concern about any of our content, please contact us at [email protected]

Our Guarantee

We are so confident in our product, that we guarantee you will successfully pass the MBLEx. If not, we will extend your subscription until you become an LMT! By committing to a test prep such as Bamboo, we guarantee that you will be better prepared to pass the MBLEx.

As a matter of fact, should you not pass the exam, we will extend your subscription until you do. Simply contact us after your exam to discuss a plan for your success.

Requests for cancellation are handled individually and are based on technical errors, i.e., the user was unable to access the Test Prep Package due to electrical, or device malfunction. If you have documentation of a technical issue that has prevented you from accessing Bamboo, please provide such evidence and our team will review the request. All cancellations are subject to a $15 handling fee.

Blog

MBLEx review
11
Dec
Aromatherapy for Massage Therapists: The Definitive Guide

Our Comprehensive Guide to Aromatherapy for Massage Therapists Massage is a truly amazing modality. It can help relieve your clients’ stress, assist them in recovering from injuries, and bring about muscular relaxation. Massage can also lower blood pressure, improve your clients’ circulation, assist in correcting posture…the list goes on. As part of your time in […]

25
Oct
Massage Therapy Equipment: The Best Lotions, Oils, Linens, & More

Massage Therapy Equipment: Our Top Picks As a massage therapist, you have a lot to think about. Running a massage business is time consuming — and, often times, more than a little hectic. You have advertising to think about, a social media account and website to manage, appointments to sort through, phone calls to return, […]

mblex test prep
12
Oct
Rolfing 101: Everything You Need to Know as a Massage Therapist

The Comprehensive Guide to Rolfing for Massage Therapists As a massage therapist, there are a lot of tools at your disposal for helping your clients to feel better, experience a reduction in pain, and achieve greater levels of wellness. When a client comes to see you that’s suffered from sports-related injuries or needs enhanced recovery […]

mblex content
14
Sep
Pregnancy Massage: A Massage Therapist’s Guide

Your Guide to Pregnancy Massage As a massage therapist, you have the opportunity to work with all sorts of clients. Some of them come in due to chronic pain, including issues with their lower back, neck, shoulders, or other areas of the body. Other clients seek you out due to acute injury, and your job […]

Register Today

For the most comprehensive MBLEx study program