Healthcare & Clinical Licensure
There are 11 healthcare & clinical licensure credentials in the TestPrepPilot directory: 11 national certifications awarded by a single body.
Physician, nursing, pharmacy, dental, vision and rehabilitation licensing and board certification exams.
- Credentials
- 11
- Specialisms
- 4
- National
- 11
How do the main healthcare & clinical licensure credentials compare?
Verified figures for 10 of the national healthcare & clinical licensure credentials, drawn from each awarding body's published material. Fees change — confirm with the body before you book.
| Credential | Awarded by | Exam fee | Length | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner Certification | American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) | $395 | 3.5 hours | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| NCLEX-PN | National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) | ~$200 (NCSBN) plus state board and processing fees | Up to 5 hours (variable by candidate) | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| NCLEX-RN | National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) | ~$200 (NCSBN) plus state board and processing fees | Up to 5 hours (variable by candidate) | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| USMLE Step 1 | National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) | ~$695 | ~8 hours | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge | National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) | ~$700-$1,000 | ~8 hours | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| USMLE Step 3 | National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) | Varies by location and currency — confirm on the official registration page | Varies by exam | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| ASHA CCC-SLP Certification | American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) | ~$130-160 | 2.5 hours | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| National Physical Therapy Exam for PTA | Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) | ~$400-485 | 4 hours incl. break | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| National Physical Therapy Examination | Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) | ~$400-485 | 5 hours incl. break | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
| Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination | Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) | Varies by location and currency — confirm on the official registration page | 2 hours | Passing score set by the awarding body; see the official score report |
Which healthcare & clinical licensure credentials lead to the highest published pay?
Ranked by the median annual wage published for the occupation each credential unlocks — the most recent figure per occupation, quoted from the source named in the guide (usually the BLS occupational series). A credential is the entry ticket to an occupation, not a pay guarantee: these are occupation medians, not starting salaries.
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USMLE Step 1
Physicians and surgeons earned a median of $239,200 or more per year, SOC 29-1210 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024 — the median is top-coded at $239,200)
Step 1 has reported pass/fail only since January 2022, and no numeric score is published — the USMLE does publish performance data by examinee group, and US MD senior first-time pass rates have been roughly 90-93% in recent years, with IMG rates lower
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USMLE Step 3
Physicians and surgeons earned a median of $239,200 or more per year, SOC 29-1210 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024 — the median is top-coded at $239,200)
Step 3 is reported as a numeric score with a passing standard of 200 — not pass/fail — and the USMLE’s published performance data put the overall pass rate near 96% (2025), with US MD/DO first-time rates around 96-97% and IMG rates around 89-91%
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Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination
$133,260 median for physician assistants (BLS SOC 29-1071, May 2024)
NCCPA publishes first-time pass rates by year — 2025: 91.5% first-time (13,145 first-time takers), versus 88.4% across all administrations
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ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner Certification
$132,050 median for nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives and nurse practitioners (BLS, May 2024)
ANCC publishes pass rates — the FNP-BC first-time pass rate was 83 percent in 2024 (7,751 first-time candidates)
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National Physical Therapy Examination
Expect physical-therapist pay at a May 2024 median of $101,020 (BLS) — the NPTE is the licensure gate for the occupation, and pass rates of ~78% reflect a demanding but passable exam
FSBPT publishes pass rates — recent first-time pass rates for U.S.-educated PT candidates have run about 78-80%; the NPTE is a 250-question, 5-hour computer-based exam
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ASHA CCC-SLP Certification
Expect speech-language-pathologist pay at a May 2024 median of $95,410 (BLS) — the CCC-SLP is the standard credential for the occupation, and the field is projected to grow 15% through 2034
ETS reports Praxis 5331 pass information but ASHA publishes no certification pass rate — the Praxis exam is 132 questions in 2.5 hours, and most states and ASHA require it for the credential
Nursing 3 credentials
- ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner Certification ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner Certification — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- NCLEX-PN NCLEX-PN — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
- NCLEX-RN NCLEX-RN — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
Physician 3 credentials
- USMLE Step 1 USMLE Step 1 — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
- USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
- USMLE Step 3 USMLE Step 3 — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) and Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Rehabilitation 3 credentials
- ASHA CCC-SLP Certification ASHA CCC-SLP Certification — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
- National Physical Therapy Exam for PTA National Physical Therapy Exam for PTA — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
- National Physical Therapy Examination National Physical Therapy Examination — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
Other Clinicians 2 credentials
- Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB)
- Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination — Healthcare (Clinical) credential from National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
Frequently asked questions about healthcare & clinical licensure credentials
How many healthcare & clinical licensure credentials are there?
There are 11 healthcare & clinical licensure credentials in the TestPrepPilot directory: 11 national certifications awarded by a single body.
How much do healthcare & clinical licensure exams cost?
Across the 10 national healthcare & clinical licensure credentials we have verified fee data for, exam fees run from $130–$700. Renewal, membership and study-material costs are additional and vary by awarding body — each guide breaks out its own full cost table.
Do you need a certification to work in healthcare & clinical licensure?
None of the 11 credentials in this field is a state-issued licence — all 11 are national certifications awarded by a professional body. That usually means the certification is not legally mandatory, but employers, insurers or clients may require it as a condition of the work.
Which healthcare & clinical licensure credential should you start with?
Start with the one your target employer or state board names. The most widely recognised national options in this field are ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner Certification, NCLEX-PN, NCLEX-RN — each has a full guide with eligibility rules, fees and a week-by-week study plan.
How often do healthcare & clinical licensure requirements change?
Fees are revised most years and eligibility rules change whenever a state legislature or awarding body acts. Every guide on TestPrepPilot links to the primary regulatory source it was verified against, and the "Sources" section is the authoritative place to confirm current figures before you book.