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Interested in Becoming a NCSP?
To begin, you may want to:
Qualification Standards
To qualify for national certification, a school psychologist must meet
established standards of the National Association of School Psychologist
(NASP): Standards for Training and Field Placement Programs in School
Psychology, Standards for the Credentialing of School Psychologists, Standards
for the Provision of School Psychological Services, and Principles for
Professional Ethics. These documents are contained in the NASP booklets,
Standards and Professional
Conduct Manual.
Certification Requirements
This is provided only as an overview of our
requirements. Detailed requirements are included in our certification
applications.
Coursework Requirement: Completion of a 60 graduate semester/90
quarter hours of study through an organized program of study that is officially
titled "School Psychology." At least 54 graduate semester/81
graduate quarter hours must have been exclusive of credit for the supervised
internship experience.
Internship: Successful completion of a 1200-hour internship in
school psychology, of which at least 600 hours must be in a school setting.
The internship must be recognized through institutional (transcript) documentation.
Until December 31, 1994, internships with institutional documentation
are accepted. Individuals who graduate prior to December 31, 1994 from
a training program that does not offer a 1200-hour internship may complete
a Field-Based Internship. Additional information is available from the
NSPCS.
Examination: Applicants must achieve a passing score (165) on
the National School Psychology Examination administered by the Educational
Testing Service. Test scores remain valid for nine (9) years after the
test. Test scores older than nine (9) years are considered expired and
would require the re-taking of the examination. The School
Psychologist test, code 10401, is administered through the Praxis
Series of Educational Testing Service. ETS's Tests
at a Glance contains content outlines, sample questions with
rationale for the best answers, and test-taking strategies.
Important Note
If you attended a school psychology program that was not NASP-approved,
at the time of your graduation, please see the Application for Graduates
of Non-NASP Approved Programs for detailed instructions on how to apply
for National Certification. You are required to submit four complete
copies of your entire application and portfolio. This includes
all supporting documentation (e.g., syllabi, course descriptions, transcripts).