AMFTRB · format, windows, retakes · Oct 30, 2026
MFT exam info, dates, format and retakes
The exam has 180 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours (240 minutes), taken at a test center in a monthly window your board approves you for. Below: what each domain gets now and from 2027, how the windows work, test day, results and retakes, each tied to a handbook page.
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Updated Oct 30, 2026 · Not affiliated with NBCC, CCE, AMFTRB, CRCC, ACA or AAMFT.
- questions180
- testing time4 h
- testing windowsMonthly windows
- retakesOnce per quarter
MFT exam facts
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions | 180 multiple-choice questionsFour options, one correct. | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB: detailed exam reference · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][2][3] | |
| Scored questions | All 180 scored through the 2026 windows; 155 scored plus 25 unscored pretest questions from January 2027 | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][3] | |
| Question format | Multiple choice, four options, one correct answer | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB: detailed exam reference [1][2] | |
| Exam time | 4 hours (240 minutes)No scheduled break; the clock keeps running during restroom breaks. | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][3] | |
| Where you test | Prometric test centers onlyNeither handbook offers an online-proctored option. | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][3] | |
| When you can test | One testing week a month in 2026; two-week windows from January 2027Apply about six weeks ahead: the December 1, 2026 deadline is for the January 2–16, 2027 window. | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB: exam dates [1][3][4] | |
| Who can sit | Set by your state board, which issues an approval code for each application | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB: your exam roadmap [1][5] | |
| Passing score | A pass point set by modified Angoff and equated across forms; your score is the number of correct answersThere is no guessing penalty and no fixed published cut score; failing scores within 3 points are re-verified. | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB: detailed exam reference · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][2][3] | |
| Results | Emailed within 20 business days after the window closes (2026); about four weeks after the window from 2027There is no result at the test center. | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][3] | |
| Retakes | At most once per calendar quarter, with a new application, approval code and full feeAfter three fails AMFTRB recommends waiting at least a year; state rules can add a longer wait. | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][3] | |
| Content outline in force | 2026 blueprint from the 2024–2025 role delineation study | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][3] | |
| Official prep material | Two AMFTRB practice exams of 90 retired questions each, $70 per attempt, with domain feedback and no answer key | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) · AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [1][3] | |
| Changes in 2027 | From the January 2027 window: 155 scored and 25 pretest questions, two-week windows, a $389 fee and results in about four weeks | AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) [3] |
Facts checked Oct 30, 2026 against the testing organizations; sources are listed under Source notes. Fees in full: MFT exam cost. How the pass point works: passing score.
Format by domain, now and from 2027
The domain weights stay the same; the item counts per domain change because part of the form becomes pretest items. Counts from the blueprint pages of the 2026 handbook (p. 15 of the print) and the 2027 handbook (p. 28):
- The Practice of Systemic Therapy (16%): 29 items in 2026; 25 scored plus 4 pretest from 2027.
- Assessing, Hypothesizing, and Diagnosing (16%): 29 items in 2026; 25 scored plus 4 pretest from 2027.
- Designing and Conducting Treatment (17%): 30 items in 2026; 26 scored plus 4 pretest from 2027.
- Evaluating Ongoing Process and Terminating Treatment (16%): 29 items in 2026; 25 scored plus 4 pretest from 2027.
- Managing Crisis Situations (16%): 29 items in 2026; 25 scored plus 4 pretest from 2027.
- Maintaining Ethical, Legal, and Professional Standards (19%): 34 items in 2026; 29 scored plus 5 pretest from 2027.
Pretest items are scattered at random and look like every other item, so nothing tells you which ones count.
Testing windows and deadlines
There is no on-demand testing: you apply for a window by its deadline. Every 2027 window and its deadline is listed in the calendar below. The application must carry your board's approval code (13-character code), and each new application needs a new code, so the board's processing time comes first. New York and Texas candidates are the exception to the new-code-per-application rule. The scheduling authorization arrives by email in the weeks before the window; it is what lets you book with Prometric.
2027 testing windows
Twelve two-week testing windows in 2027, from January 2–16 to December 4–18, each with an application deadline on the 1st of the month before (2027 handbook):
- Jan 2–16, 2027: apply by Dec 1, 2026
- Feb 6–20, 2027: apply by Jan 1, 2027
- Mar 6–20, 2027: apply by Feb 1, 2027
- Apr 3–17, 2027: apply by Mar 1, 2027
- May 1–15, 2027: apply by Apr 1, 2027
- Jun 5–19, 2027: apply by May 1, 2027
- Jul 10–24, 2027: apply by Jun 1, 2027
- Aug 7–21, 2027: apply by Jul 1, 2027
- Sep 11–25, 2027: apply by Aug 1, 2027
- Oct 16–30, 2027: apply by Sep 1, 2027
- Nov 6–20, 2027: apply by Oct 1, 2027
- Dec 4–18, 2027: apply by Nov 1, 2027
AMFTRB's dates page has the current calendar.
Test day
The table above covers the basics of the day. Two things it leaves out:
- Answer everything. No item asks for more than one answer, and an empty answer earns nothing while a guess might, so fill in every item.
- Accommodations. Disability accommodations are requested through the testing company well before the window. Extra time for English learners needs your board's agreement and carries its own fee (what it costs; 2026 handbook).
Score and results
The report gives a total and a score for each domain, and your board receives the result too. You can open the report online for 90 days (6 months from 2027). There is no single published cut to compare it with: how the MFT pass point works.
Retakes
The quarterly limit and its conditions are in the table; your board's own rules apply on top. A failed candidate cannot review the items, so the domain scores on the report are the only guide to what to fix. What another attempt costs: MFT exam cost.
California candidates
California does not use this exam for its LMFT license; it gives two exams of its own through the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). Outside California the national exam is the usual route; check your state on state requirements. License titles across states: counseling license types.
More on the MFT exam
- MFTThe national LMFT exam: six domains, the 2026 form, the 2027 change
- MFT practice testOne set over the six domains, sized by the 2026 blueprint weights
- MFT costExam fee now and from 2027, what a move, a fail or a practice exam adds, and state fees
- MFT passing scoreHow the AMFTRB pass point is set, why no rate is published, and what 2027 changes
- MFT study guidePlan by the 2026 blueprint weights, check your material's edition, think in systems
Source notes
- [1]AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2026 edition, rev. Apr 30, 2026 (PDF) ptcny.com · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [2]AMFTRB: detailed exam reference amftrb.org · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [3]AMFTRB Handbook for Candidates, 2027 edition, rev. Aug 24, 2026 (PDF) ptcny.com · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [4]AMFTRB: exam dates amftrb.org · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [5]AMFTRB: your exam roadmap amftrb.org · checked Oct 30, 2026
MFT exam facts, quick answers
What is the question count, and do all of them count?
180 in every window. All of them count through 2026; from January 2027, 155 are scored and 25 are unmarked pretest items.
Can I test from home?
No. Both handbooks offer only test-center delivery through Prometric.
How far ahead do I apply?
By the deadline of your window, which AMFTRB posts on its dates page; the next one is in the table above. Allow extra time for your board to issue the approval code.
How soon can I retest?
Once per quarter at most, and every try starts with a fresh application. Your state may add a longer wait.