MBLEx practice test: free practice questions for the massage licensing exam

A practice test for the MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination), the exam most US states use to license massage therapists. Start with 5 free questions, then take two full practice exams of 100 questions in 110 minutes each, split like the 7 content areas of FSMTB's MBLEx content outline, with an explanation for every answer and your score per area.

• 5 free questions
• 2 full tests, 200 questions
• 100 questions in 110 minutes
• Score per content area
• Practice certificate PDF

MBLEx exam format and content outline

The MBLEx has 100 multiple-choice questions in 110 minutes, inside a 2-hour appointment at a Pearson VUE test center (it is not offered online). It is a fixed-length computer-adaptive test, and you must answer all 100 questions in time. The exam costs $265 per attempt.

Anatomy, physiology and kinesiology together are less than a quarter of the exam; assessment, ethics and professional practice together are almost half. Sources: FSMTB, MBLEx Candidate Handbook (effective 17 September 2026) and MBLEx Content Outline, fsmtb.org, checked 1 November 2026. FSMTB has not announced a new outline; it reviews the content every five to seven years with a Job Task Analysis (the latest in 2022).

What is the MBLEx passing score?

FSMTB reports the MBLEx only as pass or fail. It does not publish a percentage you need: the passing standard is set by a criterion-referenced method, and because the test is computer-adaptive, the number of correct answers alone does not tell you whether you passed. If you fail, you get a diagnostic report showing how you did in each content area.

To retake the MBLEx you submit a new application and pay the fee again. FSMTB does not limit the number of attempts, but your state board may. Results go only to the state board or licensing agency you name on your application. Sources: FSMTB MBLEx Candidate Handbook and MBLEx FAQs, checked 1 November 2026. A MyLevel percentage is not an MBLEx result.

What you practise on MyLevel

Every MyLevel question is original and written for this practice test, with one correct answer and a short explanation. Each full test has 100 questions in 110 minutes, the real MBLEx pace of 66 seconds per question, split exactly like the content outline: 11 anatomy and physiology, 12 kinesiology, 14 pathology and contraindications, 15 benefits and effects, 17 assessment and treatment planning, 16 ethics and laws, and 15 professional practice. You practise muscle origins, insertions and actions, endangerment sites, medications that change a session, strokes and their effects, SOAP notes, posture and gait, draping, boundaries and scope of practice.

Ethics questions follow general professional principles, because massage laws differ from state to state. MyLevel questions are not computer-adaptive. MyLevel costs $9.99, a one-time payment with no subscription and no time limit, and also unlocks every other MyLevel job test.

How to prepare for the MBLEx

• Study by weight: client assessment (17%), ethics (16%), benefits and effects (15%) and professional practice (15%) carry more points than anatomy (11%). Do not spend all your time on muscles.
• Learn the main muscles as a set: origin, insertion and action together, for the rotator cuff, neck, back, hip and leg muscles.
• Know when not to massage: fever, contagious illness, a possible blood clot and endangerment sites, plus how blood thinners, insulin and blood pressure medicine change a session.
• Think like a board: in ethics questions, the safe answer protects the client, stays within scope and keeps the boundary, even when the client asks otherwise.
• Train the pace: take a full MyLevel test in 110 minutes, read the explanation of every miss, work on your weakest area and retake. Aim for 75% or more in every area; this is our own practice target, not an MBLEx standard.

MyLevel is independent and not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). MBLEx is a trademark of FSMTB. All questions are original practice questions written by MyLevel, not real MBLEx questions, and a practice score is not an MBLEx result or a massage license.

Sample question with explanation

Frequently asked questions

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