File an Appeal
Note that submission of an appeals form does not guarantee that your appeal will be granted.
Certification
Candidates who meet the current ATR-BC application requirements and successfully pass the board-certification exam will receive a certificate, allowing them to designate themselves as Board Certified Art Therapists (ATR-BC).
Retesting
Candidates are allowed to retake the exam up to three times within a 12-month period. Note that a 90-day waiting period is required between exam attempts to maintain the rigor and integrity of the examination. Individual states may have additional restrictions for licensure applicants, and those must also be followed.
Appeals
The ATCB Board of Appeals will review appeals if they meet specific requirements outlined in the ATCB appeals policy. Although test scores cannot be changed, retesting may be allowed.
Examination Administration Appeals
Examinees may appeal a failing test result if they believe that a test administration condition negatively affected their ability to complete or pass the examination. This includes issues such as significant physical test site conditions, computer equipment problems, test administration issues, or the conduct of test center personnel. For an appeal to be considered, the examinee must:
- Report the condition or issue to the test proctor or examination administrator at the test center immediately following the examination, and provide all relevant information needed to complete a Case Report with the testing provider.
- Submit the appeal with a narrative describing the condition or issue, and identify the Case Report number provided by the proctor/administrator. Appeals must be reported to the ATCB Headquarters via the Appeals Request Form within 72 hours of the exam administration.
Examination Content Appeals
Examinees may appeal specific examination items and/or answers they believe to be inaccurate or incorrect if this caused them to fail. The appeal narrative must:
- Identify the specific test items and/or answers in question.
- Provide a detailed explanation and support the claim with references to relevant professional sources, particularly peer-reviewed, scholarly literature.
Candidates must submit a written appeal within 30 days of receiving their exam results. Appeals concerning testing conditions or accommodation issues must be reported via the Appeal Request Form within 72 hours of the exam administration.
Special (Disability) Examination Accommodation Appeals
An examinee may appeal issues relating to the provision of approved special (disability) accommodations during the test administration. The appeal must:
- Report the accommodation issue to the test proctor or examination administrator immediately following the examination, and provide all relevant information needed to complete a Case Report.
- Submit the appeal with a narrative describing how the accommodation was not met, and identify the Case Report number provided by the proctor/administrator. Appeals must be reported via the Appeal Request Form within 72 hours of the exam administration.
Appeals concerning accommodations not previously approved by the ATCB or the relevant State licensure agency will not be accepted.
Unacceptable Grounds for Appeals
The ATCB will not accept appeals based on certain grounds, as outlined in their appeals policy.