Examination
The IQCB examination
A three-hour proctored examination covering all nine competency domains. Available online 24/7 after eligibility confirmation. A Study Guide is provided.
Overview
What to expect
The IQCB examination is a comprehensive, proctored assessment designed to verify that candidates have mastered the foundational knowledge required for safe, competent quantitative EEG practice. It is not a course completion certificate, it is an independent evaluation.
The examination is administered online through a proctored platform, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Candidates schedule their own examination window after eligibility is confirmed through Certemy. You do not need to travel to an examination site.
The same examination is used for all three credential levels. The credential awarded depends on your educational background and licensure status, not on a different version of the test.
Content blueprint
Nine competency domains
The examination draws questions from nine domains defined in the IQCB Blueprint of Knowledge. A competent practitioner needs all nine: not just the clinical domains, but the historical, scientific, ethical, and forensic foundations that make responsible practice possible.
History
The origins of EEG and qEEG, foundational researchers and discoveries, and the development of quantitative methods from the laboratory into clinical practice.
Neuroscience
Relevant neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and the neural bases of electrocortical activity, the biological foundation that gives qEEG findings their meaning.
Technical acquisition
EEG recording methodology, electrode placement systems, impedance standards, equipment requirements, and comprehensive artifact identification and management.
Conventional EEG
Visual EEG interpretation, montage selection, frequency band characteristics, and the ability to distinguish normal from abnormal electrocortical patterns.
Quantitative EEG
Spectral analysis methods, coherence, asymmetry measures, normative database selection and interpretation, and the responsible reading of qEEG topographic maps.
Psychopharmacology
The effects of psychiatric and neurological medications on the EEG, critical for accurate interpretation when patients are medicated, as most clinical patients are.
Research methods
Study design literacy, statistical reasoning, evaluating published qEEG research, and understanding what constitutes strong versus weak evidence in the field.
Ethics
Professional ethics, scope of practice boundaries, competency limits, confidentiality, and the responsibilities of practitioners who represent themselves as qEEG-certified.
Clinical & forensic practice
Clinical applications, report writing standards, Daubert and Frye evidentiary standards, expert witness qualifications, and the appropriate limits of qEEG evidence in legal proceedings.
Preparation
Preparing for the examination
The IQCB Study Guide is the primary preparation resource. It is organized by the nine competency domains and available for download through the Resources section once you have created your IQCB account.
The examination is also informed by the Recommended Reading List, available on the IQCB website. Candidates who have completed a 40-hour approved course and have at least one year of supervised clinical experience typically find they are well-prepared for the content.
The examination is not designed to be passed by rote memorization of the Study Guide alone. It is designed to assess whether candidates can apply foundational knowledge to clinical situations, the kind of applied reasoning that develops through supervised practice.