Office of Certification

Access the new FCS examination Study Guide, Candidate
Information Bulletin and Special Use Administrative Guide Now!

To become certified, an individual must earn a minimum of a baccalaureate degree and successfully complete one of three available National Family & Consumer Sciences Examinations.

A study guide for the National Examinations, for those interested in sitting for the exam(s), provides information about the content of the examination, sample test questions and a list of publications and textbooks in each of the content areas covered by the examination.

National Family & Consumer Sciences Certification Examination
Applicants must receive written registration confirmation prior to the examination. To apply for the examination the following must be submitted to the Office of Certification from this website via interactive form or mail:

• A completed Certification Examination Application, which may be found in the Candidate Information Bulletin, available for download from this website.
• For Texas Teacher Certification please Click Here
for the Texas Candidate Information Bulletin
• For Special Administration (Paper/Pencil) please Click Here for the Special Administration Candidate Information Bulletin

Sitting as a Candidate for the Exams

• The examination(s) may be taken with paper and pencil in a group setting at participating schools, or electronically at participating SMT testing centers nationwide. Please reference the appropriate Candidate Information Bulletin for your testing venue.
• FCS faculty and administrators wishing to utilize the exams as assessment tools may access the Special Use Administrative Guide to learn how to offer the exams at their location.
• Successful completion of the examination affirms the competence of a professional who has acquired a level of expertise in the various subject areas of family and consumer sciences. The outline of content for the certification examination covers basic knowledge in three general categories of family and consumer sciences professional practice.

The examination contains 150 four-option, multiple-choice questions in random order with respect to the content. There is a 3-hour time limit allowed for taking the exam.