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national certification....HELP

I am graduating from school in a week. I am completely confused over all the fuss for national certification & licensing. My school isn't really any help in this area so I am turning to the knowlegdge & expertise of all you wonderful people here. I live in PA where there isn't licensing yet. Which test is the best choice to take, NCBTMB or Mblex? What is the best way to prepare for these tests? We are taking practice exams through the school & I am finding out we didn't cover nearly half of the information these questions are based on. I would like to take a national certification test as soon as I can after completing school to make it easier when the licensing gets passed here in PA.
I would appreciate any help with this. Thanks all!

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Comment by Mirra Greenway on May 6, 2010 at 10:17am: The MBLEX is the fastest way to get licensed. It is a very short application form, and does not require the school to send a transcript. You get your results sent to your state board within 24 hours, and can be licensed as fast as they can process it. Many of my students have had to wait for weeks while the NCBTMB processed their paperwork, and often rejected it over one small mistake.

You can always become Nationally-Certified later on if you decide to. In our state, Missouri, it doubles the CE hours needed. It also has renewal fees every 4 years, which the MBLEX does not. As for "rules", ie, Standards of Practice and Codes of Ethics, your state board has similar ones you are accountable to.

If you intend to practice in a state that does not have licensing, however, National Certification is a way to provide employers and clients with a demonstration of your commitment to the profession and such standards.

In other health care professions, "Board Certification" standards include advanced experience and additional studies beyond the basics required for meeting minimum competencies.

Before the MBLEX, tho, it was the only licensing exam available in many states.