Everything you need to know about the NBC-HWC credential and how to prepare for the board exam
Sonja Ecklund, NBC-HWC, CHWC | sonjaecklund.com
Last updated: October 2026 | Based on the 2026 NBHWC Content Outline
Sonja Ecklund is a board-certified health and wellness coach (NBC-HWC, CHWC) who passed the NBHWC board exam in the first cohort in 2017. She is the creator of The Study Edit, an NBHWC board exam prep course that has helped 307 students pass the NBHWC Board Exam.
The NBHWC board exam is a nationally standardized examination administered by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Passing the exam earns you the NBC-HWC (National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach) credential, which is the most widely recognized professional credential in health and wellness coaching.
To be eligible for the NBHWC board exam, you must have completed a minimum of 50 coaching sessions and graduated from an NBHWC-approved coach training program. You must also meet the NBHWC's requirements for professional conduct. Full eligibility requirements are available at nbhwc.org.
The NBHWC board exam is considered moderately to highly challenging by most test-takers. It is a scenario-based exam, which means it tests how you apply coaching knowledge in realistic client situations — not just on whether you can recall definitions. Many coaches find that their biggest challenge is learning to think like an exam writer, not lack of content knowledge. Adequate preparation, including practice with scenario-based questions, significantly improves pass rates.
The NBHWC board exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. Each question has five answer choices.
The exam is 4½-hours in length and includes:
A 15-minute tutorial
150 multiple-choice questions
2 sections of 75 questions each (1 hour and 52 minutes each)
A maximum of 15 minutes of total break time available for use between the test sections
A 15-minute post-test survey
The NBHWC does not publicly publish an overall pass rate. However, based on my experience working with hundreds of students, coaches who prepare with structured study resources and practice exams pass at significantly higher rates than those who go into the exam without dedicated preparation.
The NBHWC board exam registration fee is $500. This fee is non-refundable if you do not sit for the exam. If you do not pass, you will need to pay the registration fee again to retake the exam, which makes preparation a worthwhile investment.
The NBHWC board exam is administered at Prometric testing centers. Prometric has locations across the United States and internationally. You will select your testing center location when you register for the exam. The testing environment is quiet, computer-based, and significantly different from most home or office study environments — which is why practicing under realistic conditions matters.
You can take the NBHWC board exam up to three times. If you do not pass after three attempts, you must complete additional training before you are eligible to reapply. This policy makes it important to prepare thoroughly before your first attempt.
The NBHWC board exam is offered during specific exam windows throughout the year — typically in the spring, summer, and fall. The exact dates change each year. Check nbhwc.org for the current exam schedule and registration deadlines.
Most coaches benefit from 8 to 12 weeks of structured preparation, though this varies depending on your background, how recently you completed your training program, and how much time you have available each week. Coaches who completed their training more than a year before sitting for the exam typically need more review time. Starting earlier than you think you need to is almost always the right call.
The most effective study strategies for the NBHWC board exam are active recall (testing yourself on material rather than passively re-reading notes), practice with scenario-based questions in the same format as the real exam, and replicating the exam environment during practice sessions. Passive review of notes and textbooks alone is insufficient preparation for a scenario-based exam. The best study approach combines content review with significant practice exam work.
The NBHWC board exam is based on the 2026-2030 NBHWC Content Outline. The following content area are included in the exam:
Coaching Presence, Relationships, and Sessions [25%]
Theories, Models, and Approaches to Behavior Change [15%]
Skills, Tools, and Strategies [25%]
Ethics and Professional Practice (including Code of Ethics) [15%]
Health and Wellness [20%]
The NBHWC offers its own practice exam, which is written by the organization that creates the actual exam. Whether you need it in addition to a prep course depends on your budget, timeline, and how many practice questions you want to work through. Some students find that the 465 questions inside The Study Edit are sufficient; others prefer to have questions from multiple sources. It is worth noting that no third-party exam prep resources, including The Study Edit, are affiliated with or approved by the NBHWC.
There is no official NBHWC study guide. Most coaches use a combination of the NBHWC Content Outline, their training program materials, and third-party prep resources. The Study Edit was designed specifically to fill this gap — it includes 465 practice questions, 328 flashcards built from the Content Outline, 8 optional live group study sessions, test-taking strategy guidance, and an exam day preparation module.
The Study Edit, created by Sonja Ecklund NBC-HWC, CHWC, is a comprehensive NBHWC board exam prep course that has helped 307 coaches pass the exam. It includes 400 scenario-based practice questions written in the same format as the real exam, 65 bonus quiz questions, 328 flashcards, live group study sessions, a custom study plan, test-taking strategy, and an exam day preparation module. It is backed by an opt-in money-back guarantee. Learn more here.
NBC-HWC stands for National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. It is the professional credential awarded by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) to coaches who have completed an approved training program, fulfilled the required coaching hours, and passed the board exam.
Yes, for coaches who want to work professionally in health and wellness coaching. The NBC-HWC credential is increasingly required by employers, health systems, digital health companies, and corporate wellness programs. It signals that you have met a nationally recognized standard of coaching competency and distinguishes you from coaches without formal credentials. The investment in the exam and preparation is worth it for anyone serious about building a professional coaching career.
The NBC-HWC (National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach) is issued by the NBHWC and is the foundational credential for health and wellness coaching. The CHWC (Clinical Health & Well-Being Coach) is a newer credential issued by the Institute for Behavior Change and is specifically designed for coaches working in clinical and integrated care settings, alongside physicians and other healthcare providers. The CHWC requires the NBC-HWC as a prerequisite and includes a Practical Skills Evaluation in addition to a written exam. Coaches who work in digital health, hospitals, or clinical environments may benefit from pursuing both credentials.
The NBHWC requires an annual $75 fee and 36 hours of continuing education every 3 years to maintain the NBC-HWC credential. Sonja Ecklund's courses, The Behavior Edit and The Business Edit are approved CE credits for NBC-HWCs.
I want to make sure you've got the scoop on the money back guarantee before you choose to study with me -- Read this for the full details!
You and I have the same goal -- For you to pass your NBHWC Board Exam!
I'm so confident that my NBHWC Board Exam Prep Course will help you pass the board exam that I will give you your money back if you don't pass the exam. In order to take advantage of this guarantee, I need you to take the steps that my most successful students have taken to pass the NBHWC Board Exam -- Here's what you need to do to opt in!
Complete all of the modules and lessons within the course.
Take all of the quizzes, practice exams, and the preparing for exam day quiz.
Attend a study session or ask your questions on the discussion board.
Submit your completed course workbook before your exam date.
Complete 15 practice coaching sessions (this is one of the best ways to study -- I'll provide you with the practice clients or you can use your own. All you need to do is fill out a simple coaching log in your course workbook stating that you completed 15+ practice coaching sessions within 3 months of your exam date.
Fill out the money back guarantee opt-in form before your exam date.
The Money Back Guarantee is optional – I offer a guarantee because I stand behind my product, but if you want to use the course materials to study without opting in to the guarantee, you are more than welcome to do so!
If you don't pass the exam, email me a PDF copy of your exam results within 5 business days of receiving your exam results and I'll give you your money back within 30 days (minus credit card processing fees).
Please note that no refunds will be given to:
Students who successfully pass the exam.
Students who purchase this course and choose not to use it.
Students who end up not taking the exam.
Students who do not opt-in to participate in the guarantee.
Students who do not email me their official exam results within 5 business days of receiving their scores.
Students from approved training programs whose programs have licensed this course material.
Of course!
I offer a money back guarantee because I stand behind my product, but if you want to use the course materials to study without opting in to the guarantee, you are more than welcome to do so!
Yes! I wrote all of my exam questions in the same format (5 answers, multiple choice), style (case studies, definitions, and concepts), and delivery (computer based with a piece of paper for taking notes) as the actual exam. I even use the same colors, style, and format as the real Prometric exam within my testing software so that the exam feels familiar to you when you show up on test day.
I always ask my students to report back to me and tell me if they felt that my practice exam was representative of the actual exam and the vast majority of them say yes.
All of my new exam questions have been reviewed by 3 students from my most recent board exam prep course as well as by my peer and colleague, Rachel Franco, MPH, NBC-HWC.
My course's materials have also been reviewed by students from previous cohorts as well as faculty members from each of my licensing partners.
The exam changes every time it's administered, so it is not entirely possible to guarantee that my practice exam will look exactly like the real exam.
It's important to remember that the purpose of all practice exams is to give you an opportunity to practice answering exam questions, apply your knowledge in a similar environment to the Prometric testing center, and to help you see where you need to put your focus during your study sessions.
Yes! I redid the entire course in December 2025. My students who took the exam in March 2026 say that reflected the NBHWC Board Exam accurately.
You will have access to this course for 6 months!
Sure! You if you don't want any additional study support, you can purchase just the practice exam here.
I open each sitting 6 months before each exam sitting begins.
If you would like to be notified about about this course a few weeks before the exam window opens up, please join the waitlist:
Yes it has!
All of my new exam questions have been reviewed by 3 students from my most recent board exam prep course as well as by my peer and colleague, Rachel Franco, MPH, NBC-HWC.
My course's materials have also been reviewed by students from previous cohorts as well as faculty members from each of my licensing partners.
That said, I'm a human being who wrote all of this exam's materials myself! That means that sometimes you'll find a typo!
Please check with your manager to make sure that this course meets the requirements of your employer's tuition reimbursement program.
You'll receive a certificate indicating that you completed all required elements of the course automatically when you finish the course. I can also send you an invoice for reimbursement purposes if you need it!
You bet!
I'm really passionate about making high quality coaching education accessible to students from all economic backgrounds, so I offer the opportunity for programs to license this course material at a significant discount. This would allow your students to access this material for free.
If you think an NBHWC Board Exam Prep Course and Practice Exam could add value to your approved training program, let's schedule a time to meet and have a conversation about how I can support your program's goals.
If you're a student of an Approved Training Program who would like to see your program license this course, let me know and I'll reach out to your program's coordinator.
Nope! Instead of offering discounts, promo codes, or coupons, I price this course at a rate that most students say is a steal of a deal for everything they get.
I also offer a money back guarantee for students who choose to opt in!
Yes, absolutely! However, it's important to note that Study Sessions start the month leading up to the exam and end the week the exam window opens. You can always leave comments within the course and get your questions answered asynchronously, but if the main reason you're signing up for the course is for the optional live group Study Sessions, then you might want to consider 1:1 Study Sessions.
Yes I do! For students who want a high level of personalization, I offer 1:1 Study Sessions for the NBHWC Board Exam.
However, I highly recommend starting with The Study Edit course rather than 1:1 Study Sessions - Here's why:
The Study Edit is $299 and gives you 465 practice questions, access to me via a comment board and/or group study sessions in the month leading up to the exam, and much more.
A single 1:1 Study Session with me is $125, and while I can definitely answer your questions during that time, you'll get all of your questions answered and a whole lot more within the course.
Some students benefit from both, but I wouldn't recommend doing a 1:1 Study Session without first working through The Study Edit course.
If you know that 1:1 Study Sessions are right for you, you can learn more and book your sessions here.
I totally get why students ask me this question, but unfortunately it's not a question I can answer. Here are some things to consider when making a decision that works for you:
The NBHWC's Practice Exam is written by the NBHWC. No other exam prep resources are approved by or affiliated with the NBHWC.
Some students find it helpful to have practice questions from a variety of sources. Other students find that the 450+ questions they get inside The Study Edit are sufficient.
The Study Edit offers a lot of value in addition to the practice exam questions.
It really depends on how much money you wan to spend on exam prep, how much time you want to spend on practice exams.
Go to the upper right hand corner of the screen and click "Login" or use the link sent to you in the welcome email you received when you signed up for the course.