OPE FAQs

The Orthopedic Physician Extender examination is a 125 question online, objective assessment comprised of the knowledge and skills genuinely representative of the athletic trainer in the orthopedic setting. The OPE-C will provide the marked designation needed to fully describe the value added practice credential possessed by the athletic trainer in the orthopedic physician setting.

Successful completion of the OPE credentialing exam will indicate the knowledge and skills in the following competency areas within orthopedic practice: (1) Evidenced-based reasoning in the assessment and management for specific musculoskeletal injury/pathology; (2) Appropriate fracture immobilization and identifying the fundamental goals relative to patient care/safety; (3) Understanding of musculoskeletal imaging and intervention strategies/techniques in orthopedic practice; (4) Surgical considerations in clinical practice (5) Knowledge of orthopedic healthcare management and leadership practices.

The orthopedic extender position for the athletic trainer continues to be a vast growth opportunity within the profession. In today’s economy, professionals are always seeking an opportunity to continue their marketability in the workforce, particularly the orthopedic setting. The educational background/preparation of the athletic trainer continues to afford the AT a seamless transition within clinical orthopedic setting.

As such, previous data supports the considerable value the athletic trainer has on patient throughput, clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction, as well as, the marked economic impact athletic trainers have in the orthopedic setting.

There is a no question that consistency in the use of professional credentialing offsets any confusion or misinterpretation. You should always list your academic credentials first, licensure and then professional credentials at the end. For example, an athletic trainer with a master’s degree or doctorate along with possessing state licensure should then be followed up with OPE-C designation.

Note: John Smith, MS, ATC, OPE-C

YES.  The OPE Home Study was fully reviewed by the Board of Certification, Inc.

The American Society of Orthopedic Professionals (BOC AP#: P120) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers. This program is eligible for a maximum of 13 Category A hours/CEUs.  ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.  Upon completion of the participant assessment and course evaluation surveys, you will receive your CEU certificate of completion.

Are you a Certified Athletic Trainer? Then you are eligible to register today for the OPE Certification Examination.

Are you in the process of completing a Professional Athletic Training Program OR a Post-professional Athletic Training Program OR a Residency Athletic Training Program OR a Clinical Doctoral AT Program – then you are eligible as well…if you have any questions you can always contact our support team at support@nbcos.org

By completing or in the process of matriculating through an athletic training program, one cannot ask for a more comprehensive education preparation for managing the disposition of the physically active individual. You already have an exhaustive library of professional resources from your academic program in sports medicine and orthopedics. However, when you register for the OPE certification examination, you will get full access to the private, password protected member’s area. The candidate area is a full repository of educational resources (textbooks, PowerPoint slides, videos) in select areas of orthopedic competency (casting, bracing, diagnostic imaging, etc.). Lastly, there are select practice questions in the Orthopedic Physician Extender Certification Candidate Guide.

All candidates can navigate through the online registration process and apply for the OPE examination. If you have any technical issues during the registration process, please email us for additional assistance. Please refer to our FAQs for a review of the registration process.

Yes. You will receive email confirmation that your application has been approved, along with an invoice from your purchase as well as gaining access to the member portal and how to log into the examination platform.

If you are enrolled in an Athletic Training Program that is also an “ASOP Approved OPE Program”, then your program director/clinical education coordinator or faculty designee may verify your exam application and endorse your continuation in the examination process.

You will receive an email from the test administrator after completing the application form and processing your payment. Please check your email and spam folder for communication on your application status. You will be asked to verify your email by inputting a unique numerical code that can be found in your initial email from the test administrator in order to proceed with final exam registration.

Refunds: If your application is not approved, you will obtain a full refund.

Requests for Refund: If you elect to cancel your exam registration and wish to receive a refund on your application, you must contact the NBCOS Credentialing Department support@nbcos.org. As such, requests for a refund must be received prior to (1) accessing the Member’s Area and (2) starting the exam from within the exam portal. Requests received after starting/attempting the exam will not be accepted. To apply for a future exam after cancelling or receiving an initial application refund, you must submit a new application and pay full registration fee.

60-day Exam Termination: If you fail to complete the OPE exam within the 60-day window (from time of exam portal registration and NOT time of payment processing or workshop date), your exam will be purged from candidate portal and you will have to request repeat access.

All examinations consist of multiple-choice (single and multiple select) drag and drop, and matching questions that are carefully designed, reviewed for correctness, and computer-scored.

OPE examination questions have been developed by subject matter experts. Item performance is monitored through psychometric analysis. All exam questions are selected to satisfy the test specifications of the exam content analysis and are referenced to the preparatory material in the private member area.

The Orthopedic Physician Extender examination is a 125 question online, objective assessment comprised of the knowledge and skills genuinely representative of the athletic trainer in the orthopedic setting.

The OPE exam has a four (4) hour time limit

After email verification, you will have immediate access to the exam portal to take the exam. Please refer to FAQs below for more information.

After email verification, you will have access to the private member’s area where you will find your unique url for accessing the exam platform. You will have through the membership cycle to challenge the exam.  From the exam portal, log in and click the green button to “BEGIN EXAM”; From that point, the timer has been engaged and you have a 4-hour time limit to complete all the questions and submit your exam.  Your OPE certificate will reflect your current membership expiration date, respectively.

Once you click “Begin Exam” the four (4) hour time limit will start. You may exit your browser and re-enter, however, you only have four(4) hours to answer and submit your attempt.

AGAIN, please note, the clock DOES NOT STOP once you start the exam! (even if you log out)

You will have two (2) attempts to pass the OPE examination. After your second unsuccessful attempt [70% pass point], you must wait 30 days before attempting to retake the exam. There is a $50 administrative re-processing fee to reset your exam portal. Please email us in the event of any delays.

You will receive email notification of your exam results upon completion. Additionally, you can log into your exam portal and view results.

Once you “submit” your exam, you will instantaneously see your exam score. You will also receive an email containing your final exam score and as a certified member in good standing, you will always have access to the exam portal.

The OPE examination passing score is 70%.

Yes, as a certified member in good status, you will always have access to your exam portal. If you purchase CEU courses through ASOP (P120), you will complete and view all continuing education courses through your member’s dashboard.

Yes, upon successfully challenging the OPE exam, your OPE-C certificate of completion can be downloaded (pdf) from the exam portal.

American Society of Orthopedic Professionals (BOC AP#: P120) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers. This program is eligible for a maximum of 13 Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program. Upon completion of the participant assessment and course evaluation surveys, you will receive your CEU certificate. The URL to the CEU course survey/assessment can be located in your member’s area

Those possessing the OPE-C credential must complete continuing education units (CEUs) through the reporting cycle.

Please note, NBCOS accepts CEU hours accumulated as an Athletic Trainer along with other medical healthcare related professional affiliations. The OPE-C reporting cycle aligns your CEU reporting as an Athletic Trainer. The recent reporting cycle deadline ended December 31, 2023. In the event that a credentialed member is audited by the NBCOS for CEUs, the individual will be notified via email on the process for submitting/verifying the necessary CEU documentation. Keep all documentation for your records.

A “Notification for CEU Audit” email will be sent by April 1 following the end of the previous reporting cycle. If you do not receive such a notice, the credentialed individual has successful navigated the reporting term.

CEU Requirements/Renewal by Dec 31st 2023

[Prior to/including] Certification Year 2022 = 24 hours

Certification Year 2023 = 12 hours

All annual re-certification renewal fees will be received via email in advance of renewal date.

The current reporting cycle for 2024-25 has started on January 1 2024.

CEU Requirements/Renewal by Dec 31st 2025

[Prior to/including] Certification Year 2024 = 24 hours

Certification Year 2022= 12 hours