The goal here at Massage Exam Academy is to help anyone who dreams of being a massage therapist make that dream a reality. When English is your second language, it makes the MBLEx exam even more difficult to pass, which puts your dream in jeopardy. If you are not a native English or Spanish speaker, the only two languages the MBLEx is administered in, your preparation for the MBLEx will most likely involve some work in English comprehension in addition to using the Massage Exam Academy’s MBLEx program.
We know the pass rate for the MBLEx is 66%. The good news is that many Massage Exam Academy members speak other languages and go on to pass their exams. We have found that those who use the program and work on their English language skills obtain the best results.
I want to thank Kathleen, or Kat, for helping me with this post. Kat is a question writer here at Massage Exam Academy. She is a non-native English speaker and has taken (and passed!) the NPTE (physical therapy licensing exam). I cannot think of anyone better to offer you guidance as you prepare for the MBLEx.
Read on for Kat’s words of wisdom and input on passing the MBLEx.
Oftentimes, the thought of taking an exam heightens your stress and anxiety levels on its own, let alone the added pressure of taking it in a foreign language. The best way to combat these anxious feelings is simple: be prepared!
Yes, this seems obvious, but plenty of people try to shortcut learning English and fail their MBLEx exam. Trust me—you will feel more confident walking into the test if you have worked on your English comprehension and your therapeutic massage knowledge.
You need to have the right mindset for the reasons you are learning English. Learning English should not be seen as a hurdle; rather, it provides new possibilities and opportunities for your future and serves as a stepping stone for you. Taking an exam in English should be seen as being a step closer to passing your exam, getting your massage license, and having a successful professional massage career in the United States.
Start with basic terminology.
Before digging in to complicated words, it is very helpful to review basic terminology. This includes things such as identifying root words, prefixes, and suffixes.
Here is an example of a couple of prefixes and a suffix you should know for your exam:
Uni- means “one” and bi- means “two.”
Lateral means “side.”
Examples of how these terms may be used:
Unilateral pain is pain felt on one side of the body. Bilateral pain would be pain felt on each side of the body.
or
Bilateral contraction occurs when two muscles on either side of the body are contracting simultaneously. An example is sternocleidomastoid. Bilateral contraction of this muscle causes the head to flex toward the chest. Unilateral contraction of the sternocleidomastoid flexes the neck to the same side (lateral flexion) and rotates the head to the opposite side.
Build your vocabulary.
Next, start to jot down difficult words in your study guides, look up their meaning on Google, and research the terms you do not understand. Developing your vocabulary helps a lot with reading comprehension, which will be very helpful when taking the MBLEx.
Here is an example of a word that may be unfamiliar to you: “entrapment.”
Entrapment is pathologic pressure placed on a nerve or vessel by soft tissue.
Move on to sentence structure.
Last, move on to learning sentence structure and syntax to help you better understand how sentences are put together. It is easier to analyze a question once you have identified the different parts of the question. This will help you break down test questions efficiently and effectively.
Here are a few sentence structure tips for ESL students.
Learn about multiple-choice exams.
When trying to improve your test-taking skills, it is important to identify the various components of a multiple-choice question.
The “case” is the client’s background, situation, or scenario.
The “stem” is the specific part that asks the question you will be expected to answer. Read the stem at least twice to truly understand what the question is asking you.
Distractors are three of the four choices that are actually wrong—or are not the best answer choice.
Then there is the correct answer.
Avoid studying in your native language.
English will be part of your professional massage career. Try to read, think, and relay the information you have learned about massage in English. For example, when studying planes of motion or movement, read and think about it in English first. Next, discuss the rationales or steps verbally in English (even if it is to your dog or an empty room).
Some of you may have studied massage here in the U.S. with English textbooks. Others may have studied massage in your native countries in your native languages. If you do not own any massage or anatomy textbooks in English, consider purchasing one or obtaining a copy from a library or massage school.
Take time every day to read and listen to something massage- and English-related. Try watching and reading the examples below.
Example Videos:
Be consistent.
Do something English-related each day, even if it’s for a short period of time. It does not need to be related to massage! A one-hour movie or a 30-minute English YouTube video or tutorial would go a long way. Watch cooking tutorials—or whatever is your passion—in the English language. In this way, you are incorporating English into your interests, hobbies, or exciting things in your life and not just studying.
Turn your mobile phones to English if you are using your native language. It may be annoying at first, but it will surely help you. If you have a friend who is a native English speaker or is fluent in English, speak to him/her as much as you can.
Don’t spend a whole Saturday night learning English and not practicing for the rest of the week. You can’t master everything in one night. Surrounding yourself with English activities will help to develop your comprehension as well as your speaking abilities.
Note cultural differences.
The MBLEx not only covers anatomy and kinesiology, but ethics and business guidelines. If you practiced massage in another country, be aware of differences in scope of practice, touch, and U.S. tax issues.
Massage therapists in the United States never manipulate bones or hard tissues, prescribe medicine or herbs, or make a diagnosis. We greet clients with handshakes, avoid personal conversation, and have federal laws that protect client confidentiality pertaining to health information. Your biggest challenge may not be learning the actions of every muscle in English, but which days you need to pay quarterly taxes to the state and federal governments.
Take practice exams.
Practice questions allow you the opportunity to work on sentence structure, exam material, and time restriction. If you run out of time, you fail the exam. The MBLEx is 100 questions in 120 minutes. That leaves you a little over a minute for each question.
The MBLEx is a computer-generated exam and is totally different from many other exams, since it uses Computer Adaptive Testing, or CAT. If you are unfamiliar with CAT, here is a little more about how Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) is different from other exams.
Do not memorize practice questions.
If this is your studying technique, you will fail your exam. Many English speakers need to learn this, too. MBLEx prep websites do not have access to the actual MBLEx questions. Do not memorize questions word for word, as practice questions will not be the same as on the exam. You need to understand what you are learning and apply it to different questions and situations you have on your exam.
Explore additional English courses.
If you need additional support or training, there are a few options. ESL classes or IELTS and TOEFLs exam courses will help you develop and refine your English skills. These courses focus on speaking, writing, reading, and listening. With perseverance and determination, these classes will help you greatly with your exam, career, and daily living.
A few state massage boards require certain TOEFL exam scores if your massage training was not in English (Example: Michigan)
Udemy offers a free ESL course specifically for massage therapists.
Be present at your exam.
As a test taker myself (I took TOEFL and NPTE) whose first language is not English, we often can’t avoid challenging test questions. Sometimes we may not understand the question itself or the possible answer choices. When the exam day comes and you are faced with this scenario, I have some advice to help you be present and focus.
Pause for a few seconds, breathe, try to relax your mind, and tell yourself you can do this! Don’t get swallowed by your fear and anxiety. Instead, try to read the question and/or choices (slowly) one more time and look for clues and keywords to help you work through the question. Read the sentences phrase by phrase. Depending on the question, visualize yourself in the scenario if you can.
If the question is simple and straight to the point, don’t overthink it.
Be confident!
Struggling with aspects of the English language may make you feel like you are not very smart, especially if you previously failed the MBLEx. I want you to know that the opposite is true! Working in an English-speaking country where the language is foreign to you should tell you that you are intelligent as well as a diverse and flexible professional.
Everyone has to start somewhere. For you, this includes learning English and developing your comprehension while you prepare for the MBLEx. With time and practice, your fluency in English will increase and become more natural. You just have to take that one giant step and begin.
Remember, you’ve prepared long and hard for this exam. Be confident. Focus on the exam. Get excited about your license and your career. Before you know it, your hard work will result in success!
Hello! My girlfriend is Chinese and has completed 500 hours of massage training at a local school in Atlanta. She has poor English skills and had attempted to take the MBLEx and bombed it like Pearl Harbor. With all of the mandarin speaking women in the USA doing this work illegally, you’d think they would make a path to legitimacy by adding mandarin to the exam language for people wanting to do this the correct way. Any advice or encouragement for her in this endeavor? Thank you!!
Hi Jim,
I really do understand. I am the mother of a Chinese-American and know there are many, extremely hard-working Mandarin speakers that have to work extra hard because of the illegal activity of others (I blame traffickers 100% and not their victims).
I would love to see the exam in Mandarin. However, I know many other professional licenses do require a TOEFL exam for licenses. And I do understand the importance of that.
I do not have any different advice other than the above article. Work on English skills and exam practice are key to how I see other non-native speakers pass.
It is absolutely discriminatory to only have the test in English and Spanish! The FSMTB allow the test in Spanish but not in Chinese!!! Why???!!! Why is it that Chinese students must learn English and Spanish students don’t!!!??? Massage in this country originated in China!’
English is my second language. I am Thai and finished 800 hours of massage school in Oregon. I am still working on passing the MBLEX exam. I didn’t pass the first exam. It was devastating to me and it was hard. I have more than one app that I study to help with terminology like ABMP is a good app for terminology.
We have different study techniques and styles not sure how your girlfriend likes but go over it 3 times and write it down if that helps with sticking in our brain that how my brain works.
My wife is Thai and has been in this country for 30 years. She can speak and understand English to a point but she is limited in reading and writing English. We live in southern CA and back in 2008 she had gotten her CAMTC (California Massage Therapy Council) after completing 500 hours of school and had taken a city massage exam with the help of an interpreter. At that a National Exam was not required. She has over 10,000 hours of actual massage experience. Did you have any deficiencies in the English language and if you did how did you overcome them to take this test? We plan on moving to Texas who requires that massage therapists take the MBLEx examine.
Any recommendations for Mblex study guides in Spanish?
Unfortunately, I do not have one that I recommend at this time. Did you complete your massage course in English or Spanish? I have heard some native Spanish language speakers that did not care for the way the Spanish exam was worded. Just something I want you to be aware of.
What about Chinese speaking test takers?? Why didn’t you include them???!
The Spanish speaking are allowed to take the test in their own language! Why not the Chinese speaking students???! It’s because that test is only in English for them!!! Time for a lawsuit for discrimination!! California lost their discrimination suit! Illinois is next! Time for a lawsuit!!
I don’t make the decision on what language the MBLEx is given in. That is up to the FSMTB. Most professional boards (nurses, pt) only give their exam in English. Many other professions also require an English proficiency exam.
Answer this question please! Why are Spanish speaking candidates allowed to take this test in their own language? And Chinese speaking candidates are not allowed to take it in their own languages…???
I am not sure. Contact the FSMTB and ask them why they only allow those two languages.
My wife is from China but knows basic English and has worked in the USA for 6 years speaking English (she is also a naturalized citizen). She has studied and scheduled an exam last month but when she appeared to take the test the admin lady gave her instructions about what to do in the class during the test (such as how to ask a question) and she asked my wife to repeat the instructions back to her. My wife was blindsided by this and asked her what this was about so the admin repeated the instructions again but spoke faster and when my did not (still stunned by what was going in) the admin said my wife did not understand English well enough to take the exam, my wife did all her study in English and was confident in taking the test. I complained to Pearson and after 2 weeks they said there is something buried in their procedure that the admin was correct in doing this, the admin’s rudeness notwithstanding. This was puzzling to me as none of our information from Pearson indicated a particular level of English proficiency plus my wife knows other Chinese ladies who barely know the English alphabet but still was allowed to take the test and most passed. Where can I find information on this, I cannot find anything on the web.
Hi Steven,
I am sorry to hear about your wife’s experience! Sadly, this is not the first time I have heard of discrimination against Chinese women in the massage industry. As a mother of a Chinese female, this angers me quite a bit. I understand they are trying to watch fraud and keep an eye on human trafficking, but there are much better ways to go about this! I wish I had better advice for you.
Have you contacted the FSMTB?
Will these practice exams help me prepare for the New York State Boards exam? …..it is a written exam (scantron) not the sit down computer MBlex
We have a specific program for NYS exam takers – https://www.massageexamacademy.com/new-york-state-nys/
hello IVy , I’m cosmetologist in Richmond , Va( I took exam by Vietnamese language) , now I want take the license about massage , does it have Vietnamese language?
Not at this time. The MBLEx exam is only in English or Spanish.
I recently bought this course study exam to study for the MBlex. I did not know what to expect because I recently failed the MBlex twice. After purchasing this product and using the study materials, I am happy to say that I passed the exam. The material was easy to understand and the questions were relevant to what was on the exam. I highly recommend these study materials for the MBlex. Thanks a lot for the help!
Marjorie
Thank you so much for sharing your positive experience and amazing news! I wish you the best in your massage career!