Join Our Discovery Weekends on April 25th & 26th, at Hayward, CA Campus | May 16th, 2025 at Bellevue, NE Campus
Join Our Discovery Weekends on April 25th & 26th, at Hayward, CA Campus | May 16th, 2025 at Bellevue, NE Campus
Starting Winter 2027, board exam timing & success becomes part of how you move through clinic, from entering Clinic I to your final clinic course. Find additional info below.
When the policy takes effect
When this policy typically starts to apply
Your first checkpoint
Three checkpoints, tied to where you are in your program. No surprises, just a clearer link between boards and clinic.
U.S. students must pass the NBCE Part I exam to be eligible to enter Clinic I
14-quarter track students must have passed their written board exams to be eligible for a 2-quarter preceptorship.
Students will be required to have passed their written board exams and have passed (or be registered for) their practical board exam to pass their final Life West Clinic course.
You have to pass your boards to get licensed. Licensure leads to the full scope of practicing as a DC. This gives you the quickest path to entering the chiropractic field, serving your patients, and begin building your brand.
Life West's CCE accreditation depends in part on graduates passing their boards within six months of graduation. Our graduates pass at a strong rate, but too many are passing after that six-month window, which is the benchmark set by CCE.
To protect that accreditation, and the standing of every degree LCCW awards, we're introducing structure that ties board milestones to your progress through clinic. Other chiropractic colleges have introduced similar policies for the same reason.
Pick your track below. Each row shows one exam part, aligned under the quarter it applies to.
If you don’t pass by the end of your first eligible quarter, your advisor will work with you on a plan for the next attempt, and you’ll have a status check-in (Academic Probation) added to keep that plan on track. Pass the next quarter and you’re clear, with no lasting mark. Lean on your advisor early. They can help you map the best path forward and point you to the right resources.
Each required exam you pass moves you a step closer to graduating and being licensed.
Pass your required boards and you're eligible to return; the path forward stays open.
Nebraska Campus:
All Pod Meeting
Bellevue Health Center
Tuesday
July 28th
12:00 PM CST
California Campus:
All Pod Meeting
SPAH
Tuesday
July 28th
12:00 PM PST
California Campus:
All Students
SPAH
Wednesday
July 29th
12:00 PM PST
Additional sessions will be delivered through Board Review I & II , CIL-7 and CIL-8 course presentations.
U.S. or Canadian citizens/residents (as recorded by the Registrar’s Office), enrolled in the DC program in Winter 2027 and beyond.
No. If you officially graduate by Fall 2026, or resolve an Incomplete by the deadline, you’re exempt. If you fail your final clinic course and repeat it in Winter 2027, the policy applies at that point.
You won’t be able to progress through the program and will eventually be suspended. You can apply for readmission once you’ve passed the required boards; there’s no path to completing the DC program without them.
Students with additional questions, who would like guidance, or would like a full copy of the policy are encouraged to stop by or contact the ASC.
The complete, board-approved policy document — every track, every requirement, in full detail.
Download PDFThe overview presentation, including the full FAQ appendix.
Download Deck
