Before you can earn a diploma in clinical neuropsychology, you will need to submit an application to the ABPP for approval. When you apply, you will need to have met certain requirements. You will need to have earned a doctorate degree in psychology from an accredited institution, and you will need to have had at least three years' experience in your specialty -- only one of which can be predoctoral. Two years of supervised practice in your specialty are also necessary, and you must obtain licensure for individual practice in your state. Your practice must have no ethical or criminal infractions.
The American Board of Clinical Neurologists is a division of the ABPP, which awards diplomas in clinical neuropsychology. If your application is initially approved by the ABPP, your application will be sent to the ABCN for closer scrutiny. Specifically, the ABCN will evaluate your residency and your training, checking to see that you fulfilled all of the residency's requirements and ensuring that you left the residency in good standing, without any blemishes on your academic or professional record.
If you receive approval of your application by both the ABPP and the ABCN, you will need to take the written examination. It is administered annually at three different conference meetings: the National Academy of Neuropsychology meeting in October; the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology meeting in June and the International Neuropsychological Society meeting in February. The test consists of 100 multiple-choice questions concerning several aspects of neuropsychology, including behavioral neurology, basic neuroscience and general clinical psychology.
If you have passed the written examination, you will need to submit two clinical reports to the ABCN for review. They should include the respective subjects' test scores and raw data. A trio of board-certified clinical neuropsychologists will review your reports to see if they are acceptable. At least two of the three board members must approve of your reports before you can proceed to the final step, which is the oral examination.
If you receive approval of your clinical reports, you will need to undergo an oral examination based on those clinical reports. There will be three examiners, and they will each ask you questions about your clinical reports, analyzing your methodology, ethics and conclusions. You will also be given a sample clinical report, and the examiners will ask you to extract relevant information from it, and you will also be asked to form a diagnosis of the subject. If you pass the oral examination, you will receive a diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology at the next annual ABPP Convocation.