The International Conference Of Funeral Service Examining Boards Inc

What The International Conference Of Funeral Service Examining Boards Inc does

The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards Inc ("The Conference" or ICFSEB) is a US-domiciled nonprofit membership organization founded in 1904 and headquartered in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the sole developer and administrator of the National Board Examination (NBE), the standardized licensure exam for funeral directors and embalmers across 55 member regulatory boards in the United States and Canada. The Conference also produces State Board Examinations (SBE), the Washington LRR Examination, model regulatory documents (Model Practice Act, Model Disposition Standards, Model Internship Program), a jurisdictional licensing-requirements publication, official NBE study guides, and, launched in October 2025, the Practice National Board Exam (PNBE) - a remote-proctored practice assessment with multiple forms per section.

The core technology backbone is the National Board Examination platform, administered through a partnership with Pearson VUE's secure, proctored testing-center network, with candidate applications and school/board submissions handled through a web-based portal. Candidates register for the combined Arts and Sciences NBE at a $570 fee, with $50 per additional state for official results transfer beyond the primary jurisdiction; practice exams and study materials are sold separately through the organization's online shop. Revenue therefore derives from a mix of one-time exam registration fees, ancillary transactional fees for results transfer, and a smaller recurring stream from study materials and the new PNBE product line.

The organization serves three distinct customer segments: individual exam candidates (a long-tail persona segment requiring licensure), state and provincial regulatory boards (the dues-paying member organizations receiving official results), and ABFSE-accredited mortuary science schools (which submit candidate eligibilities and access program-level statistics). Go-to-market is sales-led via the regulatory and educational channel rather than consumer marketing; member boards and schools are the primary acquisition mechanism, with annual meetings and virtual learning sessions serving as the principal engagement and brand-building venues.

Name

The International Conference Of Funeral Service Examining Boards Inc

Legal name

The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards Inc

Website

https://theconferenceonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1904 that develops and administers the National Board Examination required for funeral director and embalmer licensure across 55 member regulatory boards in the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Licensing Examination Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADAFAA

National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Assessment, Examinations & Qualifications Authorities

SECONDARYEDADACAF

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Accreditation Bodies (Institutional & Programmatic)

Keywords

• Funeral service licensing
• National board examination
• Mortuary science examination
• Regulatory examination services
• Professional licensure testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Fayetteville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. NBE Examination Fees: Revenue generated from examination fees for the National Board Examination (Arts and Sciences sections). The standard exam registration is valued at $570 for both sections combined.
2. Official Results Certification: Fee-based service to transfer official exam results to state licensing boards. Primary state transfer is included; additional states are $50 each.
3. Study Materials and Guides: Sale of NBE study guides and online practice exams through the organization's shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (ICFSEB) develops and administers the National Board Examination (NBE) for funeral director and embalmer licensure, consisting of Arts and Sciences sections delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers. It also provides State Board Examinations, the Practice National Board Exam (PNBE), standardized model regulatory documents, study guides, and continuing regulatory and educational programs for its 55 member licensing boards across the United States and Canada.

Product overview

The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (ICFSEB) operates as a regulatory organization that develops and administers professional licensure examinations for the funeral service profession. The core product portfolio centers on the National Board Examination (NBE), available in Arts and Sciences sections, administered through Pearson VUE testing centers. Supporting offerings include the Practice National Board Exam (PNBE) for remote online practice, State Board Examinations (SBE), and Washington LRR Examination for jurisdiction-specific requirements. Additional products include NBE Study Guides, the Conference Model Documents series (Model Practice Act, Disposition Standards, Internship Program, Application), and the Regulations in Funeral Service Licensing publication. The Harvey Leavitt III NBE Scholarship provides examination fee waivers for eligible first-time candidates. Annual meetings and virtual learning sessions support professional development for regulators and educators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Board Examination (NBE)
• Practice National Board Exam (PNBE)
• State Board Examination (SBE)
• Washington LRR Examination
• NBE Study Guides and Online Practice Exams
• Conference Model Documents
• Regulations in Funeral Service Licensing Publication
• Harvey Leavitt III NBE Scholarship

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Pearson VUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary examination delivery partner administering NBE, SBE, LRR, and NC-Path examinations through Pearson VUE's secure testing center network. Handles scheduling, exam delivery, and Pearson VUE account management for candidates.
• State Licensing BoardscoreOthers55 member regulatory boards receive official NBE results for licensure verification. The organization transfers results directly to licensing authorities via secure electronic process.
• American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABFSE is the accrediting body for mortuary science programs. The Conference's NBE statistics may vary from ABFSE's published pass rates, as ABFSE offers exemptions to programs' pass rates when candidates fail a section of the NBE a year or more after graduation.
• Dale Atkinson - Atkinson FirmmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConference Legal Counsel providing regulatory expertise. Leads Regulatory Board Service 101 training, Virtual Learning Sessions on deregulation/sunset topics, and contributes to annual meeting programming on legal and regulatory issues.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Pearson VUE: ICFSEB's primary examination delivery partner. Not a competitor but a strategic vendor/infrastructure provider enabling the organization's delivery model across all member jurisdictions. Relevant as a peer-ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• National Board of Chiropractic Examiners: Develops and administers chiropractic licensure examinations for state boards. Comparable as a nonprofit professional examination body serving a single regulated profession across multiple US jurisdictions with standardized assessments.
• American Association of Veterinary State Boards: Develops the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) and supports veterinary state regulatory boards. Comparable membership-based structure focused on standardized licensure assessment for a single profession.
• Association of Social Work Boards: Develops and administers social work licensure examinations used across US and Canadian jurisdictions. Parallel nonprofit membership organization model with similar scope, regulatory function, and reliance on standardized assessment delivery.
• Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy: Develops and administers the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) for PT licensure across US jurisdictions. Closely mirrors ICFSEB's structure as a membership organization of state regulatory boards delivering standardized licensure exams via Pearson VUE.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing: Administers the NCLEX, the standardized licensure examination for US and Canadian nurses. The most structurally comparable peer to ICFSEB as a nonprofit organization of state boards that develops and delivers required licensure examinations for a regulated profession across jurisdictions.
• National Board for Certified Counselors: Certifies professional counselors through national examinations. Comparable as a nonprofit certification body serving a single regulated profession with standardized assessment delivery and credentialing infrastructure.
• National Board of Examiners in Optometry: Administers optometry licensure examinations used by state boards. Mirrors ICFSEB's model of being the sole developer of standardized national board examinations for a single licensed profession.
• American Board of Funeral Service Education: The accrediting body for mortuary science programs that supply candidates to ICFSEB's NBE. Operates as a parallel nonprofit in the same funeral service regulatory ecosystem, handling institutional accreditation versus individual licensure assessment.

Broad incumbents

• National Board of Medical Examiners: Develops and administers the USMLE for medical licensure. A much larger established peer in professional examination services, demonstrating the broader nonprofit examination body model ICFSEB operates within for healthcare-adjacent professions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-international-conference-of-funeral-service-examining-boards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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