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NBE Funeral Service Cheat Sheet

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Funeral Directing (Arts)

  • 34% of exam
  • Arrangement Documents Death Notification Chain GPL Pre-Need vs At-Need

Merchandising (Arts)

  • 14% of exam
  • Merchandise Basics Pricing Terms Caskets Urns

Counseling (Arts)

  • 13% of exam
  • Grief Theory Counseling Skills Aftercare Referral

Legal + Regulatory (Arts)

  • 23% of exam
  • FTC Funeral Rule Death Cert and Permits Consumer Protections GPL vs Statement

Cemetery + Crematory (Arts)

  • 16% of exam
  • Disposition Methods Cemetery Terms Cremation Alkaline Hydrolysis

Embalming (Sciences)

  • 41% of exam
  • Embalming Chemicals Vascular Technique Six-Point Injection Cavity Fluid

Restorative Art (Sciences)

  • 23% of exam
  • Restorative Materials Restorative Techniques Feature Building Cosmetics

Prep of the Deceased (Sciences)

  • 19% of exam
  • Prep Room Standards Special Case Handling PPE Disinfection

Funeral Service Sciences

  • 17% of exam
  • Microbiology and Chemistry Anatomy and Pathology Postmortem Change pH

Quick Facts

  • Exam NBE Arts + Sciences
  • Body ICFSEB / The Conference
  • Items/Section 170 (150 scored)
  • Time/Section 170 minutes
  • Pass Scaled score 75+
  • Fee $285 per section
  • Format CBT at Pearson VUE
  • Retake Wait 30 days

Arts Domain Weights FU

  • 34, 14, 13, 23, 16 percent across five domains
  • 34% directing 14% merchandising 23% legal 16% cemetery

Pre-Need vs At-Need FU

Pre-Need

  • Arranged before death
  • Often prefunded, trusted
  • Locks in price

At-Need

  • Arranged after death
  • Immediate arrangements
  • Family decides now
  • Before vs after death

Arrangement Documents FU

  • GPL Price list, first visit
  • Statement of Goods Itemized final selections
  • Authorization form Next-of-kin signs
  • Basic services fee Non-declinable charge
  • Cash advance items Third-party disbursements

Death Notification Chain FU

  • Pronouncement Physician or coroner declares death
  • First call Initial removal contact
  • Next of kin Legal authorizer, priority order
  • Removal Transport from place of death

Pre-Need vs At-Need FU

  • Pre-need contract Arranged, funded before death
  • At-need arrangement Arranged after death occurs
  • Preneed trust State-regulated funding account
  • Guaranteed price contract Locks in future cost

Merchandise Basics FU

  • Casket Burial container
  • Alternative container Cremation-only vessel
  • Urn Holds cremated remains
  • Vault Outer burial container
  • Grave liner Simple concrete cover

Pricing Terms FU

  • Package pricing Bundled offering
  • Itemized pricing Line-by-line costs
  • Markup Cost-to-price margin
  • Overhead absorption Spreads fixed costs

Grief Support Response FU

  • Family shows shock, denial → Active listening, no advice
  • Signs of complicated grief → Refer to licensed therapist
  • Child present at arrangement → Give age-appropriate explanation
  • Hospice, expected death → Support anticipatory grief now

Grief Theory FU

  • Kubler-Ross stages Denial, anger, bargain, depress, accept
  • Worden's tasks Four mourning tasks model
  • Anticipatory grief Mourning before death occurs
  • Complicated grief Prolonged, impairing grief response
  • Disenfranchised grief Unrecognized, unsupported loss

Counseling Skills FU

  • Active listening Reflect, don't advise
  • Referral Refer to licensed therapist
  • Aftercare Post-funeral support services
  • Empathy Understand, don't just sympathize

FTC Funeral Rule Musts FU

  • GPL first, never force packages, quote prices by phone
  • GPL at first visit Itemize, don't bundle Quote prices on request

GPL vs Statement of Goods FU

GPL

  • Given at first visit
  • Lists all prices
  • FTC-required disclosure

Statement of Goods

  • Itemizes final selections
  • Given after arranging
  • Signed agreement
  • Before vs after selection

FTC Disclosure Picker FU

  • Family visits in person → Hand GPL immediately
  • Family calls asking price → Quote prices by phone
  • Showing caskets → Give casket price list
  • Showing vaults → Give burial container list
  • Cremation, no casket wanted → Offer alternative container

FTC Funeral Rule Core FU

  • GPL disclosure Give at first in-person visit
  • Casket price list Give before showing caskets
  • Outer burial container list Give before showing vaults
  • Phone price disclosure Must quote prices if asked
  • Embalming permission Required before embalming proceeds
  • Cash advance disclosure Itemize markup or state as-is

Death Cert and Permits FU

  • Death certificate Legal record of death
  • Certifying physician Signs cause of death
  • Medical examiner Handles reportable, suspicious deaths
  • Burial-transit permit Authorizes transport, disposition
  • Vital statistics registrar Files state death record

Cremation vs Alkaline Hydrolysis FU

Cremation

  • Heat combustion process
  • 1400-1800F retort
  • Most common method

Alkaline Hydrolysis

  • Water, chemical process
  • Lower temperature method
  • Eco-alternative option
  • Fire vs water-based

Disposition Selection FU

  • Viewing then cremation → Rental casket
  • Quick, no embalming → Direct disposition
  • Cremation only → Alternative container ok
  • Eco-conscious family → Alkaline hydrolysis or NOR
  • Mausoleum preferred → Entombment

Disposition Methods FU

  • Ground burial Casket placed in grave
  • Entombment Mausoleum crypt placement
  • Cremation Combustion, 1400-1800F retort
  • Alkaline hydrolysis Water-based chemical reduction
  • Natural organic reduction Human composting method

Cemetery and Crematory Terms FU

  • Interment right Space-use ownership, not land
  • Perpetual care Ongoing maintenance fund
  • Disinterment Court-ordered exhumation
  • Retort Cremation chamber

Six-Point Injection Sites FU

  • Carotids, axillaries, femorals injected on both sides
  • Right common carotid: primary Left carotid: secondary site Axillaries: cover the arms Femorals: cover the legs

Arterial Fluid vs Cavity Fluid FU

Arterial Fluid

  • Lower index strength
  • Vascular injection route
  • Preserves, tempers tissue

Cavity Fluid

  • High index, undiluted
  • Trocar injection route
  • Treats organs directly
  • Vascular vs cavity route

Embalming Technique Picker FU

  • Edema present → Drain, pre-inject first ( Prevents dilution )
  • Autopsied case → Six-point plus cavity pack
  • Jaundice discoloration → Bleach pre-injection fluid
  • Decomposition present → High-index cavity fluid
  • Infant or small remains → Reduce fluid dilution
  • Standard adult case → Restricted cervical injection

Embalming Chemicals FU

  • Formaldehyde Primary fixative, preservative
  • Glutaraldehyde Secondary fixative agent
  • Index Percent formaldehyde/methanol strength
  • Humectant Prevents tissue dehydration
  • Anticoagulant Prevents or breaks clots
  • Water conditioner Softens injection water
  • Germicide Kills microorganisms

Vascular Technique FU

  • Six-point injection Carotids, axillaries, femorals
  • Restricted cervical One-point, both directions
  • Right common carotid Primary injection site
  • Drainage Jugular vein, standard site
  • Distention Even fluid distribution goal

Cavity and Special Procedures FU

  • Aspiration Trocar removes gas, fluid
  • Cavity injection Undiluted, high-index fluid
  • Autopsied case Six-point plus cavity pack
  • Discoloration treatment Bleach or pack pre-injection
  • Edema Drain before pre-injection

Restorative Materials FU

  • Wax Feature-building material
  • Cosmetics Surface color matching
  • Plaster Rigid mold material
  • Massage cream Softens tissue rigor
  • Tissue filler Hypodermic restoration material

Restorative Techniques FU

  • Feature building Wax reconstruction of features
  • Surface compounding Fills depressions, wounds
  • Hypodermic tissue building Injects filler under skin
  • Mouth and eye setting Natural expression closure

Disinfection vs Sterilization FU

Disinfection

  • Reduces microorganisms
  • Surface-level control
  • Routine prep step

Sterilization

  • Eliminates all organisms
  • Instrument-level standard
  • Higher-level process
  • Reduce vs eliminate

Prep Room Standards FU

  • PPE Gown, gloves, mask, eyewear
  • OSHA bloodborne standard Universal precautions rule
  • Sharps container Puncture-proof disposal
  • Disinfection Reduces microorganism load
  • Sterilization Eliminates all organisms

Special Case Handling FU

  • Autopsy case prep Extra cavity treatment needed
  • Decomposition case Strong cavity, surface treatment
  • Communicable disease case Extra PPE, disinfection
  • Universal precautions Treat all cases infectious

Postmortem Change Order FU

  • Algor, livor, rigor mortis, then decomposition
  • Algor: cooling starts first Livor: blood settles next Rigor: stiffening follows Decomp: final stage

Autolysis vs Putrefaction FU

Autolysis

  • Self-digestion by enzymes
  • No bacteria involved
  • Sterile process

Putrefaction

  • Bacterial decomposition
  • Produces gas, odor
  • Needs microorganisms
  • Enzymes alone vs bacteria

Microbiology and Chemistry FU

  • Bacteria Prokaryote, no nucleus
  • Virus Needs host cell
  • Aerobic Requires oxygen to grow
  • Anaerobic Grows without oxygen
  • pH Acid-base measurement scale
  • Osmosis Water crosses membrane

Rigor Mortis vs Livor Mortis FU

Rigor Mortis

  • Muscle stiffening
  • ATP depletion cause
  • Resolves in ~72 hours

Livor Mortis

  • Blood pooling
  • Gravity-dependent settling
  • Fixes in 8-12 hours
  • Stiffness vs discoloration

Anatomy and Postmortem Pathology FU

  • Rigor mortis Muscle stiffening, ATP depletion
  • Livor mortis Blood pooling by gravity
  • Algor mortis Body cooling after death
  • Autolysis Self-digestion by enzymes
  • Putrefaction Bacterial decomposition process
  • Adipocere Waxy fat transformation

Common Traps

Disinfection is not Sterilization

  • Disinfection reduces microbes only ≠ Sterilization kills everything present

Autolysis is not Putrefaction

  • Autolysis is enzyme-only ≠ Putrefaction needs bacteria present

GPL is not Statement of Goods

  • GPL comes at first visit ≠ Statement follows after selection

Cremation Still Needs a Container

  • Alternative container is required ≠ Cannot omit container entirely

Preneed Rules Vary by State

  • Trust laws differ by state ≠ Guaranteed pricing is not universal

Rigor Mortis Is Not Cause of Death

  • Rigor indicates time since death ≠ Not a diagnostic death cause

Last Minute

  • 1. Arts weights: 34-14-13-23-16 percent
  • 2. Sciences weights: 41-23-19-17 percent
  • 3. GPL given at first in-person visit
  • 4. Passing score: scaled 75, both sections
  • 5. Retake wait: 30 days per section
  • 6. Formaldehyde is the primary fixative
  • 7. Six-point injection covers both sides
  • 8. Cavity fluid is undiluted, high-index
  • 9. Disinfection reduces; sterilization eliminates fully
  • 10. Autolysis is enzymes; putrefaction is bacteria

Funeral Service Examination (NBE)

  • Practice Questions 226 questions Study Guide 31 topics Cheat Sheet 98 facts Flashcards 50 cards Shorts 2 short s Free CE Podcast