Art Therapy Certification

The Art Therapy Certification is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests professional art therapy knowledge — theory and history of the field, assessment and treatment planning, choosing art media and interventions for therapeutic goals, and ethics, cultural humility and professional practice — written to the AATA Ethical Principles, the Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATR, ATR-BC) standards, HCPC standards for arts therapists, BAAT guidance and art therapy research for 2026. Art therapy is a regulated mental health profession in many countries; this test does not replace supervised clinical training. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Art Therapy Proficiency certificate (SOA-ATX). Every question is based on published standards and research — including About art therapy (American Art Therapy Association), Ethical Principles for Art Therapists (American Art Therapy Association), Standards of proficiency: arts therapists (Health and Care Professions Council (UK)) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Art Therapy Certification, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures foundations and theory, assessment and treatment planning, media, materials and interventions and ethics, culture and professional practice and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Art Therapy Proficiency certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: About art therapy (American Art Therapy Association); Ethical Principles for Art Therapists (American Art Therapy Association); Standards of proficiency: arts therapists (Health and Care Professions Council (UK)); What is art therapy (British Association of Art Therapists); Art and creative materials safety (AP seal) (Art & Creative Materials Institute); Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATR, ATR-BC, ATCBE) (Art Therapy Credentials Board). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Foundations and Theory (History, Theoretical approaches and Expressive Therapies Continuum); Assessment and Treatment Planning (Art-based assessments, Goals and Interpreting artwork); Media, Materials and Interventions (Properties of media, Intervention choice and Safety); Ethics, Culture and Professional Practice (Confidentiality and artwork, Cultural humility and Credentials and scope). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Art therapist or art psychotherapist, Art therapy student, Counsellor or psychologist using creative methods, Expressive arts practitioner and Occupational therapist or social worker. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show Art Therapy knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

In the US, you complete a master's degree in art therapy and supervised clinical hours to become a Registered Art Therapist (ATR), then pass the Art Therapy Credentials Board Examination to become board certified (ATR-BC). In the UK, art therapists must complete an approved postgraduate course and register with the HCPC.

No. Art therapy is a mental health profession in which a trained art therapist uses art-making within a therapeutic relationship to support emotional, cognitive and social goals. The focus is on process and meaning, not artistic skill.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.