Neuropsychological testing is performed by a neuropsychologist, a doctoral-level psychologist with specialized training in how brain function relates to thinking, memory, and behavior. In many practices, a trained technician called a psychometrist handles the hands-on test administration, but the neuropsychologist is always the one who interprets the results, writes the report, and makes diagnostic recommendations.
What a Neuropsychologist Is
A neuropsychologist is not a medical doctor. They hold a doctoral degree in psychology (PhD or PsyD) and then complete additional years of focused training specifically in brain-behavior relationships. Their work centers on measuring cognitive abilities like memory, attention, language, problem-solving, and processing speed through standardized tests. Where a neurologist uses imaging and physical exams to diagnose brain diseases, a neuropsychologist measures how those diseases or injuries actually affect a person’s thinking and daily functioning. The two specialties frequently work together.
You’ll find neuropsychologists working in outpatient clinics, private practices, academic medical centers, rehabilitation hospitals, and sometimes at a patient’s bedside in a hospital setting. Most evaluations, though, happen sitting at a table in a quiet office.
Training and Credentials
Becoming a neuropsychologist requires a long training pipeline. After completing a doctoral degree from an accredited program, candidates must finish a predoctoral internship and then a postdoctoral residency specifically in clinical neuropsychology. At least half of that postdoctoral training must involve providing clinical neuropsychological services under the supervision of a practicing neuropsychologist.
The gold standard credential is board certification through the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (ABCN), which operates under the American Board of Professional Psychology. To earn it, a neuropsychologist must document didactic training across eight core knowledge areas: basic neurosciences, functional neuroanatomy, neuropathology, clinical neurology, psychological assessment, clinical neuropsychological assessment, psychopathology, and psychological intervention. For those who completed training after 2005, the field follows the Houston Conference Guidelines, which standardized what specialty training should look like. Not all practicing neuropsychologists are board-certified, but board certification signals a verified level of expertise.
The Role of Psychometrists
If you show up for a neuropsychological evaluation, the person sitting across the table giving you the actual tests may not be the neuropsychologist. It’s often a psychometrist, a trained technician who specializes in administering and scoring neuropsychological, psychological, personality, and academic tests. Psychometrists work with patients who have traumatic brain injuries, neurological diseases, learning disabilities, and psychiatric conditions.
Psychometrists can only work under the supervision of a licensed neuropsychologist or psychologist. They handle the mechanics of testing: giving instructions, timing tasks, recording responses, scoring protocols, and managing test materials. What they do not do is interpret the results, form a diagnosis, or create a treatment plan. That clinical judgment belongs exclusively to the supervising neuropsychologist, who reviews everything the psychometrist has collected and integrates it into a comprehensive report.
Pediatric Neuropsychologists
Children and adolescents are typically evaluated by a pediatric neuropsychologist, someone with doctoral training in psychology plus specialized postdoctoral work focused on the developing brain. This distinction matters because interpreting a child’s test results requires understanding what’s normal at each developmental stage, not just what’s normal for adults.
Parents sometimes wonder how a pediatric neuropsychologist differs from a school psychologist. School psychologists hold a specialist-level degree (SSP) in psychology and education. They can conduct evaluations within the school system to determine eligibility for special education services. A pediatric neuropsychologist, with a doctoral degree and more extensive clinical training, provides a deeper and broader assessment of brain function, often identifying conditions that a school evaluation wasn’t designed to catch. If your child’s school evaluation left questions unanswered, a pediatric neuropsychologist can offer a more detailed picture.
Forensic Neuropsychologists
Neuropsychologists are increasingly called on to perform evaluations in legal settings. A forensic neuropsychologist brings all the clinical skills of a standard neuropsychologist but adds expertise in how the legal system works and how to address psycholegal questions. They evaluate people involved in personal injury lawsuits, disability claims, criminal proceedings, and competency hearings. They also serve as expert witnesses, translating complex cognitive data into testimony that judges and juries can understand. The skills required for forensic work build on top of clinical neuropsychology training rather than replacing it.
How You Get Referred
You typically don’t schedule neuropsychological testing on your own. Referrals most commonly come from family physicians, neurologists, psychiatrists, and other primary care clinicians. A doctor might refer you if they suspect a cognitive decline that needs to be quantified, if they want to distinguish between depression and early dementia, if you’ve had a brain injury and need a baseline of your cognitive strengths and weaknesses, or if a child is struggling academically and standard evaluations haven’t provided clear answers.
Some neuropsychology practices do accept self-referrals, but insurance coverage often depends on having a physician’s referral. The referring doctor receives the neuropsychologist’s report, which typically includes diagnostic impressions and specific recommendations for treatment, accommodations, or further evaluation.