National Board for Certified Counselors Examinations

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Get certified from your home or office

Take your National Counselor Examination (NCE) conveniently from home through OnVUE online proctoring. A live proctor will monitor you through the webcam on your workstation to provide a secure exam experience.

Watch the short video on the NBCC online proctoring page to see how convenient it is to test from home or work. Be sure to run the system test before you sign in to register for an online proctored exam. Good luck!

Testing is coordinated through CCE.

The NBCC Advantage

By taking on additional responsibilities to advance the counseling profession, the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) enhances mental health worldwide by serving as the premier certification body of the profession.

NBCC Assessments

National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE)

The NCE is a 200 multiple-choice exam designed to assess knowledge, skills and abilities determined to be important for providing effecting counseling services. The standard time for completing the NCE is three hours and 45 minutes. All candidates are allotted an additional 5 minutes to review and agree to the nondisclosure agreement (NDA) and ten minutes to complete the tutorial.

National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)

The NCMHCE consists of 10 clinical simulations designed to sample broad areas of competencies, not the recall of isolated facts. The standard time for completing the NCMHCE is three hours. All candidates are allotted an additional 5 minutes to review and agree to the nondisclosure agreement (NDA) and ten minutes to complete the tutorial.

Registration Information

Prior to scheduling a test date, you must first complete exam registration and payment through NBCC. Upon approval, you will receive scheduling instructions from NBCC.

Scheduling at a Pearson VUE Center Location

Once you receive your authorization and scheduling approval from NBCC, it is your responsibility to make an appointment to take the exam during the specified testing window. Exam appointments may be scheduled up to one business day in advance. Space at testing locations is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

After you schedule your exam, Pearson VUE will send you a confirmation e-mail listing your exam date, your exam time, the address and phone number of the test center, and directions to the test center.

If you choose to schedule online, you will have to create a Pearson VUE web account. When creating your account and scheduling your exam, you will need your NBCC candidate ID number. This number will be on your approval letter and instructions letter.

State Licensure Department

Tel: (336) 482-2856
Fax: (336) 482-2852
Email: exam@cce-global.org

Policies

Identification Policy

You are required to present two forms of original (no photo copies), valid (unexpired) IDs; one form as a primary ID (government issued with name, photo and signature) and one form as a secondary ID (with name and signature or name and recent photo). The first and last name that you used to register must match exactly the first and last name on the ID that is presented on test day. All IDs required must be issued by the country in which you are testing. If you do not have the qualifying ID issued from the country you are testing in, a passport from your country of citizenship is required, along with a secondary ID. If you have any questions or concerns about the ID you are required to bring with you to the testing center for admittance for your exam please contact Pearson VUE customer service.

View the full Pearson VUE ID Policy (PDF) »


Examination Policies and Procedures

Test takers are required to read and adhere to the policy and procedures listed in the handbook written for the test they have registered to take. Links to examination handbooks can be found on this page.


Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy

If you are unable to sit for your scheduled exam, you must cancel with Pearson VUE at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled testing session (SEA recipients must cancel appointments with a Pearson VUE representative by phone). You may reschedule your appointment at the time of your cancellation, or at a later date for a fee of $50. You are only permitted to reschedule for a date that falls within your authorization window. If you do not reschedule your appointment at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment or within your authorization window, you forfeit all examination fees. Exam fees will not be refunded under any circumstance.


Retest Policy

If you fail the exam, you will have to wait at least three months from the test date before you can retest. The actual retest date will depend on the monthly testing schedule and site availability. You will need to send a new registration form and examination fee based upon your state.

Last updated 2022-11-04