NCMHCE - Counselor Exam Guide

All fifty states require an examination from the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) to become a licensed counselor. The National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) is one of the most comprehensive exams required by currently 33 out of 50 states for licensure, developed by a panel of experts after extensive research and development. 

The NCMHCE has undergone a reconstruction in its formatting and its newest version will be unveiled for official use in 2022. The new testing format will comprise of 12 to 14 case studies. Each case study will deliver one narrative designed to replicate a realistic therapy scenario and will provide information on the demographics of the client, counseling setting, proposed diagnosis information, presenting problems, and background information unique to the client’s case. Each case study is followed by 10 multiple-choice questions, divided into counseling phases: the intake and assessment phase (four questions), the first follow-up counseling session (three questions), and the second follow-up counseling session (three questions). Candidates will have one hour and 45 minutes to complete the exam.

Six different counseling domains will be addressed throughout these case simulations, to include:

• Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis (20-30%)
• Treatment Planning (10-20%)
• Counseling Skills and Interventions (25-35%)
• Professional Practice and Ethics (10-20%)
• Core Counseling Attributes (10-20%)
• Areas of Clinical Focus, which is the given information provided in each case study

The purpose of this exam format is to test an examinee’s ability to identify clinical problems, analyze contributing factors, diagnose conditions, develop relevant treatment plans, and deliver effective interventions within the ethical boundaries of professional practice. The knowledge, skills, and tasks being examined encompass a broad range of abilities that an entry-level counselor must possess to be considered competent in the field. The format of the NCMHCE relies more heavily on the examinee’s clinical thought process and performance-based decision-making abilities rather than on proficiency in recollecting information.