Castleport Test Prep

NCE Exam Requirements

Who can take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) depends on why you're taking it. Your state counseling board sets the rules for a license, NBCC sets them for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential, and eligible students in participating programs can test before they graduate.

NCE routes: who decides, what you need, and where you start
Why you're taking the NCE Who decides if you can test What you'll usually need Where you start
For a state counseling license (LPC, LPC-Associate, or your state's title) Your state counseling board. NBCC enforces the board's rules when you register. Whatever your board requires. That usually starts with a graduate counseling degree. Some boards must approve your application before you can register. Your board's instructions, then the state-licensure route in NBCC's Credentialing Gateway
For the NCC, after you graduate NBCC (PDF) For certification: a graduate counseling degree with at least 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours and nine required content areas. You also need a professional endorsement and an ethics disclosure. The NCC application in the Credentialing Gateway
For the NCC, while you're still a student NBCC, through your program's campus coordinator Enrollment in a participating program. You must have finished six of the eight required subject areas and be enrolled in the last two during the semester you test. Your campus coordinator

Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified November 4, 2026. We checked eligibility rules against NBCC, CCE, and state board sources.

This page covers NBCC's counselor exam. The nurse anesthesia "NCE" is a different exam, run by NBCRNA.

Quick answers to the usual sticking points

Quick answers about NCE requirements
Your question Short answer
Do I have to graduate first? Not if you test through a participating program's NCC student process. On the state route, ask your board.
Does my program have to be CACREP-accredited? It depends on your route. Your state board sets its accreditation rule; NBCC currently describes qualifying counseling degrees from CACREP programs or programs at institutionally accredited schools. See the details below.
Do I need 3,000 supervised hours before I test? Not for the NCC. That requirement may be waived in specified circumstances, and NBCC gives you time after you pass to finish it. Your state may time its own experience rules differently, so check your board.
Do I need the NCC to get licensed? No. The NCC is a voluntary credential, not a license to practice.
My degree isn't in counseling. Can I take it? Possibly, for a license. Some states accept related helping degrees. For the NCC, NBCC reviews non-counseling degrees case by case.
Is the NCE the right exam for my state? Not always. Some states require the NCMHCE instead or accept either one.

Sources: NBCC Student Information; NBCC Faculty FAQ; NBCC Students FAQ; NCE state licensure handbook, p. 8 (PDF) (PDF); NCC eligibility policy §C.1 (PDF) (PDF).

State licensure route: your board sets the rules

NBCC doesn't publish one national eligibility list for licensure candidates. Each state board decides who may sit for the exam under its own law, and NBCC enforces those rules when you register (CCE State Licensure). NBCC's state licensure handbook sends eligibility questions straight to your board (NCE handbook, p. 9 (PDF) (PDF)).

Three boards show how much the rules vary:

Three state board examples
State Which exam Approval or registration requirement What the board says
Texas (LPC) NCE or NCMHCE, your choice No prior board approval No prior approval is needed. There's no attempt limit for Texas licensure, though you should check NBCC/CCE limits. (Texas BHEC)
Missouri (LPC) NCE The board's FAQ says you can take the NCE after your master's degree is awarded; follow its exam-registration instructions. Licensure rule 20 CSR 2095-2.030(1) requires applicants to pass the NCE. (Missouri rules, p. 7 (PDF); board FAQ (PDF))
California (LPCC) NCMHCE, not the NCE Board approval and the California Law and Ethics Exam The board must approve your application, and you must pass the California Law and Ethics Exam before registering. (California BBS)

California is the one that catches people. You can pass the NCE and still not have the exam your state wants. Look up your own board in the NBCC State Board Directory.

NBCC's handbook adds three things on this route:

  • Who the exam is built for. It's designed for someone who has graduated from, or is well advanced in, a counseling program. That program can be CACREP-accredited or housed in an institutionally accredited college or university. States may also allow candidates with comparable education from related helping degrees. (Handbook, pp. 7–8 (PDF))
  • How long you have to test. Your board grants up to 6 months. If the board's approval ends sooner, you can't test past that date. (p. 9)
  • Where your score goes. CCE sends your official score to the board for which you tested. Processing estimates differ across official sources, so confirm transmission with CCE and receipt with your board if you have a licensing deadline. Passing doesn't guarantee a license. (Handbook, p. 20 (PDF); CCE State Licensure; NBCC Score Report)

NCC route: NBCC's eligibility checklist

These requirements come from NBCC's NCC Certification Eligibility Policy (PDF) (PDF), revised April 30, 2026. On this route, the NCE is part of the NCC application. These are requirements for completing NCC certification, not a list of everything that must be finished before taking the NCE.

    • Each course except field experience needs at least 2 semester or 3 quarter hours.
    • Field experience needs at least 6 semester or 10 quarter hours. (§C.3)

What has to happen before you test, and what can come after? The supervised-experience requirement does not have to come first. NBCC gives applicants who need it six years from passing the NCE or NCMHCE to finish it (Faculty FAQ). The degree and coursework are verified through your transcript.

Cost and attempts. The standard NCC application costs $375 with exam registration, or $250 without (NBCC NCC page). Participating-university applicants should use their campus coordinator's fee instructions. You get up to three exam attempts within 2 years of applying, with at least 30 days between attempts and no more than one attempt in the same certification examination cycle. Each examination reregistration requires a separate fee. If you fail three times or do not pass within the two-year examination period, the application closes and a new application is required (Policy §D.3; NCC handbook, pp. 9–10 (PDF)).

Taking the NCE before graduation

Yes, you can, if your program takes part in NBCC's participating-university process. Your campus coordinator runs it. If your school doesn't have one, NBCC says to email campusinquiry@nbcc.org (NBCC Student Information).

NBCC's participating-university application (PDF), p. 2 (PDF) sets these student conditions:

  • Program type. You must be a degree-seeking student enrolled in a counseling track in a master's, specialist, or doctoral program. Students in certificate programs or taking extra courses only for licensure can't use this option.
  • Progress. You must have finished coursework in six of the eight required subject areas. You must also be enrolled in the last two during the semester you test.
  • By graduation. You must have at least 48 semester or 72 quarter hours and all NCC coursework. NBCC doesn't honor a department's coursework waivers.

Those eight subject areas are the first eight coursework areas in the NCC checklist; counseling field experience is the separate ninth area (NCC policy §C.3).

Some things to know before you sign up:

  • You're applying for a certification, not just an exam. The student application is an NCC application that includes the exam.
  • You aren't certified until you graduate. You can't call yourself an NCC until you graduate and meet every requirement (Student Information).
  • Your score can't go to a state board right away. You can request that once you've submitted your final transcript showing your degree, and your NBCC account is in good standing (Faculty FAQ).
  • Your program may add its own rules. For example, Texas State University also requires its students to pass the CPCE first (Texas State). That's a school rule, not an NBCC one.

Does your program have to be CACREP-accredited?

CACREP, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, accredits graduate counseling programs. Whether you need a CACREP degree depends on the route.

To take the NCE for a license: no national CACREP rule. NBCC builds the exam for graduates of CACREP programs or counseling programs at institutionally accredited schools (handbook, p. 8 (PDF)). The July 2027 specifications, §2 (PDF) use the same description. Your state board can still set its own accreditation rule, so check it.

For the NCC: current pathways and future notices.

  • Today. NBCC's certification page and its eligibility policy, revised April 30, 2026, describe qualifying counseling degrees from CACREP-accredited programs or counseling programs at institutionally accredited colleges or universities. A CACREP degree can also waive the 3,000-hour experience requirement.
  • Future notices. NBCC's published notices give different dates for different application contexts:

The December 2029 deadline is stated for the NCC Student Application. That form does not establish the deadline for every other NCC application.

If you're a non-CACREP graduate who wants the NCC, ask NBCC at certification@nbcc.org which deadline applies to your application before you pay. If you only need the NCE for a license, this NCC change doesn't control your board's rules.

Not sure about your program's status? Check the CACREP directory. If your program and track were accredited when your degree was conferred, or within an 18-month grace period, NBCC asks you to contact its certification department (Students FAQ).

Your NCE requirements checklist

Work through checks 1–6 before you apply and 7–8 before you book. For each one, write down the official answer, where you found it, and anything still unresolved. Checking a box means you've recorded the answer, not that anyone has approved you.

Before you apply

Worksheet checks 1 to 6: before you apply
# Check Write down
1 Route and decision-maker State license, NCC after graduation, or NCC as a student? Name the board or NBCC that decides; students should also name their campus coordinator.
2 The right exam For licensure, does your board require the NCE, the NCMHCE, or accept either? For the NCC, confirm which accepted exam you are applying to take. Note the date you checked.
3 Your degree Degree and track, institution, CACREP or institutional accreditation, and your actual or expected conferral date. Note any related-degree review you need.
4 Coursework and field experience Required areas completed vs. still in progress, field-experience credits, and whether transcripts or syllabi are needed. Students: get your coordinator's confirmation.
5 Before vs. after testing Two lists: what must be done before you can test, and what's still required for the license or NCC afterward, such as experience hours or a waiver decision.
6 Approvals and application Any board approval or university roster step, the documents to send and where, the endorsement and ethics disclosure (NCC), the correct Gateway route, and the fee shown in that application.

Before you book

Worksheet checks 7 and 8: before you book
# Check Write down
7 Your authorization Authorization received, the approved exam, the first and last allowed test dates, and any earlier board deadline.
8 Test-day admission Your registered name matches your ID, and you've chosen a test center or online testing. Online: you ran the system test on your exam-day computer and network. If you requested accommodations, you have written approval for your delivery method.

Stuck on a check? Send this to the right authority:

For my application, which requirements must I complete before taking the NCE, and which can I complete afterward? Please point me to the current rule and the documents you need.

Before you book: ID, accommodations, and one staff rule

  • Your name must match your ID. The first and last name you register with must match your ID exactly.
    • At a test center, you need two original, unexpired IDs. The primary one must be government-issued, with your name, photo, and signature. The secondary ID must show your name and signature or your name and a recent photo. Check the complete ID rules, including the issuing-country and passport conditions.
    • For online testing, you need an original, unexpired government-issued photo ID accepted by OnVUE. U.S. military and other restricted IDs that cannot legally be photographed are not accepted. Check Pearson's NBCC online testing requirements for accepted IDs, equipment, room rules, and the system test.
    • Without proper ID, the handbook treats you as a missed appointment, and you forfeit the fee. (Handbook, pp. 13, 15 (PDF))
  • Get accommodations approved before you schedule. Request them with each registration, then wait for NBCC/CCE's decision letter before you book.
    • The letter lists your approved accommodations and which are available for your delivery method. Only limited accommodations are offered online.
    • Once an appointment is booked, accommodations can't be added, so you'd have to cancel.
    • Your test window keeps running while your request is reviewed.
    • State licensure candidates may be told they also need their board's approval. (NBCC/CCE Accommodations Policy, intro, §§A.1, D, F (PDF) (PDF))
  • Pearson VUE staff rule. Pearson VUE employees and contractors involved in NBCC/CCE exams can't take those exams while working there or for 2 years after leaving. If you plan to test within 2 years, you can't work as a proctor or test administrator for these exams. (Handbook, p. 9 (PDF))

Fees, scheduling, and step-by-step registration for both routes are in our NBCC exam registration guide.

Which version of the NCE you'll take

NBCC's new NCE specifications take effect July 1, 2027. Who the exam is built for stays the same, but the exam changes. Your appointment date decides which version you take.

Current NCE compared with the NCE from July 1, 2027
Exam feature Current NCE NCE from July 1, 2027
Questions 200 multiple choice (160 scored, 40 field-test) 170 multiple choice (30 field-test, so 140 scored by our subtraction)
Answer choices 4 3
Exam time 225 minutes of testing, plus a scheduled 15-minute break after question 100 225 minutes to answer the questions; optional 15-minute break halfway
Score Raw score out of 160; passing score varies slightly by form Scaled 100–500; 360 passes on every form

Sources: NCE state licensure handbook, pp. 7–8, 14, 20 (PDF) (PDF), revised September 24, 2024; NCE Examination Specifications, effective July 1, 2027, §§4–6 (PDF) (PDF).

Passing the NCE doesn't finish the job

A passing score covers the exam requirement for an application that accepts the NCE, and nothing else.

  • For a license, your board decides, and it usually has more steps. NBCC's handbook says passing doesn't guarantee licensure (p. 20 (PDF)).
  • For the NCC, NBCC still has to approve every other requirement (Students FAQ).

If you tested on the NCC route or for a different state, your score doesn't reach a new board on its own. Order a score verification report through the Credentialing Gateway. Texas, for example, says you must ask CCE to send scores from another state or purpose (Texas BHEC). Our NBCC exam results guide covers score reports in detail.

Your next step

  1. For licensure, find your board in the NBCC State Board Directory. Confirm its exam and whether it approves you first. For the NCC, use NBCC's application requirements; if you're applying as a student, start with your campus coordinator.
  2. Fill in checks 1–6 above.
  3. Register through the right route using our NBCC exam registration guide.

Sources and verification

Last verified: November 4, 2026. We checked the documents below for eligibility rules, student conditions, the NCC fee and attempt limits, CACREP notices, ID and accommodation rules, the three state examples, and the July 1, 2027 specifications. We didn't submit an application, contact NBCC or any board, or make an eligibility determination. Your board or NBCC decides your eligibility.

NBCC

CCE

State boards

Testing vendor

Program example

This page was developed with AI assistance and source checking, following Castleport's editorial methodology. Source checking does not establish professional subject-matter review.

Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), Pearson VUE, or any state licensing board. Exam and credential names, including NCE, NCMHCE, and NCC, are used for identification; trademarks belong to their respective owners.