Current Counselor Exam Prep Information

This section is designed to keep readers informed as to current professional counselor-related information. This info will focus on national issues, trends and exam schedules.

Exam Schedule

NBCC provides for national certification testing usually the third Saturday in April and October.

Universities with graduate programs in counselor education may administer, with NBCC approval, the NCE to their graduating students each semester and summer term.

For licensure, states are permitted to administer the NCE many times each month through NBCC’s contracted services with Pearson Vue.

The 400+ counselor education programs may administer the CPCE each term including summers.

ACA Division Changes

For a current list of ACA Divisions as well as their names/titles, go to: www.counseling.org.

ACA now has 19 divisions. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the American Mental Health Counselors Association are no longer divisions of ACA. There will continue to be collaboration between these two associations and ACA.

Computer-Based Testing

NBCC and its affiliate, Center for Credentialing and Education, contract with Pearson Vue to provide testing facilities and services for licensure and certification for counseling. There are hundreds of Pearson Vue locations in the US. and abroad.

All states use computer-based testing for licensure. For more information, visit: www.pearsonvue.com. The CPCE is also on computer.

See the Study Guide for the National Counselor Examination and CPCE and the NCE and CPCE Workshop DVDs to learn more about Dr. Andrew Helwig’s counselor exam preparation materials.