NCC

The National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential and the National Counselor Examination (NCE)

The NCC credential was first offered by NBCC in 1983. It is one of two NBCC credentials currently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the most prestigious accreditation available for professional certification boards.

Being an NCC is not only a source of great pride for professional counselors, it also carries with it many benefits including:

  • Promotes professional accountability and visibility.
  • Ensures a national standard developed by counselors, not legislators.
  • Provides a marketing tool through NBCC’s referral service for the public.
  • Allows reduced rates on liability insurance sponsored by NBCC.
  • Keeps NCCs in touch with current events in their profession.
  • Helps support counselor advocacy initiatives, such as the National Fair Access Coalition on testing (FACT), which defends counselors’ use of assessment instruments.

National Certified Counselors (NCCs) are certified for a period of five years and receive a professional certificate. NCCs must adhere to the NBCC Code of Ethics and must pay, on a yearly basis, a maintenance fee of $60 ($5 per month). At the conclusion of each five-year cycle, NCCs are required to be able to provide documentation of completing 100 clock hours of continuing education, or they may opt to retake and pass the NCE.

It is common for counselors to confuse state counselor licensure and national certification.  Although the examination (NCE) may be the same, the credentials and processes are very different. If you have graduated and are attempting to register for a STATE COUNSELOR LICENSURE EXAMINATION, click here.

Graduate Students and Professional Counselors interested in national certification, read on.

Requirements

ENROLLED GRADUATE STUDENTS:
If you are currently enrolled in a graduate level counselor education program and you are interested in applying and testing for national certification, you may obtain information about the Graduate Student Application for the NCC credential (GSA-NCC) programs by clicking here.
For graduate students who have already applied and are completing the application process after passing the NCE, here are the forms you may need.

Counseling Supervisor's Endorsement Form
Board Eligible Upgrade Packet

COUNSELORS WHO HAVE COMPLETED GRADUATE SCHOOL:
For counselors who have completed a master's degree in counseling or a master's in a related field where the degree contains a major study in counseling, there are three application options.
For a step-by-step guide to the application options, you may wish to use our Eligibility Checklist page. For those who wish to read about each option separately, see below.
NCC-Option B: Application for CACREP Graduates
Basic Requirement:
  • Graduation from a CACREP accredited program track. Before assuming that your track was CACREP accredited, you should check the CACREP Directory at this address: www.cacrep.org/directory.html
Click here for the NCC-Option B Application
NCC-Option C: Application for Non-CACREP, Experienced Counselors
Basic Requirement:
  • Master's degree in counseling or containing a major study in counseling.
  • Completion of 3,000 hours of counseling work experience over 24 months post-master's.
  • Completion of 100 hours of counseling supervision over 24 months post-master's. Supervisor must hold a master's in a mental health field. Supervision is defined as time spent meeting directly with your counseling supervisor regarding your counseling of your clients.
Click here for the NCC-Option C Application
NCC-Option D: Application for State Licensed Counselors or California Registered Professional Counselors (RPCs)
Basic Requirements:
  • A master's degree in a mental health field
  • A full and current license from a state professional counselor licensure board or the California Registered Professional Counselor (RPC) credential.
  • A passing score on the NCE, NCMHCE, or an NBCC-accepted state licensure examiniation (see application for the examinations accepted.)
  • If you have been grandfathered into state licensure with no exam, you need to take and pass the NCE. If the rest of your application is approved, you will be registered for the NCE.
NOTE: Provisional, Intern, or Associate level licenses do not qualify. Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, Nursing, Social Work, and Addictions Counselor license do not qualify.
Click here for the NCC-Option D Application for State Licensed Counselors and California RPCs.
NCC-Option D: for Puerto Rico LPCs
Basic Requirements:
  • A master's degree in a mental health field
  • A full and current license in counseling (LPC) from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
  • A passing score on the NCE
  • If you have been grandfathered into state licensure with no exam, you need to take and pass the NCE. If the rest of your application is approved, you will be registered for the NCE.
NOTE:Provisional, Intern, or Associate level licenses do not qualify. Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology, Nursing, Social Work, and Addictions Counselor license do not qualify.
Click here for the NCC-Option D for Puerto Rico LPCs Application
NCC-for Registered Dance Therapists (ADTRs)
ADTRs who wish to apply for the NCC credential must go through the American Dance Therapy Association (www.adta.org). ADTA has the required application.
NCC Pre-Review
NBCC offers a pre-review service for those who are interested in national certification but are unsure if their education meets the requirements. The pre-review is for the NCC credential and not for state licensure. Please click here or in the document box above for the Pre-review Request Form.
THE NATIONAL COUNSELOR EXAMINATION FOR CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE (NCE)
Once an application for the NCC credential has been approved, the applicant will be registered for the NCE (unless you are exam exempt). Please click here for information on the NCE and for information on all available study guides.
Exam Sites for the Upcoming Exam Dates
The cites listed on the page linked below are designated as national locations for NBCC Examination Sites. In some instances, the exam location may be moved to a nearby city due to space availability at a particular testing site.
Graduate Student Administration (GSA)-NCE exam location are open only to students currently enrolled at participating schools or alumni and employees of those schools. For a list of participating GSA schools, click here.
The page linked below contains site and date information for non-student applicants for national certification or for NCCs retaking the NCE.
Click here for the national sites for the two upcoming examination dates.
If your goal is state licensure, you should click on State Licensure on the home page.