Scheduling for the NCE & NCMHCE

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For the purpose of national certification, NBCC currently administers the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) throughout the year.

Testing Locations

The NCE and NCMHCE are administered through our testing partner, Pearson VUE. Applicants have the choice of scheduling the examination at a Pearson VUE test center or through Pearson VUE’s remotely proctored OnVUE platform. All examinations are available during a 6-month long testing window.

Scheduling an Examination

Candidates must register online using their Credentialing Gateway account as part of the NCC application. From the NBCC website, candidates can click on “Login,” located in the top right corner of the screen. This will take them to a log-in screen where they can either log in or create a Credentialing Gateway account. The Credentialing Gateway can also be accessed directly at my.nbcc.org.

After successfully registering for the examination, candidates will receive an email from NBCC with instructions on how to schedule their examination appointment. Upon receipt of that email, the candidate may then schedule an examination appointment online or by telephone.

Schedule Online

  • Log in to their Credentialing Gateway account
  • Click on the NCC icon and then click on the “Go to Pearson” button.
  • Click the hyperlink for the preapproved examination.
  • Choose whether to take the examination at a Pearson VUE test center or by using the OnVUE testing platform.
  • Follow step-by-step instructions to select an examination appointment date and time.

Schedule By Phone

  • Contact Pearson VUE at (866) 904-4432 to schedule an examination appointment.
  • Pearson VUE is available from 7 am through 7 pm Central Time, Mondays through Fridays, for scheduling purposes.

Special Exam Accommodations

If a candidate is taking the examination with approved special examination accommodations, they must schedule their examination appointment by phone at 800-466-0450, option 3.

Visit our Accommodations page for more information.

National Certification Handbooks

The NCE and NCMHCE handbooks provide specific information regarding each examination for national certification.

Questions About Exam Scheduling? Send Us a Message


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