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 is either administered through Pearson VUE test centers or on participating college campuses. All NCMHCE exams are administered through Pearson VUE. All exams are available during a 6 month-long 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 Authorization to Test email from Pearson VUE, which includes the Candidate ID number and test authorization dates. Upon receipt of the Authorization to Test email, the candidate may then schedule an examination appointment online or by telephone.

Schedule Online

  • Retrieve the Candidate ID number from the Authorization to Test email received from Pearson VUE.
  • Go to pearsonvue.com/nbcc and select “Create Account.”
  • Follow step-by-step instructions to select the examination program and register for an examination.
  • Select a test appointment 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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