Certification can be a continuing source of career enhancement and pride for counseling professionals. It demonstrates to clients and employers that a professional counselor has met national standards. Learn more about the benefits of certification.
Please see the NCC requirements page.
Counselors who complete the certification process through NBCC are called National Certified Counselors. The designation is “NCC". National Certified Counselors may use the NCC certification mark on business cards and all professional materials. NCCs also receive a certificate suitable for framing. Learn more about the appropriate usage of your certification mark.
No, counselors who hold the NCC and want to practice counseling in their state must still comply with all state laws regulating the practice of counseling. This usually means that they must obtain a state license in order to practice counseling.
No, although some states have an abbreviated licensure process for counselors who are nationally certified with NBCC, you still have to apply. If your state utilizes the same examination that you took to get your NCC, you may not have to pass another examination in order to be licensed. To find out if your state offers an abbreviated application process for NCCs, contact your state counselor licensure board.
The scoring process is completed approximately eight weeks after the exam testing window ends. You will be notified via email when your official scores are available in your Credentialing Gateway account.
You are allowed to test a total of three times in a two-year period before your application closes. If you did not pass, you will receive email instructions on how to register for the next examination. If this was your third failed attempt, your application will close. To reapply, you will need to contact our office directly at certification@nbcc.org.
You will be receiving notification of your status via email shortly. You are welcome to contact us at certification@nbcc.org to clarify your certification status.
Your exam scores will not automatically be sent to your state board if you took the NCE or NCMHCE as a part of your NCC application. To order an official copy of your scores for state licensure or a third-party agency, you must submit an official, final copy of your transcript. Once the transcript has been received and verified, you can log in to your Credentialing Gateway account to request a score verification from the online store. If you are unsure if you have any missing documents, you can log in or email certification@nbcc.org. All past-due fees must be paid before a score verification can be sent.
You can send your transcript as long as it is in an official sealed envelope from your school. If you receive your transcript from your school, do not open it before sending it to us. You can also have your transcript sent directly to certification@nbcc.org from a secure electronic transmission service.
No, NBCC only accepts official transcripts with a conferral date as proof of completion.
Due to the high volume of applicants, the review can take up to eight weeks. If you have your documents prior to testing, please go ahead and send them to us. Documents are reviewed in the order they are received. You can check the status of your application in Credentialing Gateway.
There may be a problem with the document that is not approved. In this instance, a Certification Department reviewer will contact you. If you do not hear from us within two weeks, please email us at certification@nbcc.org to make sure that we have your up-to-date contact information.
For documents relative to the certification process, either mail them to:
NBCC
Attention: Certification Department
3 Terrace Way
Greensboro, NC 27403-3660
Or email them to certification@nbcc.org. For required documentation for special exam accommodations, e-mail them to accommodations@cce-global.org. For documents required by the Ethics Department, please follow the process here.
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