MA Clinical Mental Health
Counseling Program

National Counselor Exam (NCE)

The National Counselor Examination (NCE) is the test used by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) to determine national certification. The exam is also used by 35 states to determine the qualifications of an individual to obtain state licensure. The NCE is available to well-advanced graduate students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master's Program. It usually is taken by students who have completed or nearly completed all of the core coursework in the graduate counseling program and are in their graduating semester. Becoming nationally certified is a significant advantage for graduates as they apply for jobs and as they prepare to apply for state licensure.

The Franciscan University Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is an approved testing site for students who are eligible to take the NCE. The test is offered each April and October. Offering the test on campus benefits the students by allowing them to prepare while still having access to the resources and the professors of the counseling program.

The content areas covered in the test are: Human Growth and Development, Social and Cultural Foundations, Helping Relationships, Group Work, Career and Lifestyle Development, Appraisal, Research and Program Evaluation and Professional Orientation & Ethics. It also covers: Fundamentals of Counseling, Assessment and Career Counseling, Group Counseling, Programmatic and Clinical Intervention, and Professional Practice Issues.

Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program who have taken the exam on campus have a 100% pass rate on their first time taking the NCE.

For more information visit www.nbcc.org or contact Dr. Christin M. Jungers at cjungers@franciscan.edu