Your state board and NBCC are not the same office.
Which exam your state accepts, when to take it, and where to look it up.
By Dr. Andrew Wichterman · September 14, 2026 · 4 min read · Updated September 30, 2026
Two organizations stand between you and a license, and students confuse them constantly. NBCC writes and administers the NCE and NCMHCE. Your state licensing board decides which exam you must pass, when you may take it, and what else you need. NBCC cannot tell you your state's rules, and your state board cannot change the exam.
Which exam
Some states require the NCE. Some require the NCMHCE. Some require one for the initial license and the other for the independent license. Some accept either. The only authoritative source is your state board's current rules, not a classmate, not a prep company, and not this site.
When you can take it
States differ on whether you can sit for the exam as a student, after graduation, or only after some supervised hours. In many states you register for the exam through your board, which then approves you to schedule with NBCC. In others you register directly with NBCC. The application order matters and a mistake can cost months.
Where to look it up
- Find your state board's official site. It usually sits under the state's department of health, professional regulation, or a similar agency.
- Read the licensure requirements page for the counselor license you are pursuing. Note the exam named, the timing rule, and any additional exam (some states have a jurisprudence or ethics exam of their own).
- Cross-check with NBCC's state board directory, which lists contacts and which exam each state uses.
- If anything is unclear, email the board. Save the reply.
Things that change
Requirements are revised. Supervised hour totals shift, exam choices change, temporary licenses appear and disappear. Check the board's site again when you are close to applying, not just when you start planning.
Moving states
If you might relocate, look at both states now. Passing the exam your future state requires can save you a second exam later. Counseling compact legislation is changing portability in participating states; check the current status of the compact and your states' participation.
What each office actually controls
Your state board grants and renews your license, sets the education and supervision requirements, decides which exam you take and when you may take it, receives your score, and handles complaints. NBCC writes and administers the exam through its affiliate CCE and Pearson VUE, issues the NCC credential, and reports scores to boards. NBCC cannot waive a board rule, and a board cannot change your exam date. Knowing which office owns a question saves weeks of misdirected emails.
Who to contact for what
Eligibility, application status, supervision hours, license renewal: your board. Registration problems, the Authorization to Test, score reports, the NCC: NBCC. Scheduling, test center issues, rescheduling fees: Pearson VUE. Accommodations: NBCC, with board notification. Score not received by the board after several weeks: start with NBCC, then confirm with the board.
Check the current handbook. This post describes the general structure. Every specific requirement should be confirmed against your state board's current published rules and the NBCC candidate handbook.
The exam is one requirement among several. Know the whole list before you plan your timeline.