Colorado Counselor License Exam
To get licensed in Colorado, Professional Counselors are required to take an exam covering such subjects as human growth and development, psychopathology, group therapy and professional ethics. Whether you live in Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora or another city or county, the resources below will help you get started on the path to receive your Professional Counselor’s License.
Need of a License: A license is needed to work as a counselor in Colorado. Licenses are granted by the Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners.
To qualify to become a licensed professional counselor in Colorado, the following must be met:
- Obtain a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited school meeting credit limits.
- Meet supervised clinical experience requirements of two years post-masters, or one year post- doctoral experience.
- An applicant must earn a passing score on the NCE (National Counselor Exam)
- An applicant must also take the Colorado Jurisprudence exam.
How to Apply for Licensure
An application for licensure and other documentation can be obtained online. All documents must be sent to:
Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202
303-894-7766
303-894-7764 (fax)
MentalHealth@dora.state.co.us
www.dora.state.co.us/mental-health
Test Content of the NCE
The NCE consists of 200 multiple-choice questions and is administered over a four-hour period. The NCE covers the following six knowledge, skill and task domains:
- Professional Practice and Ethics
- Intake, Assessment and Diagnosis
- Areas of Clinical Focus
- Treatment Planning
- Counseling Skills and Interventions
- Core Counseling Attributes
The questions are aligned to the following CACREP Common Core Areas:
- Human Growth and Development
- Social and Cultural Diversity
- Counseling and Helping Relationships
- Group Counseling and Group Work
- Career Development
- Assessment and Testing
- Research and Program Evaluation
- Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
For more information, see the NCE Candidate Handbook.
How to Apply to Take the Exam
Apply online to take the NCE.
The exam is administered by Pearson VUE.
The content of the Colorado Jurisprudence exam is not available online.
License Renewal and Continuing Education Requirements
To renew a license, regulations require 40 clock hours of continuing education in acceptable courses and programs offered by approved Continuing Education providers every two year licensure renewal period.
