Iowa Counselor License Exam
To get licensed in Iowa, Professional Counselors are required to take an exam covering such subjects as assessment and diagnosis, counseling and psychotherapy and professional ethics. Whether you live in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport 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 Iowa. Licenses are granted by the Board of Behavioral Science.
To qualify to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Iowa, the following must be met:
- Obtain a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited school meeting credit limits.
- Meet supervised clinical experience requirements of 3,000 hours of post-graduate professional counseling, 50% of which includes direct client contact, and includes at least 200 hours of supervision.
- An applicant must earn a passing score on the NCE (National Counselor Exam) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE).
How to Apply for Licensure
An application for licensure and other documentation can be obtained and submitted online. Or you may contact:
Board of Behavioral Science
Lucas State Office Building, 5th Floor
321 E. 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
1-515-281-4422
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.
Test content of the NCMHCE
The test format comprises of 12 to 14 case studies. Each case study is followed by 10 multiple-choice questions, divided into counseling phases: the intake and assessment phase, the first follow-up counseling session, and the second follow-up counseling session. Candidates will have one hour and 45 minutes to complete the exam.
Six different counseling domains will be addressed throughout these case simulations, to include:
- Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis
- Treatment Planning
- Counseling Skills and Interventions
- Professional Practice and Ethics
- Core Counseling Attributes
- Areas of Clinical Focus, which is the given information provided in each case study
For more information, see the NCMHCE Candidate Handbook.
How to Apply to Take the Exam
Apply online to take the NCMHCE.
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, which must be completed every two year license renewal period.
