Massachusetts Counselor License Exam

To get licensed in Massachusetts, Professional Counselors are required to take an exam covering such subjects as assessment and diagnosis, counseling and psychotherapy, and administration, supervision and consultation. Whether you live in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, 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 Massachusetts. Licenses are granted by the Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions.

To qualify to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts, the following must be met:

Obtain a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited school meeting credit limits.
Meet supervised clinical experience requirements of 3,360 hours of postgraduate professional counseling, including at least 130 hours of supervision, in not less than one year. There must be one hour of supervision for every 16 hours of practice. 75 hours must be individual supervision; the remaining 55 hours can be in group supervision.
An applicant must earn a passing score on the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE)

How to Apply for Licensure

An application for licensure and other documentation can be obtained online. All documents must be sent to:

Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals

Division of Professional Licensure

1000 Washington Street, Suite 710
Boston, MA 02118

1-617-727-3080
1-617-727-2197 (fax)

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 30 clock hours of continuing education in acceptable courses and programs offered by approved Continuing Education providers. The hours must be completed every two year licensure renewal period.

______________________________________________________

For more information on licensing and exam prep, go to Tests.com's NCE Guide.

And take Tests.com's free NCE Practice Test.

For counseling exam preparation products and services, such as study guides, practice tests, flashcards and courses, go to Tests.com's NCE listings.

Quality starts with who wrote the material.

Our practice exam writer

Diane Dean, LPC, RN-BC, MA,

is a licensed professional counselor and educator with 20 years experience in healthcare. She has taught at many colleges and universities, including the University of Pittsburgh.

Stacy Fruhling, LCPC, LCADC, NCC, MAC,

is an adjunct professor in psychology and counseling at the Ann Arundel Community College and the Community College of Baltimore.

Lisa Slade, MS, LPC, NCC,

is an adjunct professor in psychology, counseling, sociology and human services at Caldwell University in the Graduate School of Psychology, at the University of Bridgeport and at the Housatonic Community College.

OUR PRACTICE EXAM COVERS THE ACTUAL NCE DOMAINS:

The NCE contains 200 multiple-choice, non-sectioned questions. There are different versions of the test. Test questions come from a pool of questions that have been extensively reviewed and researched for content accuracy and clarity.

Below are the six domains tested by the NBCC on the NCE:

• Professional Practice & Ethics

• Intake Assessment and Diagnosis

• Areas of Clinical Focus

• Treatment Planning

• Counseling Skills and Interventions

• Core Counseling Attributes

Covering the eight CACREP Common Core Areas::

• Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice

• Social and Cultural Diversity

• Human Growth and Development

• Career Development

• Counseling and Helping Relationships
• Group Counseling and Group Work
• Assessment and Testing
• Research and Program Evaluation

Bookmark Page