NCE and NCMHCE study guides and handbooks

Free from NBCC

• NCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure: format, timing, rules, scoring, and a few sample questions
• NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure: the case-study format, rules, scoring and a sample case study
• NCE and NCMHCE content outlines: the six work-behavior domains and what each covers
• 2027 exam specifications for both exams, if you’ll test on or after July 1, 2027

What the NCE covers

NBCC says NCE questions cover the eight CACREP content areas: professional orientation and ethics, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, counseling and helping relationships, group work, assessment and testing, and research and program evaluation.

The scored questions are also spread across six work-behavior domains:

What the NCMHCE covers

The NCMHCE uses the same domains, weighted for clinical work. Areas of Clinical Focus is tested through the diagnoses in the cases rather than as separate questions.

NBCC’s own practice material

The NBCC Foundation’s NCE study guide has 180 practice multiple-choice questions with answer explanations, and comes in large print too. The NCMHCE study guide has six practice case studies. Each costs $34.95 from CCE Academy.

NBCC’s preparation page also lists outside prep companies, but it says some are paid ads and that NBCC doesn’t endorse them.

Free PDFs of practice exams

NBCC doesn’t release past exams, and its rules forbid sharing or reconstructing exam questions. Be wary of any PDF that claims to contain real NCE questions. The sample questions in NBCC’s handbooks, our 20 free questions, and the free samples listed on our where-to-learn page are safe places to start.