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United States · Licensing exam

NCE exam registration, step by step

You register for the NCE or NCMHCE in NBCC’s Credentialing Gateway, linked from NBCC’s exam registration page, after checking what your state board needs first. Once CCE processes your NCE exam registration, Pearson VUE emails an Authorization to Test with your candidate ID, and only then can you book a date. A paper registration is possible but takes about four weeks longer.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How does NCE exam registration work?

  1. Check your state board’s rules. It decides which exam you take and whether it must approve you before you register.
  2. Log in to or create an account in the Credentialing Gateway, using the link on NBCC’s exam registration page, and register for the exam your board wants.
  3. Pay by Visa, Mastercard or American Express. The Gateway shows the fee.
  4. Wait for the Authorization to Test email from Pearson VUE. It has your candidate ID and the last day of your test window.
  5. Book your date with Pearson VUE, online or by phone.
Booking your NCE date →

Your state board comes first

NBCC’s handbooks send every licensure question to your state board, and the boards differ. Some must approve you before you can register. Texas, by contrast, says it doesn’t require prior approval for the NCE or NCMHCE. NBCC’s State Board Directory lists each board, the licenses it offers and the exams it requires.

If you’re retaking the NCMHCE and your board’s approval window has run out, the handbook says you need a new approval letter from your board first.

Registering in Texas →Who can take the NCE →

Registering online or on paper

Online registration in the Credentialing Gateway is the standard route. Paper is there if you need it:

OnlinePaper
How to startThe Credentialing Gateway link on NBCC’s exam registration pageEmail paperreg@cce-global.org for a form
How you payVisa, Mastercard or American ExpressMoney order
Processing timeThe standard timeAbout four weeks longer
What the NCE exam costs →

Your Authorization to Test and test window

For state licensure, your board can give you a test window of up to six months, and if it gives you less, you can’t test after its date. To ask for an extension, email extensionrequest@cce-global.org before the window ends. NBCC won’t consider a request after it has expired. If you don’t test in time, you lose the fee.

Registering through the NCC application

You can also take the NCE or NCMHCE as part of an application for NBCC’s National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential, which costs $375 with exam registration included. That route has its own handbook and a six-month window, and NCC’s eligibility rules apply.

National Certified Counselor requirements →

Registering again after a failed attempt

You can retake either exam after a 30-day wait, with a new registration and the full fee each time, and only once per test window. Your state board decides how many attempts you get and can set a longer wait. If you have testing accommodations, request them again with each new registration.

Sources: NBCC · Texas BHEC and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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