The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) creates the licensing exam used by state boards for mental health counseling. Candidates must pass the NCMHCE exam for national certification and a mental health counselor license in some states.
After a person takes the required courses in clinical mental health counseling, he can then take the NCMHCE test for national certification. Whether this is sufficient for a state license depends on the rules of the particular state board that regulates mental health counseling in that jurisdiction.
NBCC provides some information about how to prepare for this mental health counseling certification exam. First, all future test takers should look at the NCMHCE content outline. This is very brief but will give applicants an idea of what they need to be studying and their strong and weak areas at any given time while preparing for the NCMHCE exam. There is a link to the outline at the bottom of this article.
Now, most accredited programs in mental health counseling are going to be using textbooks that are full of information that may be on this mental health licensing and certification test. The more major textbooks you study, the more likely you are going to be prepared for this test. It is somewhat difficult to prepare solely by reading textbooks because the NBCC simply does not provide a specific list of NCMHCE exam references.
However, there are a few commercial products that are designed to prepare test takers for the NCMHCE. The NCE Review company has an NCMHCE study guide for about $160. It also has a workshop, and the cost of the study materials and NCMHCE workshop is $239 when purchased together. You will definitely need to use the study guide to prepare in addition to attending the workshop. There is no way you can master the material necessary to pass this mental health counselor exam by just sitting there and taking notes at a workshop.
Another resource mentioned on the NBCC website are the Arthur-Brende Scenario Simulator and related NCMHCE study material. The full package even includes a 30-minute consultation with Dr. Gary Arthur. That package is $175, as of August 2011. You can also try one free simulator scenario to see if you think this NCMHCE prep product is worth the price.
NBCC also has its own NCMHCE Preparation Guide. This is a cheaper product that runs for about $45. However, it is suited more to taking practice tests instead of teaching the hard-core material needed to ace this exam.
A few other products running for about $200 can be found on the NBCC “Study Guides” page in the Resources below. None of these totally replace diligent study in your mental health counseling degree program, but they can certainly enhance your studies in preparation for this licensing and certification test.
Resources:
National Board for Certified Counselors: NCMHCE Exam Content Outline
The NCE Review: NCMHCE Study Guide and Workshop Offers
Free Arthur-Brende Simulator Scenario
Commercial Offers for Arthur-Brende Scenario Simulator and NCMHCE Study Materials
