How to study for the National Counselor Exam (NCE)
When I first enrolled in my master’s in clinical mental health counseling program and learned I would have to take a huge comprehensive exam at the end, I was filled with anxiety. I couldn’t imagine recalling information that I had learned 2-3 years prior. So when the time came to take the National Counselor Exam (NCE) and the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE), I made sure to give myself ample time to study.
I learned a lot from my professors and classmates who were ahead of me, so I wanted to share my exam strategy for those who plan to take it soon. It’s a lot of work, but trust me, seeing the word “passed” on your exam results makes it all worth it.
Note: My program/state required I take both the NCE and CPCE, and while they differed in length and difficulty, the subject matter was essentially the same, so I studied for them both at the same time. Consider these tips relevant to both the NCE and CPCE.
Before you begin studying for the NCE
Schedule your exam and start this process 12 weeks prior
Purchase Howard Rosenthal’s “Encyclopedia of Counseling” (The Purple Book)
The book is essentially a giant practice test. It is made up of 1,000+ questions and the author explains the answer to each one, so you learn along the way.
I recommend buying it new instead of used so you can write your own notes and not have the questions already answered.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click the Bookshop.org link and make a purchase.
Write out your study schedule (detailed below) into your task management tool of choice (paper planner, Google Calendar, Asana, etc.)
Treat each study section as you would a school or work assignment!
NCE study schedule using the Purple Book
Week 1: Human Growth and Development
Week 2: Social and Cultural Diversity
Week 3: Counseling and Helping Relationships (First Half)*
Week 4: Counseling and Helping Relationships (Second Half)*
Week 5: Group Counseling and Group Work
Week 6: Career Development
Week 7: Assessment and Testing
Week 8: Research and Program Evaluation
Week 9: Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
Week 10: Counseling Families, Diagnosis, Neurocounseling, and Advanced Concepts (First Half)*
Week 11: Counseling Families, Diagnosis, Neurocounseling, and Advanced Concepts (Second Half)*
Week 12: Bootcamp and additional review
*These sections are twice as long, which is why I suggest splitting them across two weeks.
NCE study tips
Rosenthal talks about it a lot in his book, but USE THOSE MNEMONIC DEVICES! The sillier the better. My Purple Book is full of random phrases and ridiculous drawings, but those were the concepts I recalled the easiest during the exam.
Another memory technique is to connect the concepts to people in your life or clients you worked with. For example: for each of Erikson’s Stages of Development, I thought of a person I know in that stage.
The book does a great job of explaining tricky topics, but you may still need additional help. Keep a running list of concepts that are still fuzzy and review them during Week 12.
What to do the day-of your NCE exam
If you followed the schedule, then you should be full of facts and ready to go! Use the day of your exam to rest your mind and engage in self-care.
Avoid cramming or it’ll fatigue your brain. You’ll need the mental stamina for your exam.
Some ideas for your exam morning/afternoon:
Eat a hearty and healthy meal. The test takes several hours and I wasn’t able to bring a snack, so you don’t want to arrive hungry.
Move your body. You’ll probably have some anxious energy pent up. Release it by doing a light workout or going for a walk.
Visualize success. At this point, there’s not much more studying you can do, so the rest is up to confidence and mindset. Spend some time visualizing yourself getting a passing score and sharing the news with your loved ones.
NCE exam tips
If you’re given scratch paper, brain dump all the confusing concepts you can think of onto the paper before you begin. Sometimes the test questions make us second-guess our knowledge, so it helps to have a reference.
Take the full break provided! As much as you may want to get the exam over with, your brain needs the break. Stretch your legs, use the restroom, and get a drink of water.
You got this!
You’ve put in the hours over your graduate program to learn all of this material already – this process is just an intense review of all the major concepts. Rely on your classmates and support systems to get you through it. You’ll be done before you know it!