National Board for Certified Counselors

As a participant in the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) National Counselor Examination Graduate Student Administration (NCE GSA), the AAMU MS Counseling program has been evaluated and determined to provide the necessary educational coursework for eligibility for national certification. Any student approved to complete the examination through the NCE GSA has met the academic eligibility requirements for national certification.

Eligibility requirements to take either the NCE as an enrolled student at AAMU include  the following:

• Current enrollment in the M.S. in Counseling Program
• Must be in the last terms of matriculation (i.e., in final internship and/or final courses in the program)
• Must be a student in good standing (B or better GPA, no active or open remediation plans)

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If you meet the above requirements and are interested in taking the NCE, you will be asked to submit your interest to Dr. Jo Lauren Weaver. There are two exam administration periods per year; one in October and one in April. Upon expressing interest and verifying eligibility, you will receive an invitation from NBCC to participate in the exam administration with instruction on how to do so. The board certification application fee is $335.00, which includes examination registration fees and the maintenance fee for the first year.

Please note that this is an opportunity and not a requirement. You are also able to wait until after graduation to take the appropriate exam for certification and possibly licensure. If you intend to use the exam for state licensure, be aware of your specific state requirements for which exam to take and whether taking the exam while enrolled as a student can count as your licensure exam.

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Why should I take the NCE now?

• • It’s cheaper!

• • You can “bank” your scores for licensure in most states. (Please check your state’s testing requirements!)
  • You are more in touch with the material now than you will ever be
  • More states require the NCE 
  • The NCE is a multiple choice content exam covering your main core areas that, along with supervised clinical experience and your master’s degree, allow you to apply to be a Board Certified Counselor. Here are some PRACTICE QUESTIONS

To learn more about the benefits of taking the exam prior while still a student, please visit the following website: https://www.nbcc.org/resources/applicants/students.

To learn more about the differences between certification and licensure, please visit the following website: https://www.nbcc.org/certification/licensure.

For more information about your states requirements for licensure or testing, please contact Dr. Shatoi Scott or Dr. Tonya Davis.