GENERAL INFORMATION AND FAQ’s ABOUT EXAM FORMAT CHANGES - 2022
When will the new format of the NCMHCE be administered?
The new format of the NCMHCE will be administered beginning on November 7, 2022. If I understand NBCC’s announcement correctly, you cannot register for the current version of the NCMHCE after October 17, 2022. The current version will no longer be administered after November 7, 2022.
How is the new format of the NCMHCE different from the current format of the NCMHCE?
In my opinion, the biggest change is how the examination questions are structured. The current version of the NCMHCE directs testers to answer questions in 1 of 2 ways; the first way is to “SELECT AS MANY” correct answers for a question (in a section with these directions, a number of answer options could be correct, or as few as *one* answer could be correct ). The second way is to “CHOOSE ONLY ONE” correct answer (in a section with these directions, only one answer is correct, and you must select the right answer before moving on to the next section).
However, the way the questions are structured on the new format of the NCMHCE is multiple choice, with only one correct answer, and three distractor answers. In other words, the new format of the NCMHCE presents a question with 4 possible answers, and your objective is to select the best possible answer. There is only one correct answer, so the days of wondering if you have chosen all possible correct answers in a “SELECT AS MANY” section are almost over!
As far as scoring goes, a difference between the current version of the NCMHCE and the new version is that in the current version, testers are penalized with point deductions for making incorrect answer selections. In the new version of the NCMHCE, testers are not penalized for incorrect answer selections - instead, they only earn points for their correct answer choices.
Additional changes include increased time (from 195 minutes to 260 minutes), number of case studies (from 10 to 11), and number of questions per case study (from 5-10 questions, to 13 questions per case). For a complete breakdown of the comparison between the current and new format of the NCMHCE, refer to this handy chart from NBCC: https://www.nbcc.org/assets/exam/ncmhce_format_comparison_chart.pdf
I wanted to draw specific attention to another major change related to where the NCMHCE is administered. The current version of the NCMHCE is administered at a variety of testing center locations throughout the country. I believe it will be helpful to many testers to learn there is a new option of being able to take the NCMHCE at a test center, or online. This isn’t the case for everyone, but the testers I specialize in working with who are neurodivergent or overcoming severe test anxiety will benefit tremendously from being able to complete the licensure exam in their optimal functional environment (away from that distracting tester who keeps clearing their throat, reading too loud, and/or with the sensory objects needed to stay focused and feeling grounded).
Click here for NBCC’s Content Outline of the new NCMHCE: https://www.nbcc.org/assets/exam/ncmhce_content_outline.pdf
Dr. Carr, can I still use your NCMHCE Prep materials to study for the new format of the exam?
Mostly yes and but a little bit of no, let me explain.
I have two websites that offer NCMHCE test prep curriculum. I’ll break down the difference so you can make an informed decision about if and where to spend your money.
Tutoring on Demand NCMHCE Test Prep site: https://tutoringondemand.alysoncarr.com/
This website offers two, self-paced, online courses. Both of these courses are $19.99 a piece, and the material in both will be useful and necessary to review whether you are taking the current version of the NCMHCE, or the new version of the NCMHCE. Here is some more info about these two courses:
The Defining Line DSM-5 Online Course: The Defining Line is a series of short educational videos developed in the spirit of simplifying diagnoses in the DSM-5 that have overlapping diagnostic criteria.
Theories, Therapies & Techniques Online Course: The curriculum in this series gives clinicians an overview of various theoretical assumptions, associated interventions, and when to apply certain approaches.
NCMHCE Prep Workshop site: https://www.ncmhceprepworkshop.com/
This website offers a 5 hour, interactive, self-paced workshop that is specific to the current version of the NCMHCE. This workshop is $150.00. Although there is valuable content in this workshop from a clinical perspective, this is not the best option for testers preparing for the new version of the NCMHCE. I recommend only purchasing this workshop if you are preparing for the current NCMHCE format (prior to the new administration that begins on November 7, 2022).
How do I schedule an individual tutoring session with you, Dr. Carr?
There are an overwhelming number of testers who are sitting for the current version of the exam and in need of individual tutoring, so the tutoring calendar has been booked solid since NBCC announced the release of the new NCMHCE format. However, appointments will be available for new testers beginning in October, 2022. At that time, I will make an announcement and post the link for scheduling, right here in the support group.
Can I purchase test prep materials through NBCC?
At this time, NBCC is only offering a test prep guide developed for the current format of the NCMHCE. A release date for an NBCC test prep guide developed for the new format of the NCMHCE has not been announced yet. Use this link to purchase the current NCMHCE Prep Guide, and to check in about the availability of an updated version: https://onlineservices.nbcc.org/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=NBCC&WebKey=4234efc4-fa8f-4b02-b380-6e9fc74ff7ef
A word of caution about NCMHCE test prep materials and consultation services…
Sadly, even in a profession that is dedicated to serving those in need, innocent and unsuspecting clinicians like you get taken advantage of during the various stages of the licensure process. One of the most vulnerable times when you may get taken advantage of is during the stressful, demanding, and expensive stage in which you are preparing for the NCMHCE. For example, there are scammers who pose as professional tutors online, there are also well meaning clinicians who have just passed their exam and want to help so they offer tutoring services even though they are not experts, have no experience in counselor education and/or limited time in the field. There are also large study prep websites who pay people to post “success stories” to NCMHCE test prep social media pages with many followers in hopes of getting business, and misrepresent counselor educators developing new exam prep curriculum (when it’s truly just a small group of people with no formal counseling training, who are copying and pasting the intellectual property of others).
My point…
Counselors don’t enter the field to get rich, please be very careful with how you spend your money preparing for the NCMHCE. Registration for this exam alone is expensive, but you can find yourself in significant debt very quickly with shady test prep materials that look legitimate. The best test prep resources you can use to get ready for the NCMHCE are those provided directly by NBCC, as these materials are made by the test makers themselves. Also, ask the colleagues you trust who have taken the NCMHCE for honest feedback about which resources helped them, and which resources were a waste of time and money. Leverage the knowledge of the people you trust to save yourself from unnecessary stress. Also, use reputable support groups (like this one!) to ask questions and get information.
Thank you all for maintaining a collaborative learning environment, contributing to a safe community of healers and learners, preserving the integrity of the group by reporting activity that compromises its’ intentions, and helping during such a critical time of collective suffering.
Take care of yourselves now more than ever.
Dr. Alyson Carr, LMHC, is not affiliated with the National Board for Certified Counselors - NBCC, the credentialing body that administers the NCMHCE.