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measures an examinee’s knowledge and understanding of theoretical and skill-based tenets necessary to practice safely and competently as an entry-level counselor. The exam’s development is based upon a national job analysis of more than 16,000 credentialed counselors identifying empirically validated work behaviors determined to be most relevant for competent counseling practice.  \nMeasurement Focus and Target Population  \nThe examination is aligned with the eight Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) content areas. Thus, the content validity of the NCE is anchored on the six empirically validated work behaviors determined to be most relevant for competent counseling practice and the eight CACREP curriculum educational standards. The examinee target population is entry-level counselors with appropriate counseling training as determined by the minimally qualified candidate requirements.  \nMinimally Qualified Candidate  \nThe minimally qualified candidate (MQC) for the NCE has graduated from or is a well-advanced graduate student in a counseling program* that has been accredited by CACREP or housed within an institutionally accredited college or university.  \nThe counseling program must contain courses in the following content areas:  \n• Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice  \n• Social and Cultural Diversity  \n• Human Growth and Development  \n• Career Development  \n© 2023 National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. and Affiliates  \n• Counseling and Helping Relationships  \n• Group Counseling and Group Work  \n• Assessment and Testing  \n• Research and Program Evaluation  \n*States may choose to allow candidates of comparable education levels from other related helping degrees to sit for the exam for licensure.  \nExam Form  \nThe NCE test comprises 200 multiple choice questions (MCQs), of which 160 are scored and 40 are unscored. These 40 MCQs provide statistical information for the items to be used in future examinations. Both scored and unscored items are of the same structure, and they appear in jumbled order in the examination. You will have 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete the test.  \nJob Analysis and Content Outline  \nThe exam’s development is based upon a national job analysis of more than 16,000 credentialed counselors identifying empirically validated work behaviors determined to be most relevant for competent counseling practice. The most recent job analysis was finalized in June 2019, with the content outline drafted and approved by the NCE Exam Committee, which is comprised of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) .  \nThe committee’s responsibilities included, but were not limited to, identifying components of the profession and related job tasks and crafting survey items and reviewing the format of the instrument to measure those components and tasks. Development of the job analysis survey was completed at the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) over the course of one calendar year (May 2016–July 2017) .  \nThe committee also evaluates the examination content for alignment with the eight CACREP content areas following the creation of the content outline to provide valuable information to examinees.  \nTable 1 presents the six domains and the percent and number of scored items in an NCE examination on each of these domains.  \n© 2023 National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. All rights reserved. 2  \nTable 1. The weight for each domain  \n\n|  | Domain | Percent of items | Number of scored items |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | Professional Practice and Ethics | 12 | 19 |\n| 2 | Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis | 12 | 19 |\n| 3 | Areas of Clinical Focus | 29 | 47 |\n| 4 | Treatment Planning | 9 | 14 |\n| 5 | Counseling Skills and Interventions | 30 | 48 |\n| 6 | Core Counseling Attributes | 8 | 13 |\n| Total |  | 100 | 160 |\n\nTable 2 presents the knowl","cbCaio4iQwzJ7wjL","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaio4iQwzJ7wjL","pdf",132104,"English","# Exam Purpose\n# Measurement Focus and Target Population\n# Minimally Qualified Candidate\n# Exam Form\n# Job Analysis and Content Outline\n# Domain Weighting (Table 1)\n# Knowledge, Skills, and Tasks by Domain (Table 2)\n## Professional Practice and Ethics\n## Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of the NCE?\",\"answer\":\"The NCE measures an examinee’s knowledge and understanding of theoretical and skill-based tenets needed to practice safely and competently as an entry-level counselor.\"},{\"question\":\"How is the NCE content aligned to standards and work behaviors?\",\"answer\":\"The exam aligns with eight CACREP content areas, with content validity anchored on six empirically validated work behaviors that are most relevant for competent counseling practice.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the eligibility requirements for the minimally qualified candidate (MQC)?\",\"answer\":\"The MQC must have graduated from or be an advanced graduate student in a counseling program accredited by CACREP or housed within an institutionally accredited college or university, with required course content areas listed in the outline.\"}]","The National Counselor Examination (NCE) - Exam Content Outline | PDF",1790753717,25]