Illinois Counselor License Exam

To get licensed in Illinois, Professional Counselors are required to take an exam covering such subjects as assessment and diagnosis, counseling and psychotherapy and professional ethics. Whether you live in Chicago, Aurora, Rockford or another city or county, the resources below will help you get started on the path to receive your Professional Counselor’s license.

Need of a License: A license is needed to work as a counselor in Illinois.  Licenses are granted by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

To qualify to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Illinois, the following must be met:

• Obtain a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited school meeting credit limits.
• Meet supervised clinical experience requirements of two years, not more than 1680 hours per year of post-graduate or post-doctorate professional counseling.
• An applicant must earn a passing score on the NCE (National Counselor Exam)  or  Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam   for the LPC, and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) for the LCPC.

How to Apply for Licensure

An application for licensure and other documentation can be obtained online. All documents must be sent to:

Professional Counselor Licensing and Disciplinary Board
320 W. Washington Street, 3rd Floor
Springfield, IL 62786

1-217-785-0800
1-217-524-6735 (TDD)
1-217-782-7645 (fax)

Test Content of the NCE

The NCE consists of 200 multiple-choice questions and is administered over a four-hour period. The NCE covers the following six knowledge, skill and task domains:

• Professional Practice and Ethics
• Intake, Assessment and Diagnosis
• Areas of Clinical Focus
• Treatment Planning
• Counseling Skills and Interventions
• Core Counseling Attributes

The questions are aligned to the following CACREP Common Core Areas:

• Human Growth and Development
• Social and Cultural Diversity
• Counseling and Helping Relationships
• Group Counseling and Group Work
• Career Development
• Assessment and Testing
• Research and Program Evaluation
• Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice

For more information, see the NCE Candidate Handbook.

How to Apply to Take the Exam

Apply online to take the NCE.

Test content of the NCMHCE

The test format comprises of 11 case studies. Each case study is followed by 9-15 multiple-choice questions, divided into counseling phases: the intake and assessment phase, the first follow-up counseling session, and the second follow-up counseling session. Candidates will have 4 hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam.

Six different counseling domains will be addressed throughout these case simulations, to include:

• Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis
• Treatment Planning
• Counseling Skills and Interventions
• Professional Practice and Ethics
• Core Counseling Attributes
• Areas of Clinical Focus, which is the given information provided in each case study

For more information, see the NCMHCE Candidate Handbook.

How to Apply to Take the Exam

Apply online to take the NCMHCE.

The state of Illinois will also accept a passing score on the CRC exam. for the LPC.

Test content of the CRC:

The test content of the CRC exam is composed of questions measuring 10 knowledge domains of rehabilitation counseling, each of which is subdivided into subdomains.

1. Assessment, Appraisal, and Vocational Evaluation
2. Job Development, Job Placement, and Career/Lifestyle Development
3. Vocational Consultation and Services for Employers
4. Case Management, Professional Roles and Practices, and Utilizing Community Resources
5. Fundamental Counseling principles, Professional Orientation and ethics, counseling theories, Social and Cultural Issues, and Human Growth and Development
6. Principles of Group and Family Counseling
7. Principles of Mental Health Counseling
8. Medical/ Functional/Psychosocial Aspects of Disability
9. Management of Disability
10. Research, Program Evaluation, and Evidence-Based Practice

CRC Exam Structure

The CRC Exam consists of 175 multiple-choice questions. The applicant is allowed three hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam, within an eight day testing window. It is recommended that applicants reserve four hours for time to check in, review test instructions, and a tutorial to become familiar with using the computer test system.

CRC Exam Scoring

The CRC Exam is scored based on two components: the applicant’s knowledge of counseling, and rehabilitation and disability. Both parts must earn a passing score.

How to Apply to Take the Exam

You can find the registration information and the CRC application and other documents  online, or write:

Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification
1699 E. Woodfield Road
Suite 300
Schaumburg, IL 60173

Phone: 847-944-1325
Fax: 847-944-1346
info@crccertification.com

License Renewal and Continuing Education Requirements

To renew a license, regulations require 30 clock hours of continuing education in acceptable courses and programs offered by approved Continuing Education providers every two year renewal period, for either the LPC, or LCPC.

For more information on licensing and exam prep, go to Tests.com's NCE Guide.

And take Tests.com's free NCE Practice Test.

For counseling exam preparation products and services, such as study guides, practice tests, flashcards and courses, go to Tests.com's NCE listings.