Montana Counselor License Exam
To get licensed in Montana, 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 Billings, Missoula, Great Falls 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 Montana. Licenses are granted by the Montana Board of Social Work Examiners and Professional Counselors.
To qualify to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Montana, the following must be met:
- Obtain a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited school meeting credit limits.
- Meet supervised clinical experience requirements of 3,000 hours of post-graduate professional counseling, including at least 1500 hours of direct client contact.
- An applicant must earn a passing score on the on the NCE (National Counselor Exam) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE).
The Application for Licensure
An application for licensure and other documentation can be obtained online. All documents must be sent to:
Board of Social Work Examiners and Professional Counselors
301 South Park 4th Floor
PO Box 200513
Helena, Montana 59620-0513
(406) 841-2392 (tel.)
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.
License Renewal and Continuing Education Requirements
To renew a license, regulations require 20 clock hours of continuing education in acceptable courses and programs offered by approved continuing Education providers. The hours must be completed annually.
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.
