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Counseling
There are two levels of licensure required to work as a counselor in New Mexico (and many other states):
An LMHC must practice under supervision at all times, as it is intended as a transitional license toward eventually earning the LPCC credential and eligibility for private practice.
Confirmation of approval from your state board is required before you can register for an exam. Click here to be directed to the New Mexico Therapy Practice Board webpage to learn how to become approved to take a test. You can also download this PDF to learn more about the testing process including registration, fees, and contact information for any assistance.
The best resource for both the NCE and the NCMHCE is the National Board of Certified Counselors website. While there are many, many other resources available to assist in preparing for these exams out there, always check that they align with the most recent iteration in both content and format. If you do not live in New Mexico, check with your state's registration and licensing department for more information.
Art Therapy
In addition to national counseling credentials, the practice of art therapy is regulated with professional art therapy licenses in New Mexico and several other states. Click here to be directed to the Art Therapy Credential Board's (ATCB) website for additional details, here for information from the New Mexico Art Therapy Association, or here for information on other states from the American Art Therapy Association. There are several levels of licensure in art therapy:
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NCE Basics
The National Counselors Examination (NCE) consists of 200 multiple-choice questions administered over a four-hour period and is designed to assess knowledge, skills, and abilities determined to be important for providing effective counseling services. It is aligned with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) content areas, covering the following domains:
You can take the examination as part of the National Certified Counselor (NCC) application, or you can take the examination on its own as part of the state licensure process. Test candidates have graduated from an approved counseling program within an accredited college or university. Forms are available if special accommodations are needed for the NCE.
Click here to view the National Board for Certified Counselors website for information and additional resources on this exam.
Study Guides
Download the NCE Content Outline PDF.
Download the NCE Handbook PDF.
Check out these online Sample Questions, search through this list of Study Guides (both on the NBCC's website), or take a brief practice test and discover more resources through Test.com.
QML can assist in finding research material on any specific topics you may wish to brush up on before the exam, however, we do not carry any physical or electronic study guides at this time. But check back with us soon!
Registration
Download this PDF to get started. You will then need to contact New Mexico's Regulation and Licensing Department for Counseling and Therapy Practice for approval:
Email: counseling.board@rld.nm.gov
Phone: 505-476-4610
The processing time is about four weeks and the resulting exam registration eligibility is valid for six months. If you have a special accommodation request, it must be submitted before continuing on with your exam registration. Otherwise, proceed to the NCC/state licensure exam registration - or peruse the directory for seeking licensure in another state back at the NBCC's website HERE.
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NCMHCE Basics
The new National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) exam format is comprised of 11 case studies. Each case study is comprised of a narrative and a range of 9–15 multiple-choice questions. Narratives will be distributed in three sections: an initial intake summary and two subsequent counseling sessions. It takes 4 hours and 15 minutes to take.
The NCMHCE measures an individual’s ability to apply and evaluate knowledge in core counselor skills and competencies and to practice competently as a professional counselor. The six domains, aligning with CACREP content areas, are identical to those applied for the National Counselors Exam (NCE):
The examination is delivered in person, via computer-based testing. Within the 130–150 questions, only 100 of the questions are scored - thus the maximum possible score a candidate can achieve is 100. A process of statistical equating is used to determine the cut score (minimum passing score) for each version of the examination. Within 30 days of completion, the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) will report official scores to the candidate’s state licensing agency.
Click here to view the National Board for Certified Counselors website for information and additional resources on this exam.
Study Guides
Download the NCMHCE Content Outline PDF.
Download the NCMHCE Handbook PDF.
Download the NCMHCE Sample Case Studies PDF.
Check out the study guides linked on the NBCC website, or take a brief practice test and discover more resources through Test.com.
QML can assist in finding research material on any specific topics you may wish to brush up on before the exam, however, we do not carry any physical or electronic study guides at this time. But check back with us soon!
Registration
Registration is nearly identical to the NCE. The exam can be taken as part of the National Certified Counselor (NCC) or the Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) application - or you can just take the examination on its own as part of the state licensure process. You will need to contact New Mexico's Regulation and Licensing Department for Counseling and Therapy Practice for approval:
Email: counseling.board@rld.nm.gov
Phone: 505-476-4610
If you have a special accommodation request, it must be submitted before continuing on with your exam registration. Otherwise, proceed with the registration - or peruse the directory for seeking licensure in another state back at the NBCC's website HERE.
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ATCBE Basics
The Art Therapy Credentials Board Examination (ATCBE) ensures the educational and professional standards needed to be a qualified art therapist are met and maintained which is essential in any mental health field. Some of the 200 multiple-choice questions that compose the ATCBE require factual recall, while others require you to apply knowledge to a clinical scenario. For additional information, go to the Art Therapy Credentials Board's (ATCB) website. The major content, or knowledge, areas of the examination are as follows:
Candidates have four hours to complete the examination. The passing score for the candidates on the exam is calculated through the modified method of standard-setting. The ATCB offers two types of test accommodations: for candidates with disabilities, and for candidates for whom English is a second language. Exam candidates who are testing for state licensure should work with their state licensure board for further accommodation approvals.
Study Guides
Download the ATCBE Content Outline PDF.
Download the ATCBE Preparation Guide PDF.
The ATCB does not endorse or recommend any study guide or method published by any group or individual not directly related to the ATCB. As such, the best thing QML can do to assist in exam preparation is to recommend reviewing the Content Outline and the Preparation Guide above and contacting us with specific areas you would like to review - in which case we can help curate some additional study material for you.
Registration
You must apply for and be granted Registered Art Therapist (ATR) status first before attempting to take the ATCBE. This process can begin here on the ATCB's website. Afterwards, you can apply to carry the Board Certified (BC) distinction with your ATR credential by taking and passing the ATCBE. The exam is offered throughout the year at over 500 designated testing centers throughout the U.S. To begin the process, start HERE. Results are available 8-12 weeks from the date of the exam to allow for score equating and are uploaded to the examinee’s MYATCB accounts.
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