OpenExamsFREE PRACTICE — ANY EXAM

New York Professional Counselor — Requirements & Free Practice

US-NY · License preparation

251 free questions · Answer explanations · No signup required

Choose what to practice

Start with an exam below. Your examination requirements depend on your application pathway. View licensing requirements

Loading selected examination banks…

Licenses, application pathways and examination requirements

Each license and applicant pathway has its own requirements and exemptions. Choosing practice questions does not determine your eligibility.

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

The ordinary New York license for the practice of mental health counseling. Diagnostic authority additionally requires the separately issued diagnostic privilege, subject to statutory supervised-practice provisions.

Licensing authority: New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, State Board for Mental Health Practitioners · Application information

Conditional registration for continuing education deficiency
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Duration
At most one year; no renewal or extension.
Eligibility
Existing licensee admitting or attesting to a continuing education deficiency.
Fee
Pay the conditional-registration fee in addition to regular registration and mandatory CE fees.
Remediation
Agree to remedy the deficiency and complete one approved CE hour per month plus any additional CE required by the Department.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by endorsement
National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination
Age
At least 21.
Child abuse training
Complete required child abuse identification/reporting coursework or the statutory exemption.
Documents
Submit Forms 1, 2, 3, 4E and 4F and the required fee.
Education
Graduate degree in mental health counseling or a related field that qualified the applicant for licensure in the originating jurisdiction.
Exam score
NBCC must send the prior passing NCMHCE score; NYSED states no other examination is acceptable. Passage before application remains a currently offered exam requirement.
Ineligible applicants
Applicants without five years of acceptable post-licensure practice in the last ten years, or with non-comparable initial licensing qualifications, must submit initial-licensure documentation for Department evaluation.
License elsewhere
License issued by another jurisdiction, with acceptable licensure and disciplinary status in every jurisdiction where a professional license is held.
Licensed practice
At least five years of satisfactory licensed practice in the ten years immediately preceding the New York application.
Moral character
Good moral character as determined by the Department.
Prior failure
Under 59.6(c), unsuccessful attempts at a New York licensing examination preclude endorsement unless a comparable licensing examination has later been passed.
Supervised experience
Supervised mental health counseling and psychotherapy experience that qualified the applicant for the originating license.
Initial licensure by examination
National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination
Age
At least 21 years old.
Application
Submit Form 1 and the required licensure and first-registration fee.
Child abuse training
Complete New York approved identification and reporting of child abuse training or establish the authorized exemption.
Education
A master's or doctoral counseling degree from a licensure-qualifying registered, acceptable accredited, or Department-determined substantially equivalent program; equivalent education normally includes at least 60 graduate semester hours and a 600-clock-hour supervised internship/practicum. Foreign programs must satisfy Department verification and substantial equivalence.
English proficiency
If education was completed in a country where English is not the principal language, satisfy 8 NYCRR 59.3 by an acceptable English proficiency examination or an acceptable licensing examination given in English; an English proficiency test is an applicant condition.
Exam admission
Degree awarded and education approved before admission; apply for licensure and obtain NYSED eligibility notification, then register with NBCC.
Experience
At least 3,000 post-degree supervised clock hours, including at least 1,500 direct client-contact hours, under a qualified supervisor in an authorized setting. New York practice generally requires a limited permit; the Department may accept authorized supervised experience without a permit in the limited circumstances specified in 79-9.3(b).
Moral character
Good moral character as determined by the Department.
Other licensure
Provide Form 3 verification for each jurisdiction in which licensed or certified.
Prior exam pass
NCMHCE previously passed for another licensing jurisdiction is accepted when NBCC sends the score directly; non-standard conditions are accepted only as authorized, including ADA accommodations.
Triennial registration renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application fee
Submit the registration application and required registration and continuing education fees.
Certification
Certify compliance with continuing education or an authorized exemption/adjustment.
Continuing education
At least 36 approved hours per triennium, prorated for shorter periods, subject to statutory exemptions or adjustments; normally no more than 12 self-study hours. Include three hours on professional boundaries for periods beginning on or after April 1, 2023.
Exam boundary
Registration renewal under Education Law 6502(3) and 8412 and 79-9.8(d) requires registration and continuing education, with no licensing examination repeated.
License
Existing New York mental health counselor license, valid for life unless revoked, annulled or suspended.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Return to registered practice after a lapse with continuous lawful practice elsewhere
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Meet the last registered period's CE; one approved hour per lapsed month, capped at 36, in the new period or the permitted window from 36 months before its start through its end; meet the regular CE requirement for the new period.
License
Existing New York license and lapsed New York registration.
Practice history
Lawful continuous mental health counseling practice in another jurisdiction throughout the lapse.
Registration
Submit proper re-registration application and fee; do not resume practice until issued the registration certificate.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Return to registered practice after a lapse without continuous lawful practice elsewhere
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Meet the last registered period's CE; complete one approved hour per lapsed month, capped at 36, during the 12 months before the new registration period; then at least 12 approved hours in each succeeding 12-month period until the next registration date.
License
Existing New York license and lapsed New York registration.
Practice history
No lawful continuous mental health counseling practice elsewhere throughout the lapse.
Registration
Submit proper re-registration application and fee; do not resume practice until issued the registration certificate.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial licensure with a Regents substantial meeting waiver
National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination
Age
At least 21 years old.
Application
Submit Form 1 and the required licensure and first-registration fee.
Child abuse training
Complete New York approved identification and reporting of child abuse training or establish the authorized exemption.
Education
A master's or doctoral counseling degree from a licensure-qualifying registered, acceptable accredited, or Department-determined substantially equivalent program; equivalent education normally includes at least 60 graduate semester hours and a 600-clock-hour supervised internship/practicum. Foreign programs must satisfy Department verification and substantial equivalence.
English proficiency
If education was completed in a country where English is not the principal language, satisfy 8 NYCRR 59.3 by an acceptable English proficiency examination or an acceptable licensing examination given in English; an English proficiency test is an applicant condition.
Exam admission
Degree awarded and education approved before admission; apply for licensure and obtain NYSED eligibility notification, then register with NBCC.
Experience
At least 3,000 post-degree supervised clock hours, including at least 1,500 direct client-contact hours, under a qualified supervisor in an authorized setting. New York practice generally requires a limited permit; the Department may accept authorized supervised experience without a permit in the limited circumstances specified in 79-9.3(b).
Moral character
Good moral character as determined by the Department.
Other licensure
Provide Form 3 verification for each jurisdiction in which licensed or certified.
Prior exam pass
NCMHCE previously passed for another licensing jurisdiction is accepted when NBCC sends the score directly; non-standard conditions are accepted only as authorized, including ADA accommodations.
Regents waiver
Regents may waive education, experience or examination requirements only when satisfied they have been substantially met, following Committee on the Professions review; this discretionary waiver does not create another examination.
Restoration after temporary surrender for drug or alcohol treatment
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Department conditions
Commissioner may impose reasonable conditions needed to protect public health, safety and welfare because of former incapacity.
Exam boundary
6510-b(1) defines this restoration on fitness and reasonable individual conditions; it identifies no required examination. 24.7(a)(2) expressly excludes temporary-surrender restoration from its disciplinary-restoration procedure.
Fitness
Show to the Department's satisfaction that incapacity for active professional practice has been eliminated.
Program
Complete the approved treatment/rehabilitation program and comply with agreed conditions.
Surrender
Temporary surrender under 6510-b for drug/alcohol-related incapacity without patient/client harm.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination

Provider
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC); administered through the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) and delivered by Pearson VUE at test centers or online through OnVUE
Format
11 clinical case studies, each with one narrative in three sections (initial intake summary and two counseling sessions) followed by 9–15 four-option, single-answer multiple-choice questions; one case study is unscored
Exam questions
130–150 multiple-choice items, of which 100 are scored
Time limit
225 minutes to complete the examination within a 255-minute test session (one scheduled 15-minute break after the fifth case study)
Passing score
Cut score set through standard setting and applied to other forms through statistical equating; the total score is the number of correctly answered scored items
Examination outline
  • 1. Professional Practice and Ethics — This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities related to maintaining proper administrative and clinical protocols. (15% of scored items) (15%)
    • A. Assess your (the counselor) competency to work with a specific client
    • B. Understand statistical concepts and methods in research
    • C. Practice legal and ethical counseling
    • D. Clarify counselor/client roles
    • E. Discuss client’s rights and responsibilities
    • F. Discuss limits of confidentiality
    • G. Explain counselor/agency policies
    • H. Review payment, fees, and insurance benefits
    • I. Explain counseling processes, procedures, risks, and benefits
    • J. Explain uses and limits of social media
    • K. Inform clients about the legal aspects of counseling
    • L. Obtain informed consent
    • M. Discuss confidentiality as it applies to electronic communication
    • N. Establish group rules, expectations, and termination criteria
    • O. Assess competency to provide informed consent
    • P. Monitor the therapeutic relationship and build trust as needed
    • Q. Review client records
    • R. Provide adequate accommodations for clients with disabilities
    • S. Provide information to third parties
    • T. Provide referral sources if counseling services are inadequate/inappropriate
    • U. Advocate for professional and client issues
    • V. Supervision
    • W. Create and maintain documentation appropriate for each aspect of the counseling process
    • X. Awareness and practice of self-care
  • 2. Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis — This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively conduct client intake, assessment, and diagnosis. (25% of scored items) (25%)
    • A. Conduct a biopsychosocial interview
    • B. Conduct a diagnostic interview
    • C. Conduct cultural formulation interview
    • D. Conduct an initial interview
    • E. Determine diagnosis
    • F. Perform a Mental Status Exam (MSE)
    • G. Consider co-occurring diagnoses
    • H. Determine level of care needed
    • I. Determine the appropriate modality of treatment
    • J. Assess the presenting problem and level of distress
    • K. Evaluate an individual’s level of mental health functioning
    • L. Screen clients for appropriate services
    • M. Select, use, and interpret appropriate assessment instruments
    • N. Use formal and informal observations
    • O. Assess for trauma
    • P. Assess substance use
    • Q. Obtain client self-reports
    • R. Evaluate interactional dynamics
    • S. Conduct ongoing assessment for at-risk behaviors (i.e., suicide, homicide, self/other-injury, and relationship violence)
    • T. Use pre-test and post-test measures to assess outcomes
    • U. Evaluate counseling effectiveness
  • 4. Treatment Planning — This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to develop an effective course of treatment. (15% of scored items) (15%)
    • A. Collaborate with client to establish treatment goals and objectives
    • B. Establish short- and long-term counseling goals consistent with client’s diagnosis
    • C. Identify barriers affecting client goal attainment
    • D. Identify strengths that improve the likelihood of goal attainment
    • E. Refer to different levels of treatment (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, residential)
    • F. Refer to others for concurrent treatment
    • G. Guide treatment planning
    • H. Discuss termination process and issues
    • I. Discuss transitions in group membership
    • J. Follow up after discharge
    • K. Use assessment instrument results to facilitate client decision-making
    • L. Review and revise the treatment plan
    • M. Engage clients in review of progress toward treatment goals
    • N. Collaborate with other providers and client support systems (documentation and report writing)
    • O. Discuss with clients the integration and maintenance of therapeutic progress
    • P. Educate client to the value of treatment plan compliance
  • 5. Counseling Skills and Interventions — This section encompasses counselors’ knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct effective counseling. (30% of scored items) (30%)
    • A. Align intervention with client’s developmental level
    • B. Align intervention with counseling modality (individual, couple, family, or group)
    • C. Align intervention with client population (e.g., veterans, minorities, disenfranchised, disabled)
    • D. Implement individual counseling in relation to a plan of treatment
    • E. Establish therapeutic alliance
    • F. Apply theory-based counseling intervention(s)
    • G. Address addiction issues
    • H. Address cultural considerations
    • I. Address family composition and cultural considerations
    • J. Evaluate and explain systemic patterns of interaction
    • K. Explore family member interaction
    • L. Explore religious and spiritual values
    • M. Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems
    • N. Help clients develop support systems
    • O. Help facilitate clients’ motivation to make the changes they desire
    • P. Improve interactional patterns
    • Q. Provide crisis intervention
    • R. Educate client about transference and defense mechanisms
    • S. Facilitate trust and safety
    • T. Build communication skills
    • U. Develop conflict resolution strategies
    • V. Develop safety plans
    • W. Facilitate systemic change
    • X. Provide distance counseling or telemental health
    • Y. Provide education resources (e.g., stress management, assertiveness training, divorce adjustment)
    • Z. Provide psychoeducation for client
    • AA. Summarize
    • AB. Reframe/redirect
    • AC. Facilitate empathic responses
    • AD. Use self-disclosure
    • AE. Use constructive confrontation
    • AF. Facilitate awareness of here-and-now interactions
    • AG. Facilitate resolution of interpersonal conflict
    • AH. Use linking and blocking in a group context
    • AI. Management of leader–member dynamics
    • AJ. Model giving and receiving of feedback
    • AK. Address impact of extended families
    • AL. Contain and manage intense feelings
    • AM. Explore the influence of family of origin patterns and themes
    • AN. Address the impact of social support network
    • AO. Use “structured” activities
    • AP. Promote and encourage interactions among group members
    • AQ. Promote and encourage interactions with the group leader
    • AR. Use psychoeducation as a part of the group process
    • AS. Explain phases in the group process
    • AT. Identify and discuss group themes and patterns
    • AU. Create intervention based on the stage of group development
    • AV. Challenge harmful group member behaviors
    • AW. Address the potential interaction of members outside of the group
  • 6. Core Counseling Attributes — This section encompasses behaviors, traits, and dispositions of effective counselors. (15% of scored items) (15%)
    • A. Awareness of self and impact on clients
    • B. Genuineness
    • C. Congruence
    • D. Demonstrate knowledge of and sensitivity to gender orientation and gender issues
    • E. Demonstrate knowledge of and sensitivity to multicultural issues
    • F. Demonstrate conflict tolerance and resolution
    • G. Empathic attunement
    • H. Empathic responding
    • I. Foster the emergence of group therapeutic factors
    • J. Non-judgmental stance
    • K. Positive regard
    • L. Respect and acceptance for diversity
    • M. Use foundational listening, attending, and reflecting skills
Examination sources