New Jersey Counselor License Exam
To get licensed in New Jersey, Professional Counselors are required to take an exam covering such subjects as human growth and development, psychopathology, group therapy and professional ethics. Whether you live in Newark, Jersey City, or Trenton, 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 New Jersey. Licenses are granted by the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Professional Counselor Examiners Committee.
To qualify to become a licensed professional counselor in New Jersey, the following must be met:
- Obtain a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited school meeting credit limits.
- Meet supervised clinical experience requirements consisting of three years of graduate clinical counseling experience, including at least two years of which is post-graduate. An additional 30 graduate credits in counseling may be substituted for one year of experience.
- Pass the NCE (National Counselor Exam)
The application for licensure and other documents for applicants can be obtained on line in PDF files.
The 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.
License or Certification Renewal and Continuing Education Requirements
To renew a license, regulations require 40 clock hours of continuing education in acceptable courses and programs offered by approved Continuing Education providers. The hours must be completed every two year license renewal period, and must include at least five hours on professional ethics, and three hours in cultural competency. Ten hours may be carried over into the next biennial licensure period. All Continuing education may be completed online.
