Tennessee Counselor License Exam
To get licensed in Tennessee, 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 Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, 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 Tennessee. Licenses are granted by the Tennessee Department of health, Board of Licensed Professional Counselors.
To qualify to become a licensed professional counselor in Tennessee, the following must be met:
- Obtain a graduate degree in counseling from an accredited school meeting credit limits.
- Obtain a minimum of two years of supervised post-graduate experience not less than ten hours per week and fifty hours of supervision per year. For a total of 1,000 clinical hours and one hundred total hours of supervision.
- An applicant must earn a passing score on the NCE (National Counselor Exam) and the Tennessee Jurisprudence exam.
How to Apply for Licensure
An application for licensure can be obtained online. All documents must be sent to:
Board for Professional Counselors and Therapists
227 French Landing, Suite 300
Nashville, TN 37243
1-615-532-3202, Ext. 25138
1-800-778-4123, Ext. 25138
1-615-532-5369 (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.
The exam is administered by Pearson VUE.
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 every two year license renewal period.
