Board Exams

Board Exams: What You Need to Know (Vermont LCMHC/Social Work Track)

Welcome to the Board Exams resource page. This page is designed specifically for OpenGate supervisees navigating the licensure process in Vermont. Below is a clear overview of which exams you must take, how the process works, and how to prepare wisely.

The Two Required Exams in Vermont

For allied mental health providers pursuing licensure in Vermont, two national exams are required:

NCE – National Counselor Examination
NCMHCE – National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination

Both exams are required, and timing matters.

⚠️ Start Early — This Process Takes Time

One of the most common (and costly) mistakes clinicians make is waiting too long to start the exam process.

Here’s why early action is essential:

Exam authorization takes time
Test dates are not always immediately available
Score reporting to Vermont OPR is slow
If you fail, there is a mandatory waiting period before retesting

👉 Bottom line: Do not wait until you are close to licensure eligibility to begin.

Step 1: Request Permission to Take the Exams

Before you can register for either exam, you must:

Submit your official transcripts to the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR)
Request authorization to test
- This is handled through OPR
- Authorization is issued by Diane Lafaille at OPR– Diane.Lafaille@vermont.gov

Once you are authorized, you will be able to register directly through the exam testing website(s).

⚠️ Important: Authorization does not guarantee a nearby test date. Scheduling can take weeks or months.

Step 2: Take the Exams (and Know What to Expect)

You will know immediately whether you passed or failed
Official results take many weeks to reach OPR
If you fail:
- You must wait several months before retesting
- You must reapply and repeat the process
- Many clinicians fail the NCMHCE on the first (or second) attempt

This is normal — and manageable — if you plan appropriately.

Exam Breakdown & Study Strategy

🟣 NCE — National Counselor Examination

What it is:

A traditional multiple-choice exam
Covers core counseling content from graduate school
Straightforward and predictable

How to prepare:

Use the well-known “purple book” (link provided below)
Study the way you would for any multiple-choice exam
Focus on content review, not test strategy

📌 Start with the NCE.
It lays the foundation for the NCMHCE content.

🔵 NCMHCE — National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination

What it is:

A practical, clinical reasoning exam
Based on client vignettes
Tests your ability to follow the golden thread of treatment

You will be asked to move through:

Case conceptualization
Diagnosis
Assessment selection
Treatment planning
Course of treatment
Discharge planning

⚠️ Critical point:
If you get the early clinical decisions wrong, every subsequent answer in that vignette will also be wrong — even if your later reasoning is sound.

This exam is less about studying and more about learning how to take the test.

The Best Way to Prepare for the NCMHCE

I strongly recommend using a practice simulator, such as the one at:

👉 counselingexam.com (link below)

Why this matters:

The simulator closely mirrors the real exam
It gives you an accurate measure of readiness
You should not sit for the exam until you can:
- Reliably pass multiple practice exams
- Understand why answers are correct or incorrect

📌 Important advice:
If you cannot pass the simulator exams consistently, do not spend the money or emotional energy to take the real exam yet.

Key Takeaways

✅ Apply for exam authorization early
✅ Take the NCE first
✅ Study content for the NCE; practice workflow for the NCMHCE
✅ Use a simulator for the NCMHCE until you can reliably pass
❌ Don’t wait until the last minute
❌ Don’t sit for the NCMHCE “just to see how it goes”

Planning ahead will save you months of delay, unnecessary stress, and repeat exam fees.

Study Resources

You are also encouraged to borrow materials from other OpenGate clinicians who have already completed their exams.