2026 blueprint · updated for this cycle

A new standard in NCE exam prep.

905 exam-style questions across all six official NBCC domains, two mocks that replicate the real exam question for question and minute for minute, 743 flashcards, and a tutor who explains every answer — all scored by one readiness number you can trust.

Full access · every feature included · cancel anytime

11:10

Good morning, Sam

60 days to exam day

SA
76readiness
🔥 12 day streak 76% accuracy
Today's quest +226 XP
Practice Counseling Skills5/5 Spend time in the study guide1/1 Finish a session at 80%+ accuracy0/1
🎓5

Practice

to hit today's target

🔒0

Mock exam

unlocks at 70

1

Mistakes

to review — clear them

Mad Minute

your free play is ready

11:33LTE
4 / 10
Counseling Skills Intake & Assessment

Which statement about testing people with disabilities is true?

ATheir scores under standardized and modified conditions are always the same BThere is a growing need for research on equivalency of modified test conditions CTests should never be administered to individuals with disabilities DGeneral agreement exists on how best to modify tests
Correct · +12 XP

When tests are modified for disability accommodations, there is ongoing debate about whether the results equate to standard administration — no universal agreement outlines the best ways to modify tests.

Next question
11:41LTE
Intake & Assessment Card 14 of 62
Question

What is cognitive restructuring in CBT?

Answer

Identifying distorted or unhelpful thoughts, evaluating the evidence for and against them, and developing more balanced alternatives. A core intervention in CBT.

Memory aid — catch it, check it, change it — the thought, the evidence, the alternative.

How well did you know it?

Again

10 min

Hard

2 days

Good

6 days

Easy

3 weeks

48 cards mastered · 14 in review today

11:33LTE
59 seconds 1/10

Instead of feeling sorry for the client, the counselor should strive to demonstrate:

ASympathy BEmpathy CEmotional expression DStability

Head to head

You

7

VS

Friend

5

Send the challenge
11:41LTE
Theo Your tutor · always on History

How do I handle questions where two answers both sound therapeutic?

They describe two different things:

Look for the qualifier first — FIRST, BEST, MOST changes what's being asked. Then match the lens: an Adlerian question wants an Adlerian answer, even when the CBT option sounds smart. The exam rewards the answer inside the theory the question names.

Exam tip — the question names the lens — answer through it.

Give me a practice question Explain a confused concept
Ask anything…
11:10LTE

Progress

Last 30 days +21 pts

Accuracy by section

Counseling Skills 84%
Clinical Focus 79%
Intake & Assessment 72%
Ethics 67%
Core Attributes 62%
Last 90 days 38 active days

Everything included in every plan

905

Exam-style questions

505 practice + 400 in mocks

2

Full-length mock exams

unlock at 70 readiness

743

Flashcards

with spaced repetition

60s

Mad Minute battles

race a friend on the same set

How it works

Three steps, and the app does the deciding for you.

No study plan to build, no guessing what to review. Answer questions, and your readiness score tells you exactly where you stand and what to do next.

1

Take the diagnostic

Ten questions across the blueprint set your real starting score in about eight minutes — no self-assessment, no guessing where you stand.

8 minutesSets your baseline
2

Practice in short sessions

Ten-minute sets pulled from your weakest sections. Every answer comes with the reasoning and why each wrong option is wrong — the part that actually moves your score.

Explained answersWeak-area targeting
3

Level up to Exam Ready

Each section climbs from Novice to Exam Ready as coverage and accuracy build. Mock exams unlock at 70 readiness, so your first full attempt actually means something.

6 official domains trackedMocks at 70 readiness
11:10HOME
27readiness

Take the diagnostic to set your starting score.

🔥 1 day streak 29% accuracy
Today's quest +226 XP
Practice Counseling Skills0/5 Spend time in the study guide0/1 Finish a session at 80%+ accuracy0/1
Counseling Skills Item 7 of 10

Which statement about testing people with disabilities is true?

ATheir scores under standardized and modified conditions are always the same BThere is a growing need for research on equivalency of modified test conditions CGeneral agreement exists on how best to modify tests DTests should never be administered to individuals with disabilities
Correct · +12 XP

When tests are modified for disability accommodations, there is ongoing debate about whether the results equate to standard administration — no universal agreement outlines the best ways to modify tests.

Practice

Mock exams 200 questions · 3 h 45 min · exact format

Your level path

Level up each area from Novice to Exam Ready — coverage and accuracy both count.

Counseling Skills Strong

78 of 102 answered · 84% accuracy

Clinical Focus Proficient

56 of 99 answered · 79% accuracy

Intake & Assessment Developing

31 of 94 answered · 72% accuracy

Ethics Developing

18 of 83 answered · 67% accuracy

Core Attributes Novice

Not started · 77 questions waiting

Everything you get

Nine ways the app keeps you moving.

Questions are the core. Everything around them exists to keep you honest about where you stand and coming back tomorrow.

11:10

Progress

DA
0 readiness 0 day streak 29% accuracy

Holding steady at 0%. One extra session this week moves the needle.

60 days to exam day

Readiness trajectory

Your trajectory appears after a few days of practice.

Accuracy trend

FriWed

14

questions answered

3

study days

10

mistakes to review

Activity

3 study days · 14 questions in the last 6 months

HomePracticeCardsProgress

Progress report

Accuracy trend, study days, mistakes waiting for you, and every active day on one screen. It tells you the truth even when the truth is "not yet".

11:12

Progress

DA

Mastery by area

Counseling SkillsNeeds review
Clinical FocusNot started
Intake & AssessmentNot started
EthicsNot started
Core AttributesNot started
Treatment PlanningNot started
HomePracticeCardsProgress

Mastery by area

Every content area, tracked. "Needs review" is flagged in gold so you always know which one to open next.

11:14
0 day streak29% accuracy

Today's quest

+226 XP
Practice Counseling Skills0/5
Spend time in the study guide0/1
Finish a session at 80%+ accuracy0/1

5

Practice

to hit today's target

0

Mock exam

Unlocks at 70% readiness

Theo

×

History

Hi, I'm Theo — your personal counseling tutor. 60 days to your exam — ask me anything you're unsure about.

Give me a quick practice question What topic should I focus on today? Explain a commonly confused concept
Ask a question...

Instant tutor help

Theo sits one tap away on every screen. Ask why an answer is right, or what to study next, without leaving your session.

11:16
×

Counseling Skills

Card 1 of 17

ANSWER

Identifying distorted or unhelpful thoughts, evaluating the evidence for and against them, and developing more balanced alternatives. A core intervention in CBT.

Rate your recall

CBT

MEMORY AID

Catch it, check it, change it — the thought, the evidence, the alternative.

Again Hard Good Easy

Flashcards with memory aids

Spaced repetition on the concepts you keep missing — each card comes with a mnemonic written for the way this exam actually asks it.

11:18

Mad Minute

Beat the clock. Beat a friend.

You both get the same questions — answer as many as you can in 60 seconds. Most correct wins; the faster run breaks a tie.

Create a challenge

Have a challenge code?

A B C 2 3 4 Play

Codes last 14 days. Playing a friend's challenge is always free.

Mad Minute

Sixty seconds, same ten questions, one shared link. Most correct wins and the faster run breaks the tie.

11:20

League

STUDENT

You're in Student — 25 pts from Candidate.

121 candidates sitting the NCE this week · ranked by readiness

1Malik F.89 readiness
2Troy P.86 readiness
3Heather F.86 readiness
4Eric J.84 readiness
5Melissa H.80 readiness
6Omar A.80 readiness
7Jasmine N.79 readiness
8Miguel W.78 readiness
121You0 readiness

League

Ranked by readiness against everyone sitting the same exam this week. A quiet, effective reason to open the app again tomorrow.

11:22

Achievements

Badge Progress

1 of 14 earned

7%

You are on your way — every badge counts.

EARNED (1)

First Steps

Answer your first 10 questions

Jun 26

LOCKED (13)

Half Century

Answer 50 questions

Centurion

Answer 100 questions

Powerhouse

Answer 500 questions

Sharp Shooter

Score 80%+ accuracy in any category

Achievements

Fourteen badges tied to real milestones — questions answered, accuracy held, days in a row. Earned, never given.

11:24
🔥 0 day streak29% accuracy

Today's quest

+226 XP
Practice Counseling Skills0/5
Spend time in the study guide0/1
Finish a session at 80%+ accuracy0/1

5

Practice

to hit today's target

0

Mock exam

Unlocks at 70% readiness

Daily quests, XP and streaks

Three small targets a day, worth 226 XP. Enough structure to start, short enough to actually finish.

11:26

Practice

Mock exams

200 questions · 3 h 45 min · exact format

Bookmarked questions

Jump back into anything you saved

Your level path

Level up each area from Novice to Exam Ready — coverage and accuracy both count.

Counseling Skills

Not started

10 answers to Novice

Clinical Focus

Not started

10 answers to Novice

Intake & Assessment

Not started

1 answers to Novice

Mock exams

The real NCE is 200 questions in 3 hours 45 minutes. So are our mocks — both of them, question for question, minute for minute. They stay locked until 70 readiness, so your first attempt actually means something.

Coverage

All six official NBCC domains. Nothing padded.

All six official NBCC work-behavior domains — the exact names on the real content outline — with our two deepest domains matching the real exam's two heaviest.

6

Official domains

905

Questions

Counseling Skills and Interventions

102

Areas of Clinical Focus

99

Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis

94

Professional Practice and Ethics

83

Core Counseling Attributes

77

Treatment Planning

50

Question counts per domain are approximate and shift as the bank grows. Domain names follow the official NBCC content outline exactly.

Pricing

One plan. Every feature. Pick your billing.

905 questions2 full mocks743 flashcardsMad Minute

Sprint

$7.99/week

Exam soon? Start today, cancel anytime.

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Every plan includes

905

Exam-style questions

2

Exact-format mocks · 200 q · 3 h 45

743

Flashcards

6

Official NBCC domains

Your personal tutor — instant explanations and topic help

Mad Minute — 60-second battles against a friend

Daily quests, XP, streaks and the Novice → Exam Ready level path

Two exact-format mocks — 200 questions, 3 h 45 min

Spaced-repetition flashcards with generated memory aids

Readiness score, weak-area drills and leaderboard

Every plan includes the tutor, mock exams, flashcards, Mad Minute, quests and the readiness score. Cancel anytime.

Pass Bonus

Our students love us and we want to hear from you.

Pass your exam and we'll pay you $100 for your story. We're funding 40 spots.

  1. Subscribe

    Start your subscription and begin studying.

  2. Reserve your spot

    Email your subscription confirmation number to support@thehealthexams.com, at least 30 days before your exam date.

  3. Pass your exam

    Send us your official score report within 30 days of your test date.

  4. Send your story and get paid

    Record a short video about how you prepared. We send $100 by PayPal.

40 spots, first come, first served. Full terms below.

Terms

  • Open to new subscribers aged 18 or over. Not available if you have subscribed to The Health Exams before.
  • 40 spots are available, first come, first served. Registering does not guarantee a spot — we'll confirm by email whether you're in.
  • To register: subscribe, then email your subscription confirmation number to support@thehealthexams.com. You must register at least 30 days before your exam date.
  • Your subscription must be active on the day you sit your exam.
  • After you pass, email us your official score report within 30 days of your exam date. It must clearly show your name, the exam name, the test date, and the result.
  • You must also send a video of 60 to 90 seconds, filmed vertically, with your face visible and audio clear. Tell us which exam you passed, what you found hardest, and what helped you prepare.
  • By taking part you grant us permission to use your video and first name in our marketing, including paid advertising, worldwide and without time limit. We'll ask you to confirm this in writing before we pay.
  • Once verified, we send $100 by PayPal within 5 business days. You'll need a PayPal account that can receive US dollars. Any PayPal fees are deducted from the payment.
  • One claim per person, per exam.
  • Any taxes on the payment are your responsibility.
  • Not available on subscriptions issued by an instructor, school, or employer, or on accounts with a prior refund or chargeback.
  • You can't claim both the Pass Bonus and the Pass Guarantee for the same exam attempt.
  • We may close registration or end this programme at any time. Anyone already confirmed keeps their spot.

Pass Guarantee

Didn't pass? We'll give you three more months, free.

We'd rather you pass on the second attempt than lose you. If you studied with us and the result didn't go your way, your access keeps going — no charge.

  1. Sit your exam

    Take the exam while your subscription is active.

  2. Send us your result

    Email your official score report to support@thehealthexams.com within 30 days.

  3. Keep studying

    We add 3 months of free access to your account, usually within 2 business days.

Eligibility terms apply — see below.

Who writes the questions

Written and reviewed against the official NBCC content outline.

Every question is written and reviewed against the official NBCC content outline by licensed counselors — then rewritten when the outline changes. If an item is ambiguous, we cut it. That is why the bank is 905 questions and not 5,000.

Blueprint-mapped

Each item is tagged to one of the six official NBCC domains before it ever reaches you.

Reviewed, not generated

Questions are drafted by licensed counselors, checked against the official NBCC content outline, and retired when it changes.

Explanations first

Nothing ships without the reasoning and a note on why each distractor fails.

Frequently asked

Everything about the NCE exam.

How do I register for the NCE?
You apply through your state licensing board (for licensure) or through NBCC (for national certification), receive your authorization, and then schedule your seat at a Pearson VUE test center. Start early — each step is a separate organization with its own processing time.
How many questions are on the real exam?
200 multiple-choice questions, of which 160 are scored — the other 40 are unscored field-test items you can't identify, so treat every question as if it counts. You get 225 minutes of testing time, with a scheduled 15-minute break after question 100 during which the clock stops. Our two mock exams replicate this exactly: 200 questions, 3 hours 45 minutes.
What score do I need to pass?
There's no fixed passing percentage. NBCC sets a passing score for each exam form through expert standard-setting, and it typically works out to roughly 90–105 correct of the 160 scored questions. The maximum possible score is 160, and if you pass, your official score goes to your state board within 30 days.
What if I don't pass?
Under NBCC's current handbook you can retake the exam by reregistering, with a 30-day wait between attempts. Your score report breaks down performance by domain, so you know exactly where to focus before the next attempt.
What does the exam cover?
Six official work-behavior domains: Counseling Skills and Interventions (the heaviest at roughly 30%), Areas of Clinical Focus (roughly 29%), Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis, Professional Practice and Ethics, Core Counseling Attributes, and Treatment Planning — all aligned with the eight CACREP core content areas. Our question bank uses those exact domain names, weighted so our two deepest domains are the exam's two heaviest.
How does this app help me pass?
It removes the decision of what to study. The readiness score weighs coverage and accuracy across all six official domains, then routes each session at your weakest ones. Every answer is explained — including why the other three options fail — and when you're ready, two exact-format mocks tell you precisely what exam day will feel like.
What do the plans cost?
Monthly is $29.99, charged today and renewed monthly. Weekly is $7.99 — good for a short sprint before your exam date. Annual is $149.99, about $12.50 a month. Every plan unlocks everything: Theo, mock exams, flashcards, Mad Minute, and the readiness score. No tiers, no upsells.
How do I cancel?
Open your account settings and tap Cancel subscription. It takes effect at the end of your current period and you keep access until then. No email, no support ticket.
How does the $100 Pass Bonus work?
  • Open to new subscribers aged 18 or over. Not available if you have subscribed to The Health Exams before.
  • 40 spots are available, first come, first served. Registering does not guarantee a spot — we'll confirm by email whether you're in.
  • To register: subscribe, then email your subscription confirmation number to support@thehealthexams.com. You must register at least 30 days before your exam date.
  • Your subscription must be active on the day you sit your exam.
  • After you pass, email us your official score report within 30 days of your exam date. It must clearly show your name, the exam name, the test date, and the result.
  • You must also send a video of 60 to 90 seconds, filmed vertically, with your face visible and audio clear. Tell us which exam you passed, what you found hardest, and what helped you prepare.
  • By taking part you grant us permission to use your video and first name in our marketing, including paid advertising, worldwide and without time limit. We'll ask you to confirm this in writing before we pay.
  • Once verified, we send $100 by PayPal within 5 business days. You'll need a PayPal account that can receive US dollars. Any PayPal fees are deducted from the payment.
  • One claim per person, per exam.
  • Any taxes on the payment are your responsibility.
  • Not available on subscriptions issued by an instructor, school, or employer, or on accounts with a prior refund or chargeback.
  • You can't claim both the Pass Bonus and the Pass Guarantee for the same exam attempt.
  • We may close registration or end this programme at any time. Anyone already confirmed keeps their spot.
How does the Pass Guarantee work?
  • You must have been an active paid subscriber for at least 60 consecutive days before your exam date.
  • You must have completed at least one full-length mock exam in the app or portal before sitting the real thing.
  • Email your official score report from the awarding body to support@thehealthexams.com within 30 days of your exam date. It must clearly show your name, the exam name, the test date, and the result.
  • Once verified, we add three months of free access to the same exam on your account. We'll confirm by email, usually within two business days.
  • The guarantee provides additional access only. It is not a refund and has no cash value.
  • One claim per person, per exam.
  • Not available on licences issued by an instructor, school, or employer, or on accounts with a prior refund or chargeback.
  • This is separate from our 14-day refund policy, which still applies to new subscriptions.

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