Cost · as of Oct 30, 2026
What the NCE costs, exam to license
The exam fee itself is $275 as of October 2026, paid in NBCC's Credentialing Gateway. It is rarely the whole bill: a reschedule, a second attempt and your state board's own fees all sit on top, and the NCC route prices the exam differently.
Start the NCE practice test Exam facts
Updated Oct 30, 2026 · Not affiliated with NBCC, CCE, AMFTRB, CRCC, ACA or AAMFT.
- exam fee, Oct 2026$275
- moving your dateReschedule $50
- retakesAfter 30 days
- NBCC Foundation guide$34.95 study guide
Fees with sources
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam fee | $275Paid to NBCC/CCE in the Credentialing Gateway. The NBCC handbook does not print the fee; $275 is the figure state boards publish (Virginia, checked Oct 2026). Through the NCC route the exam is included in the $375 NCC application.as of Oct 30, 2026 · state board figure; NBCC does not print the fee | Virginia Board of Counseling: examination information · NBCC: NCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Sep 24, 2024 (PDF) [1][2] | |
| Other fees | Reschedule $50; score verification refund processing $30; state board application fees are separate | NBCC: NCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Sep 24, 2024 (PDF) [2] | |
| Retakes | After a 30-day wait, with a new registration and fee; your state board sets the attempt limitNCC route: up to 3 attempts within 2 years per application, each retake with a $150 reregistration fee. | NBCC: NCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Sep 24, 2024 (PDF) · NBCC: NCE Applicant Handbook for National Certification, rev. Sep 24, 2024 (PDF) [2][3] | |
| Official prep material | NBCC Foundation NCE study guide, $34.95, with 180 practice questions and explanations | NBCC: examination preparation [4] |
Facts checked Oct 30, 2026 against the testing organizations; sources are listed under Source notes. The candidate handbook prints no exam fee; the figure is the one state boards publish. Confirm it in the Gateway before you pay.
The bill, line by line
- Exam fee: $275 as of Oct 2026, paid when you register (after board approval in most states).
- Moving your date: reschedule $50. Missing it is worse: a no-show without rescheduling at least 24 hours ahead, arriving more than 15 minutes late, or breaking a testing rule forfeits the exam fee.
- A second attempt: after 30 days, at the full fee again; a retake is not discounted.
- Board fees: the application and license fees go to your state board, separately (below).
- Prep: optional, from the official guide to commercial courses (below).
If you also want the NCC
The NCC (National Certified Counselor) application has two prices: $375 with exam registration, or $250 if you already hold a passing score, for example from the state licensure route. On the NCC route each retake carries a $150 reregistration fee, and attempts per application are capped.
State board fees are a separate bill
Boards charge for the application and the license or associate license, and some add fingerprinting or a jurisprudence exam. The amounts, the license titles and the required exams differ from state to state: see the state-by-state requirements. Practicing across state lines later adds Counseling Compact privilege fees: the Compact.
Older fee figures still circulate
State forms from 2017, still hosted online, list lower fees for a few states. Older blog posts copy them. Use the Gateway's price on the day you register; our figure is dated so you can tell how fresh it is.
Prep costs: what is optional
Official prep: the $34.95 study guide in the table. Commercial courses and question banks cost more and vary widely. The ACA Code of Ethics is free on counseling.org, and the ethics page covers the sections the exam leans on. Before buying anything, take a practice test to see which areas need paid help at all.
- NCEWho needs the exam, today's form and the 2027 form
- NCE practice testA mixed set weighted like today's outline
- NCE exam factsRegistration, dates, format, 2027 form, results, retakes
- NCE passing scoreHow the cut is set per form, the 2027 scale, pass rates
- NCE study guideA plan by outline weight, with traps and the 2027 shift
Source notes
- [1]Virginia Board of Counseling: examination information dhp.virginia.gov · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [2]NBCC: NCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Sep 24, 2024 (PDF) sanbcccore.blob.core.windows.net · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [3]NBCC: NCE Applicant Handbook for National Certification, rev. Sep 24, 2024 (PDF) sanbcccore.blob.core.windows.net · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [4]NBCC: examination preparation nbcc.org · checked Oct 30, 2026
Cost, quick answers
Does a retake cost less than the first sitting?
No. Every sitting is registered and paid for anew, at the same fee.
Who do I pay, NBCC or the state?
Both, separately: the exam fee goes to NBCC/CCE through the Gateway, and application and license fees go to your board.
Is the fee the same in every state?
The exam fee is charged by the exam owner, not the state. Older state forms show different amounts, so confirm the price in the Gateway when you register.