Scoring · checked Oct 30, 2026 against the state-licensure handbook
NCMHCE passing score: a cut set per form
Each version of the exam gets its own cut: a raw score out of the 100 scored questions that shifts slightly from form to form. From July 1, 2027 a scaled score of 360 passes on every form. NBCC publishes no national pass rate; the one official figure is a Florida board table.
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Updated Oct 30, 2026 · Not affiliated with NBCC, CCE, AMFTRB, CRCC, ACA or AAMFT.
- cut score todaySet per form
- scored questions100
- resultSame day (unofficial)
- pass rateNot published (FL 2024: 54%)
The numbers
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing score | A raw cut score for each exam form, out of 100 scored points, set by an expert panel and then equatedThe cut varies slightly from form to form and is not a percentage. From July 1, 2027: a scaled score of 100–500 with 360 to pass on every form; the 2027 specifications name an Angoff standard-setting study. | NBCC: NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Nov 20, 2025 (PDF) · NBCC: NCMHCE Content Outline, rev. Oct 8, 2025 (PDF) · NBCC: NCMHCE Examination Specifications, effective July 1, 2027 (PDF) [1][2][3] | |
| Scored questions | 100 scored questions; one case and some questions are unscored | NBCC: NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Nov 20, 2025 (PDF) [1] | |
| Results | Unofficial score report right after the exam; the official score reaches your state board within 30 days of the end of the monthly testing cycle | NBCC: NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Nov 20, 2025 (PDF) [1] | |
| Pass rate | Not published by NBCC; the Florida board reports 1,227 passes of 2,255 candidates in 2024 (about 54%)Florida figures mix first-time and repeat takers. | NBCC: National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) · Florida Board: NCMHCE results by university, 2024 (PDF) [4][5] | |
| Retakes | After a 30-day wait, with a new registration and fee; your state board sets the attempt limitNCC and CCMHC route: up to 3 attempts within 2 years per application. Some boards require a longer wait. | NBCC: NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Nov 20, 2025 (PDF) · NBCC: NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for National Certification, rev. Oct 16, 2025 (PDF) [1][6] |
Facts checked Oct 30, 2026 against the testing organizations; sources are listed under Source notes.
How the cut is set now
Page 24 of the state-licensure handbook describes two steps:
- Expert judgment. A committee of subject matter experts reviews every scored question and judges how a minimally qualified candidate would do on it. Their judgments add up to the raw score such a candidate would earn.
- Equating. Each version of the exam has its own mix of easier and harder cases, so the cut is adjusted statistically to the difficulty of the form you sat. That is why the handbook says the cut "will vary slightly" between versions.
Only the 100 scored questions count, one point each; the unscored case and items earn nothing either way. You are measured against the standard, not against the other people who tested that month.
"You need 70%"
No percentage appears anywhere in the published scoring rules. A number posted in a forum is somebody's raw score on one form, and the next form may need a point more or a point less.
The 2027 scale
From July 1, 2027: a scaled cut of 360 on every form. The 2027 specifications name the method for setting it, an Angoff standard-setting study by subject matter experts, and equating still adjusts each form before you see the number. The scaled number says nothing about the share of questions you got right: 360 is not 72%, and the specifications themselves warn that 400 is not 80%. The full list of 2027 changes: the 2027 form.
Pass rates: what is published
NBCC does not post a national pass rate for this exam. The figure you can cite comes from the Florida board, which publishes results by university each year; the table above gives its 2024 total. One more limit: Florida accepts no other exam for the LMHC, so everyone there sits it. Some graduate programs publish their own rates in annual outcome reports; check the report of the program you attended.
The two NBCC exams side by side, rates included: NCE vs NCMHCE.
Your score report
At the end of the session you get an unofficial score report: from the proctor at a test center, or on your Pearson dashboard if you tested online. If you pass, NBCC forwards the official score to your state board, and the next step is the board's. If you do not pass, you may retest after 30 days as long as your board's approval window is still open.
How hard is it?
Measured by its format: 225 minutes for 11 cases, about 20 minutes per case, with every question tied to a client you have to keep in mind for three parts. There is no penalty for guessing. What trips candidates is less the knowledge than the judgment: choosing the first or best step when two options are reasonable. The practice test explains why each wrong option loses.
Source notes
- [1]NBCC: NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, rev. Nov 20, 2025 (PDF) sanbcccore.blob.core.windows.net · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [2]NBCC: NCMHCE Content Outline, rev. Oct 8, 2025 (PDF) sanbcccore.blob.core.windows.net · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [3]NBCC: NCMHCE Examination Specifications, effective July 1, 2027 (PDF) sanbcccore.blob.core.windows.net · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [4]NBCC: National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) nbcc.org · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [5]Florida Board: NCMHCE results by university, 2024 (PDF) floridasmentalhealthprofessions.gov · checked Oct 30, 2026
- [6]NBCC: NCMHCE Candidate Handbook for National Certification, rev. Oct 16, 2025 (PDF) sanbcccore.blob.core.windows.net · checked Oct 30, 2026
Questions people ask
How many times can I retake the NCMHCE?
Your state board decides; NBCC only sets the 30-day wait between attempts. The national certification route has its own cap, shown in the table.
Does the 2027 scaled cut already apply?
Not until July 1, 2027. Today the result is a raw score compared with a cut set for your form.
Does NBCC grade on a curve?
No. The cut comes from expert judgment about a minimally qualified counselor, adjusted for the difficulty of the form, not from how other candidates scored.