nce passing score

What Should You Know About NCE Passing Score? [2024 Updated]

NCE passing score is one of the most important things you should know when taking the NCE certification exam. Find out everything in the below article!

Updated at October 25, 2022

The 200-item National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (also known as NCE) is a multiple-choice test that evaluates knowledge, skills, and capabilities that have been considered to be critical for providing successful counseling services. For both the National Certified Counselor (NCC) certification and counselor licensing in several jurisdictions, the NCE is a prerequisite. Hence, passing the NCE exam is the passion of numerous individuals, but not everybody knows exactly its scoring system. So what is the NCE passing score and how to pass this exam? Check it out in this article!

nce passing score

How Is the NCE Scored?

NCE Scoring System

The NCE is a multiple-choice test with 200 questions, however, only 160 of those questions are counted in determining whether or not you have achieved the required passing score (the criteria). The remaining 40 questions are now being evaluated to analyze whether or not they are suitable for future applications. (Whenever you sit the NCE, you won’t be informed of which objects are being put through the field exam.)

The National Career Exploration (also called the NCE) has a maximum potential score of 160, and the NBCC uses a modified version of the Angoff technique to establish the minimum passing score, which changes depending on the edition. The NCE is not evaluated on a “curve,” which means that your passing score is not impacted by the results of other test takers. However, you may compare your score to the results of other examinees nationwide by using the NCE statistics summary.

If you obtain a score of 160 on the NCE, it indicates that you answered each and every one of the scored multiple-choice questions in the examination correctly. It is quite unlikely for that to occur, therefore you shouldn’t be disheartened if your score isn’t flawless. You need to get at least the minimum number of points necessary to pass that test. 

So, what is the lowest possible score? Unfortuitously, there isn’t just one number that everyone uses. Each iteration of the test is distinct from the last, and the passing score required to go on to the next round is determined by a group of knowledgeable judges who take into account the level of difficulty and the breadth of the question test. The objective of this version of the Angoff technique, which is referred to as the modified Angoff method, is to guarantee that each examination is scored objectively.

Your examination score will not be disclosed to a third party by NBCC without first obtaining your written authorization.

Application procedures for state licenses are all different. Others choose to take the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination rather than the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE), which is offered by the National Counseling Association (which is also known as the NCMHCE). The National Board for Certified Counselors (or the NBCC for short) has compiled a database of information about state licensing boards to simplify the process of registering for certification examinations as much as is humanly practicable.

To begin, you should first go to the state board directory and then pick on the state where you want to receive your license. This will get you started. You will be sent to a website that provides the state board’s contact information, as well as access to an examination registration form and a candidate handbook for the needed examination. If there is no registration form provided, you will need to contact the state board directly to get information on examination registration.

nce passing score

Score Reporting

You may expect to get your test results approximately 8 weeks after you’ve completed the examination. You will need to use the same account that you used to sign up to access them. If you were successful and are required to report these findings to the state licensing board in your location, you will be required to complete an extra form that requests score verification. You should anticipate that the procedure will take approximately 4 weeks after your purchase for this service has been processed.

What is the NCE Passing Score?

No score is known to be considered a passing score. There is somewhat information that NBCC stated that the NBCC informed her that the passing score ranges from 56% to 67%, depending on the kind of test she was taking. It seems that each variation of the test has its minimum score required to pass, but this information is not made public in advance.

Customers of some full-length practice tests have informed us that they successfully pass the real exam after achieving scores ranging from 58% to 70% on those examinations. Since each actual test is unique and changes over time, it is obvious that these mock tests are unable to provide a guarantee that this will be the case. The NCE Handbook contains a comprehensive explanation of the grading system that is used for the NCE.

The average of the NCE is 50, which is also the case for many other scales connected to the normal curve. If the overall performance of all of the students were to improve, the mean, also known as NCE 50, would show a higher raw score. The value of 21.06 is chosen to represent the NCE standard deviation. NCE is often used as the method of significance testing since it was designed with program assessment in mind.

Final Words

It is crucial to have the best possible preparation for the National Counselors test before taking it for the first time since passing it is a must before you can work as a professional counselor. Therefore, a good understanding of the NCE passing score as well as its scoring system will be the foundation for you to find the proper review method.

The best way to guarantee you have all you need for success is to make use of the resources at your disposal. To assist you in assessing your knowledge and reviewing the domains you will experience on test day, we have produced study tools for your NCE exam preparation that include an NCE study guide and an NCE sample test with NCE practice questions. Above all, you need to create a regular learning cycle and stay disciplined throughout your studies. Good luck!

On this website, we offer thousands of free NCE practice tests to help you thoroughly prepare for this exam!