The short answer
| Now | From July 1, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 11 | 10 |
| To pass | A cut of about 59–66 of 100 | 360 on a 100–500 scale |
| Blueprint | 5 scored domains | 6 reorganized domains; ethics 20% |
| Break | After case 5 | Optional, at the halfway point; first half then closes |
| Same | 130–150 questions, 9–15 per case, 3 sections, 225 minutes | |
If you’re close to ready, test before the change, ideally by April 2027 so a retake still fits.
This page lists what changes, what stays the same, and what NBCC hasn't said yet.
The case format carries into 2027. Practice it now: one free case, every answer explained, about 20 minutes.
Try a free caseShould you test before July 1, 2027?
Candidates’ advice was the same: take the current exam if you can.
| Current exam | 2027 exam | |
|---|---|---|
| Prep materials | Built for it | Still to come |
| Scoring | Known from score reports | New scale, no reports yet |
| First-hand accounts | Hundreds | None yet |
Leave room for a retake: at least 30 days, longer in some states, plus time to book. Testing by about April 2027 keeps a second attempt before the change.
Failed recently? NBCC hasn't said whether you can still sit the old version after July 1, 2027.
What NBCC hasn’t said yet
- Whether a pre-July 2027 application or failed attempt lets you sit the old version afterward
- Whether states keep accepting old-version results
- The exact number of scored questions
- When 2027 results become official
NBCC says it will post more as the date nears. If your window is close to July 1, 2027, check with NBCC before choosing materials.
Everything that changes
| Before July 1, 2027 | From July 1, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 11 | 10 |
| Unscored content | One full case plus some questions | 30 to 50 field-test questions, randomly placed and identical in format |
| Reported score | Total correct on 100 scored questions | Scaled score, 100 to 500 |
| Passing score | Set per form; not published | 360 on every form |
| Navigation | Each section of a case locks when you move to the next | Review allowed before submitting each half; the first half locks when you submit it and the break begins. The specification does not say whether sections within a case still lock. |
| Break | Scheduled 15 minutes after the fifth case | Optional 15 minutes, halfway through |
| Score report | Unofficial report after testing; domain feedback not confirmed | Scaled score, preliminary pass or fail, and general feedback for each domain |
| Built on | 173 work behaviors in the current outline | 101 core work tasks from a 2024–2025 national work analysis |
The new blueprint: ethics and law rise to 20%, intake falls to 18%
The 2027 exam keeps six domains but renames and reweights them. Comparing the closest current domain to each 2027 one, three shifts stand out:
- Ethics and law get more weight. Legal & Ethical Compliance is 20%; the closest current domain, Professional Practice and Ethics, is 15%.
- Intake and assessment gets less. Intake & Assessment is 18%; the closest current domain, Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis, is 25%.
- One domain has no obvious counterpart. Indirect Client Care (12%) does not correspond to any current domain.
We found no official crosswalk on NBCC's site (checked October 10, 2026), so read each table on its own: the rows are ranked separately and are not equivalent domains.
| Domain | Share |
|---|---|
| Provision of Counseling Interventions | 20% |
| Legal & Ethical Compliance | 20% |
| Intake & Assessment | 18% |
| Professional Development & Counselor Self-Awareness | 15% |
| Treatment Planning & Continuity of Care | 15% |
| Indirect Client Care | 12% |
See the current blueprint, before July 1, 2027
| Domain | Share |
|---|---|
| Counseling Skills and Interventions | 30% |
| Intake, Assessment, and Diagnosis | 25% |
| Professional Practice and Ethics | 15% |
| Treatment Planning | 15% |
| Core Counseling Attributes | 15% |
| Areas of Clinical Focus | 0%* |
* Evaluated through the diagnoses and case scenarios across each form rather than through scored questions of its own.
How the new scoring works: 360 on a 100–500 scale passes
Scores are reported on a 100 to 500 scale, and 360 or higher passes on every form; the scale is not a percentage. The passing-score page explains how it is set and has a checker for your exam date. For the current exam's structure, see the exam format page.
What it means for your studying
- Know your version. Your exam date decides which blueprint and scoring apply, and materials should say which one they target.
- Give ethics and law more time if you test after the change: they are the joint-largest domain at 20%.
- Keep settling questions as you go. Today each case section locks when you move on; in 2027 the whole first half locks when you submit it. Either way, flagged questions left for later may be out of reach.
- Plan for 10 cases in 225 minutes, about 22 minutes each, instead of 11 cases at about 20.
2027 NCMHCE FAQ
When does the new NCMHCE start?
NBCC's new specification is effective July 1, 2027. NBCC has not yet published how applications, authorizations or retakes that span that date are handled.
What is the passing score on the 2027 NCMHCE?
A scaled score of 360 or higher on a 100 to 500 scale. NBCC says the scale is not a percentage: 400 does not mean 80% correct.
Will my current study materials still work for the 2027 NCMHCE?
Much of the clinical content may carry over, but the blueprint is reorganized: Legal and Ethical Compliance is 20% (the closest current domain is 15%), a new Indirect Client Care domain takes 12%, and Intake and Assessment is 18% (the closest current domain is 25%). Materials should say which version they target.
Should I take the NCMHCE before the 2027 change?
If you are close to ready and your board allows it, testing on the current version is more predictable: prep materials match it, its scoring is known from score reports people shared, and there is a record of what it asks. Aim to test by about April 2027 so a retake, at least 30 days later, still falls before July 1, 2027.
Sources
- NBCC, NCMHCE examination specification, effective July 1, 2027. Accessed August 12, 2026.
- NBCC, NCMHCE exam page: transition notice. Accessed August 12, 2026.
- NBCC, current NCMHCE content outline (accessed August 12, 2026) and Candidate Handbook for State Licensure, revised Nov. 20, 2025 (accessed September 23, 2026), for the comparison.
The free practice case is one full NCMHCE-style case: 14 questions, about 20 minutes, no account needed.
Try the free case