The Two Exams on the LPCC Path
To become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California, an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) must pass two exams:
- The California Law & Ethics Exam: a California-specific exam on the laws and ethics that govern clinical practice in the state. Each license has its own version; it is developed by the Department of Consumer Affairs' Office of Professional Examination Services and delivered by Pearson VUE.
- The NCMHCE: the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination, a clinical exam offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). This is not a Pearson VUE exam, and it is registered and scheduled separately from the Law & Ethics Exam.
These two exams happen at very different points in your journey. The Law & Ethics Exam is part of your APCC registration years: you take it before your registration's first expiration date and each renewal cycle until you pass, while you are accumulating supervised experience. The NCMHCE comes near the end, only after you have completed your 3,000 hours and 104 supervised weeks and your Application for LPCC Licensure has been approved by the BBS.
For the big picture of how these exams fit into the full timeline, see our guides on how to become an LPCC in California and APCC registration in California.
This guide explains which exams you need, when you take them, and how the process works. It is not exam-prep material and does not cover exam content, strategy, or practice questions.
The California Law & Ethics Exam
The California Law & Ethics Exam is delivered by Pearson VUE. The official candidate resource is the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook. For APCCs, two things matter most about this exam:
- You must take it before your registration's first expiration date, then at least once each renewal cycle until you pass (16 CCR §1822.52). Renewal requires only that you have taken it during the cycle, not that you passed.
- You must pass it before the BBS will issue a subsequent APCC registration. A registration renews up to five times; to get a subsequent registration after that, you must have passed it.
The first time you take it, you submit the initial Law & Ethics exam application, online in BreEZe or on paper from bbs.ca.gov. If you do not pass, you must wait at least 90 days from the date you last took it, then apply for re-examination; see bbs.ca.gov/exams/re_exam_acknowledge.html. The BBS also publishes a Law and Ethics Examination FAQ.
Take it early
Because the Law & Ethics Exam must be taken before your first renewal and passed before a subsequent APCC registration is issued, plan to take it early in your associate years. Apply early in your renewal cycle; the BBS says exam applications can take up to 6 weeks to process. Treat it as one of the first boxes to check after your APCC number is issued. For a deeper look at this exam for associates, see the California Law & Ethics Exam guide for associates.
The NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination)
The NCMHCE is the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination. It is the clinical exam in the LPCC sequence, and it is administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), not Pearson VUE. NBCC publishes the official NCMHCE Candidate Handbook, which is the authoritative source for everything about the exam itself.
Eligibility. Before you can register for the NCMHCE, two things must be true:
- Your Application for LPCC Licensure must be approved by the BBS; and
- You must have passed the California Law & Ethics Exam.
Once the BBS approves your application, you register with NBCC. Scheduling is handled through the CCE / cce-global system at my.cce-global.org.
Deadline to take it. You must take the NCMHCE within one year of your Application for LPCC Licensure being approved. If you passed the Law & Ethics Exam after your application was approved, the clock instead runs one year from the date you passed the Law & Ethics Exam.
Re-exam. If you do not pass the NCMHCE, you must wait 30 days from your last attempt before retaking it.
After you pass. Once you pass the NCMHCE, you must request your LPCC license and pay the initial license fee within one year.
For the NCMHCE's current format, fees, and content, see the NCMHCE Candidate Handbookpublished by NBCC. For the California Law & Ethics Exam's format, question counts, and time limit, see the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook (pearsonvue.com/us/en/cabbs.html); for its current fee, see the BBS. Exam details and fees change, so confirm current requirements with the BBS, Pearson VUE, and NBCC.
The Order: When Each Exam Happens
The two exams bracket your associate years: one near the start, one at the end.
Step 1, during your APCC years: California Law & Ethics Exam
After your APCC number is issued, you take the California Law & Ethics Exam before your registration's first expiration date and each renewal cycle until you pass. You must pass it before the BBS will issue a subsequent APCC registration. It is delivered by Pearson VUE.
Step 2: Accumulate 3,000 hours over at least 104 supervised weeks
Continue logging supervised experience hours under your APCC registration. When you have completed the required hours and weeks, you submit your Application for LPCC Licensure to the BBS. For help keeping your hours organized, see how to track LPCC hours in California.
Step 3: BBS approves your Application for LPCC Licensure
The BBS reviews and approves your application. Approval, combined with having passed the Law & Ethics Exam, is what makes you eligible to register for the NCMHCE with NBCC.
Step 4: Register for and take the NCMHCE through NBCC
You register with NBCC and schedule through my.cce-global.org. You must take it within one year of your application approval (or within one year of passing the Law & Ethics Exam if you passed it after approval). If you do not pass, you wait 30 days before retaking. After you pass, request your license and pay the initial license fee within one year.
Two different vendors, two different logins
The Law & Ethics Exam goes through Pearson VUE (pearsonvue.com/us/en/cabbs.html). The NCMHCE goes through NBCC, with scheduling at my.cce-global.org. They are separate systems; passing one has nothing to do with registering for the other beyond the BBS eligibility rules above.
The Law & Ethics Exam vs. the Law & Ethics CE Requirement
These have similar names but are completely different obligations:
| Law & Ethics Exam | Law & Ethics CE | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A licensing exam (delivered by Pearson VUE) that you must pass. | 3 hours of California Law and Ethics continuing education. |
| When | Taken before your first renewal and each renewal cycle until passed; must be passed before a subsequent APCC registration is issued. | Each renewal period, before renewing; effective January 1, 2023, for all registered Associates (including APCCs). |
| Repeats? | Taken each renewal cycle until passed; once passed, you do not take it again. | Yes, it recurs every renewal period. |
In short: the exam is taken each renewal cycle until you pass it; the CE is an ongoing 3-hour requirement you complete before each renewal. Both apply to APCCs, but they are not the same thing.
How HourJourney Helps You Reach the NCMHCE
You can only register for the NCMHCE after your Application for LPCC Licensure is approved, and that application rests on your 3,000 supervised experience hours. HourJourney is built for California pre-licensed counselors and therapists to log those hours by week, supervisor, and site.
- BBS hour categories: Log direct clinical, non-clinical, and supervision hours in the BBS categories, by week, supervisor, and site.
- Weekly supervision check: HourJourney checks each week's supervision ratio and flags weeks that fall short.
- BBS form export: Export your weekly logs on the BBS APCC Weekly Log of Experience Hours (37A-638), signatures left blank.
Curious how close you are? Try the LPCC hours calculator for California or read how to track LPCC hours in California.
Start free trial →30-day free trial
FAQ: California LPCC Exams
How many exams does an APCC have to pass to become an LPCC in California?+
Two. To become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in California, you must pass the California Law & Ethics Exam and the NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination). The LPCC Law & Ethics Exam is developed by the Department of Consumer Affairs' Office of Professional Examination Services and delivered by Pearson VUE; the NCMHCE is offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).
Which exam do I take first as an APCC?+
The California Law & Ethics Exam comes first. You take it before your APCC registration's first expiration date and at least once each renewal cycle until you pass (16 CCR 1822.52). Renewal requires only that you took it during the cycle; a subsequent APCC registration requires that you passed it. You only become eligible for the NCMHCE after your Application for LPCC Licensure is approved by the BBS and you have passed the Law & Ethics Exam.
Who administers the NCMHCE?+
The NCMHCE (National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination) is offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), not Pearson VUE. After the BBS approves your Application for LPCC Licensure, you register with NBCC and schedule through the CCE/cce-global system at my.cce-global.org. NBCC publishes the NCMHCE Candidate Handbook. Check it for current format, fees, and content.
How long do I have to take the NCMHCE after my LPCC application is approved?+
You must take the NCMHCE within one year of your Application for LPCC Licensure being approved. If you passed the California Law & Ethics Exam after your application was approved, you have one year from the date you passed the Law & Ethics Exam instead. Confirm current deadlines directly with the BBS.
What is the re-exam waiting period if I fail an LPCC exam?+
For the NCMHCE, you must wait 30 days from your last attempt before retaking it. For the California Law & Ethics Exam, you must wait at least 90 days from the date you last took it, then apply for re-examination in BreEZe or on paper (bbs.ca.gov/exams/re_exam_acknowledge.html).
Is the Law & Ethics CE requirement the same as the Law & Ethics Exam?+
No. Effective January 1, 2023, all registered Associates, including APCCs, must complete 3 hours of California Law and Ethics continuing education each renewal period, before renewing. That CE requirement is separate from the California Law & Ethics Exam, which you take during each renewal cycle until you pass it.
What happens after I pass the NCMHCE?+
After you pass the NCMHCE, you must request your LPCC license and pay the initial license fee within one year. Verify the current fee and timeline with the BBS at bbs.ca.gov.
Where do I find the exam format and content?+
For the NCMHCE, see the NCMHCE Candidate Handbook published by NBCC for current format, fees, and content. For the California Law & Ethics Exam, see the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook (pearsonvue.com/us/en/cabbs.html) for format, question counts, and time limit, and the BBS for the current fee. Exam details and fees change, so confirm current requirements with the BBS, Pearson VUE, and NBCC.
Related guides
BBS Form 37A-638: The APCC Weekly Log of Experience Hours
How to fill out the APCC weekly log column by column, and where to download it.
How to Become an LPCC in California: Step-by-Step
The full path from a counseling degree to an LPCC license, including both exams.
APCC Registration in California
How to register as an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor with the BBS.
The California Law & Ethics Exam for Associates
How the exam works for associates: the renewal rule, the 90-day wait, and requesting an initial exam or a re-exam.
How to Track LPCC Hours in California
Keeping your 3,000 supervised hours organized for your LPCC application.
This guide is for informational purposes only. Always verify requirements directly with the BBS at bbs.ca.gov, with Pearson VUE, and with NBCC. Exam details and fees change, so confirm current requirements before relying on them.