National Counselor Examination and CPCE Study Guide – Instant PDF Download

The PDF version gives you instant access to the 2021 Revision of the of the Study Guide for the National Counselor Examination and CPCE. Purchase now and download immediately!

  • You can download the pdf Study Guide to your personal computer as well as your office/business computer.
  • Make a hard copy of all or parts of the pdf Study Guide as needed.
  • The Table of Contents is linked to each individual section listed there so you can go directly to the section you want without scrolling.
  • Start preparing for your counselor examination today!

The six work domains or context areas have been labeled:

  • Professional Practice and Ethics
  • Intake, Assessment and Diagnosis
  • Areas of Clinical Focus
  • Treatment Planning
  • Counselling Skills and Interventions
  • Core Counseling Attributes

Do review the sections in the Study Guide about the NCE and CPCE for additional information and examples of content based on the above six areas. More information is also available on the NBCC website.

Beginning in 2020, NBCC made changes to the number of NCE questions which come from each of the eight CACREP areas. Prior to 2020, the number of items from each area was the same for several years. This is no longer true. Do review the section in the Study Guide titled: The National Counselor Exam and CPCE for up-to-date information (pages 7-12). The areas of Counseling and Helping Relationships and Assessment and Testing receive greater emphasis beginning in 2020 and the areas of Research and Program Evaluation and Professional Orientation/Ethics receive less emphasis than was the case before 2020.

In the Study Guide, all the exam prep material is arranged according to the eight CACREP content areas. Information is presented in outline format, double-spaced, with considerable highlighting and bolding. It is very user friendly and does not look or feel like a textbook.

The passing score on the NCE is set at about 65% with very minor fluctuations from one form of the exam to another. NBCC designs a new form of the exam about every month created from a pool of questions. For the CPCE, the passing score (cutoff) is determined by the university program using that exam and tends to be in the 65% to 70% range.

The cost of the Study Guide is $59.95.
There is a $10 shipping charge unless you buy the download version.
The book’s ISBN number is: 9780964837799.

Note: to receive a 25% discount when you order 2 or more copies, contact Dr. Helwig or send a Purchase Order via email: ahelwig@sprintmail.com.

Also see National Counselor Examination and CPCE Workshop DVDs

NCE / CPCE Study Guide Special Offers

All products and workshops have been developed by Dr. Andrew Helwig since 1990. Dr. Helwig has conducted over 245 “live” one-day counselor examination review sessions in 18 states. Over 4,000 counselors have participated in these workshops for counselor exam prep.

Special Offer – Save $20!

Purchase both the Study Guide (Instant PDF Download) and Workshop DVDs for $84, a $20 savings.

Special Offer – Save $20!

Purchase both the Study Guide (Printed Version) and Workshop DVDs for $84, a $20 savings.

Success Stories

Your book was one of the best resources I used, hands down. The way you brokedown complex concepts made them not only understandable but also something I could confidently carry into the exam. You have a real gift for making the material feel approachable without losing any of its depth.

Chris from Colorado (August 2024)

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