Helpful Resources for Counseling Exam

Mastering the National Counselor Examination and the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination

The resource is a book by Bradley Erford, Danica Hays, and Stephanie Crocket, published in 2019. It is a fully updated resource that aligns with the 2016 CACREP standards and complies with the current NCE.CPCE content. The resource offers vital information and strategies for preparing for the NCE test. Case studies encourage the reader to think through how they would handle a client when presented with the information in the case study. Using case studies enables one to gain better insights into how a client might present and how one can answer questions during the test. Erford et al. (2019) have offered information on preparing for the exam, test-taking strategies, and how to get a job or market oneself. With a wholesome focus, the resource prepares the student for taking the exam and prepares them for the job market. The book has more in-depth information than the Encyclopedia of Counseling, and one will find they gain a better understanding when they combine the two books in their preparation.

The information presented in the book is well organized, with key points at the end of each chapter. The key points assist in recalling what one has been studying, and they can determine if there is something they have forgotten by glancing at the key information. The resource has chapter quizzes that one can use to gauge themselves and see how they recall what they have learned in the chapter. However, the downside of the printed book is there is no way to grade oneself when performing the chapter quizzes. There are answers at the back of the book for the practice tests. The answer key section is a different color making it easy to know where to look for answers in the book. The lack of quiz answers can be overcome with the e-book, so one can consider the e-book over the printed one since the chapter quizzes self-grade.