Good news world: I recently passed the National Counselor Examination!!! I have to say Howard Rosenthal is still relevant! I used his audio exam guides that were passed down to me by other counselors. Registering for the NCE was probably the most difficult piece of the testing process. Over a month the confirmation email sat in my inbox, registration just a click away. I had waited years to get to this point and when it came I wanted nothing more than to never click that link. A little voice in my head saying “what if you fail? what if you’re not meant to be a counselor? what will you do?” kept me from registering for what felt like an eternity.

Then one night while working late a coworker was asking if I’d taken the test. I lowered my head and said “I haven’t even registered yet”. That night I made a commitment to register for the test before anymore excuses about being busy came up. On a Thursday morning I registered for an 8am Saturday testing time. That meant I had less than 2 days to brush up on everything I was sure to have forgotten. Aside from Rosenthal’s super test review, the anxiety reduction techniques is probably what calmed me enough to take the exam.

Advice for future testers:
-Find the testing location BEFORE the day of your exam. (I went to the wrong building initially).
-Take breaks throughout the exam! The clock stops and you can get up and run around, stretch, get some water, or just take a mental break.
-Utilize all of the relaxation techniques you teach clients.
-Finally, take the test as soon as you can into your supervision process. This will allow you enough time to re-take the test if needed without having to reapply for licensure.