Mastering the National Counselor Exam and the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam

by Erford, Bradley T.; Hays, Danica G.; Crockett, Stephanie; Miller, Emily M.

• ISBN13: 9780137017508
• ISBN10: 0137017502
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-09
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Specifically designed to help students preparing for the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), and professional counselors preparing to take the NCE as a licensure exam, this practical guide provides numerous sample questions and four full-length practice exams-more than 1,000 questions in all-and offers pertinent information about the NCE and CPCE, including discussion of its rationale, structure, format, and scoring procedures. Fully aligned with CACREP standards, the Study Guide for the NCE and CPCE features essential information on important topics from the various branches of knowledge comprising the counseling profession, aggregated into the eight CACREP and NBCC core knowledge areas: Human Growth and Development, Social and Cultural Foundations, Helping Relationships, Group Work, Career and Lifestyle Development, Assessment, Research and Program Evaluation, and Professional Orientation and Ethics. It provides multiple choice questions at the end of each section and four full-length practice examinations, as well as brief essay questions and key points for each of the core content areas. The essay questions range in level of difficulty and complexity and seek in some instances to connect across content areas to tap into the five work behaviors that NBCC seeks to assess in the NCE (i.e., fundamentals of counseling, assessment and career counseling, group counseling, programmatic and clinical intervention, and professional practice issues).

Author Biography

Bradley T. Erford, Ph.D., LCPC, is a professor in the School Counseling Program at Loyola University Maryland. He has authored or edited more than 15 books and dozens of articles and chapters. He has
held numerous leadership positions in ACA and AACE.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Mastering the NCE and CPCE

About Mastering the NCE and CPCE

About the National Counselor Examination (NCE)

About the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)

Preparation Strategies for Success

Test Taking Strategies

 

Chapter 1: Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice

1.1 Introduction to Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice

1.2 Counseling Specializations

1.3 Professional Organizations

1.4 Ethical and Legal Issues

1.5 Key Points for Chapter 1: Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice

 

Chapter 2: Social and Cultural Diversity

2.1 Introduction to Social and Cultural Diversity

2.2 Key Cultural Group Categories

2.3 Social Justice Concepts

2.4 Cultural Identity Development

2.5 Counseling Racial and Ethnic Groups

2.6 Counseling Other Cultural Groups

2.7 Crisis, Trauma, and Specialized Interventions

2.8 Additional Considerations in Multicultural Counseling Practice

2.9 Key Points for Chapter 2: Social and Cultural Diversity

 

Chapter 3: Human Growth and Development

3.1 Foundational Issues in Human Growth and Development

3.2 The Central Nervous System

3.3 Learning Theories

3.4 Cognitive Development

3.5 Language Development

3.6 Personality Development

3.7 Moral Development

3.8 Lifespan Theories: Individual Task Development and Milestones

3.9 Family Development and Issues

3.10 Crisis, Resilience, and Wellness

3.11 Diagnosis of Mental Disorders

3.12 Key Points for Chapter 3: Human Growth and Development

 

Chapter 4: Lifestyle and Career Development

4.1 Introduction to Career Development

4.2 Key Concepts in Career Development

4.3 Trait and Type Career Theories

4.4 Lifespan and Developmental Career Theories

4.5 Special Focus Career Theories

4.6 Career Assessment

4.7 Labor Market and Sources of Occupational Information

4.8 Career Counseling and Interventions

4.9 Career Development Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation

4.10 Key Points for Chapter 4: Lifestyle and Career Development

 

Chapter 5: Helping Relationships

5.1 Introduction to Helping Relationships

5.2 Counseling Skills

5.3 Psychodynamic Theories and Interventions

5.4 Cognitive-Behavioral Theories and Interventions

5.5 Humanistic-Existential Theories and Interventions

5.6 Multicultural Theories and Interventions

5.7 Family Theories and Interventions

5.8 Other Counseling Theories and Interventions

5.9 Key Points for Chapter 5: Helping Relationships

 

Chapter 6: Group Work

6.1 Foundational Issues in Group Work

6.2 Types of Group Work

6.3 Group Leadership

6.4 Group Member Roles

6.5 Planning for Groups

6.6 Stages/Process of Group Work

6.7 Assessment and Evaluation in Group Work

6.8 Theoretical Approaches to Group Work

6.9 Key Points for Chapter 6: Group Work

 

Chapter 7: Assessment

7.1 Introduction to Assessment

7.2 Key Principles of Test Construction

7.3 Derived Scores

7.4 Assessment of Ability

7.5 Clinical Assessment

7.6 Special Issues in Assessment

7.7 Key Points for Chapter 7: Assessment

 

Chapter 8: Research and Program Evaluation

8.1 Introduction to Research and Program Evaluation

8.2 Key Concepts in Research and Program Evaluation

8.3 Types of Research

8.4 Quantitative Research Design

8.5 Descriptive Statistics

8.6 Inferential Statistics

8.7 Qualitative Research Design

8.8 Program Evaluation

8.9 Key Points for Chapter 8: Research and Program Evaluation

 

Glossary

 

References

 

Appendixes

A  ACA Code of Ethics

B  NBCC Code of Ethics

C  AMCD Multicultural Competency Standards

 

Practice Exams

NCE Practice Exam 1

NCE Practice Exam 2

CPCE Practice Exam 1

CPCE Practice Exam 2

 

Note: NCE® is a registered trademark of the National Board for Certified Counselors®, Inc. (NBCC®).  National Counselor Exam™ is a trademark of the NBCC. Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination™ and CPCE™ are trademarks of the Center for Credentialing & Education™ (CCE®). 

 

NBCC and CCE do not endorse or sponsor the services or products of any individuals, businesses, or other organizations.  NBCC and CCE are not, in any way, responsible for such services or products, or the representations made concerning such services, products, or affiliations with other organizations or businesses.