Summary of Exam Requirements
All applicants for LPC and LMFT are required to pass:
A competency exam; and
The Oregon law and rules exam.
Competency Exam
Applicants must pass— or have passed within 10 years prior to applying for licensure— a Board-approved competency exam. To qualify for a competency exam, an applicant must submit a licensure application and meet the graduate program and coursework requirements. Applicants pay exam fees directly to the examination provider. Passing scores are established by the examining entity or agency verifying passage of its exam. The Board will notify examinees of the results of their examination once received.
Applicants who have taken and passed the exam before applying for licensure must have an official score verification sent directly to the Board. Applicants who passed a competency exam more than 10 years ago must retake and pass a Board-approved exam to qualify for licensure. Exception: Reciprocity applicants only may, instead of retaking the exam, complete continuing education which at minimum meets the requirements described in OAR Chapter 833, Division 80 (40 total clock hours) within the 24 month period prior to application or initial license.
For individuals who have requested the national exam through our organization and received authorization from the Oregon board, the vendor will automatically send their exam scores to us. However, for other applicants, such as those seeking reciprocity, it's important to note that the exam vendor won't automatically recognize them as applicants in Oregon.
If you initially received authorization from Oregon, your exam scores will automatically be sent to the Oregon board. However, if you received authorization in another jurisdiction or took the exam in Oregon but didn't receive a prior authorization from us, you will need to take a proactive step to ensure your scores are sent to the Oregon board. You can do this by either contacting the other state and requesting a file transfer or reaching out to the exam vendor directly. Please be aware that this applies to all competency exams.
LPC Competency Exam
A licensed professional counselor (LPC) applicant must pass one of the following exams to qualify for licensure:
National Counselor Examination (NCE);
National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE); or
Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination (CRC).
The National Counselor Exam (NCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam (NCMHCE) are both administered by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). Please visit the NBCC State Board Directory webpage for registration windows and exam dates. A NCC certification will not satisfy the competency exam requirements.
LMFT Competency Exam
An LMFT applicant must pass one of the following exams to qualify for licensure:
The marital and family therapy examination of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB); or
The State of California Board of Behavioral Sciences’ Marriage and Family Therapist Written Clinical Examination.
The Marital and Family Therapy Examination is a computer-based test administered by the Association of Marital & Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB). Please visit the AMFTRB examination webpage for registration windows and exam dates.
Requesting an Exam
You are eligible to request to take the competency exam once you have been notified by the Board that your application has been approved.
Submit your request to the Board for review, and you will receive the necessary forms and instructions.
Exam fees are not paid to the Board; they are paid directly to the exam service provider.
In order to qualify for an upcoming exam, applicants must provide all necessary information and forms to the Board for review.
Please note that it takes 6-8 weeks from the date an exam was taken for
the score to be received and posted to your applicant portal. NBCC sends
reports to the board once per month, around the 15th of each month,
containing the prior month's scores.
- To verify if a score has been received, refer to the document connection in the Applicant Portal.
Transferring an Exam
Competency exams must be transferred to the Oregon Board. You will need to request that the applicable exam service send an official exam verification directly to the Board's office.
Important Notice: If you need to request an expedited service from the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), please be aware that you should contact NBCC directly for all matters related to exam transfer services.
Law & Rules Examination
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You may take the Oregon Law and Rules Examination after your application
is approved. All approved applicants will receive an email from the
board's automated system containing instructions and a link to the
online exam. Registered Associates will receive the same aforementioned
email, along with a second email once the experience requirement has
been met. Please ensure that you add the following email address to your
contacts or safe list: oblpct@thentiacloud.net.
The Law and Rules exam is open-book and untimed; however, it must be
completed in one sitting. You may refer to the Oregon Revised Statutes
(ORS) and Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs), which are listed on the
Board’s Law and Rules webpage. Official exam results will be posted in
the Applicant Portal under "Review Documents" within 10-14 days of
submitting your online exam.
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Special Accommodations
Requests for special accommodations for disability must be made at the time your written request to take the exam is submitted to the Board. You will need to include a written verification of your disability from a qualified care provider (i.e. a person certified or licensed by the state to provide such services) detailing the nature, extent and duration of your disability and his or her specific recommendation for an accommodation.
To request special accommodations, please email your written request and documentation to the Board's office.