Florida licenses mental health counselors as LMHCs, and the state board requires applicants to pass the NCMHCE — the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination administered by the NBCC. You also need a master’s of at least 60 semester hours from an institutionally accredited program, an 8-hour Florida Laws and Rules course and a 3-hour HIV/AIDS course. Registration for a first attempt at the exam is $350, paid to the Center for Credentialing & Education, with $275 for a re-exam. Everything below is quoted from the Florida board.
4,000+
questions in the app
10+ yrs
exam-prep publishing
Free
on iOS & Android
Built to help you pass faster — by exam-prep publishers with 10+ years' experience
💡 Key Takeaways — the one transferable rule per question
🔍 Hint highlights — the decisive cue phrases in each stem
📖 Full rationales — why every option is right or wrong
Every NCMHCE question is written to the current exam outline for quick learning and a clear pass strategy.
Written and reviewed by the LexPort exam-prep team, led by our Founder & Exam-Prep Lead. LexPort builds certification practice questions — this is exam-preparation material, not medical advice. Last reviewed September 2026.
Practice the full NCMHCE simulator — free to start
4,000+ questions · timed mock exams · every answer explained — right in your browser
Which exam does Florida require for LMHC licensure?
The board states that applicants "must pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)."
What does the exam cost in Florida?
The board directs applicants to "send the registration fee of $350 directly to the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE) for initial exam and $275 for re-exam."
What degree does Florida require?
An official transcript documenting "the minimum award of a master’s degree from an institutionally accredited program — at least 60 semester hours or 80 quarter hours."
Do I need board approval before sitting the exam?
No. Florida MHC exam applicants are not required to have board approval before taking the NCMHCE, although it remains a required examination for licensure.
What else does Florida require besides the exam?
A Board-approved 8-hour Florida Laws and Rules course and a 3-hour HIV/AIDS course, both listed on CE Broker, alongside the degree and supervised experience the board’s rules set out.
Test yourself: 3 NCMHCE practice questions
Tap an answer for instant feedback and the full rationale. The app has 4,000+, timed and scored.
Question 1
Elena calls Maya 'a different kid' and wants to know what is wrong with her. As you assess, how should adolescent development shape your read of Maya's presentation?
▸ Why A is the answer
A developmental lens is the core skill here. You compare her behavior to what is typical at 14, where some moodiness and pushing for privacy are expected, and then flag the pieces that go past that in how intense they are, how long they last, and how much they disrupt her life. That comparison is what separates ordinary teenage turbulence from something that needs clinical attention.
Question 2
Weighing everything Maya has described, which provisional diagnosis is best supported, and on what grounds?
▸ Why D is the answer
The picture fits an adjustment disorder cleanly. The symptoms started within three months of an identifiable stressor, the separation, and track it closely. There are both emotional features, the outbursts and tearfulness, and conduct features, walking out of class and swearing at a teacher, which is what the mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct subtype describes. The impairment, failing grades, quitting her team, near-daily conflict she cannot control, pushes it past a normative reaction, and she had no such disturbance before the separation.
Question 3
Elena says, 'I just need you to fix her attitude and get her to respect me.' Maya's face hardens. With both of them in the room, how do you respond while staying multipartial?
▸ Why A is the answer
Multipartiality means being for everyone in the room at once. You validate how worn down and frightened Elena feels, because you need her as a partner and her distress is real, and in the same breath you widen the goal away from fixing Maya so that Maya does not hear you enlisted against her. Holding both at once is exactly what the moment calls for.
Unlock all 4,005 NCMHCE practice questions
Timed, scored, with progress tracking and every answer explained. Free to start.