CPCE Information

All students in the M.A. in Counseling degree programs will be required to take and pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) in order to graduate. The CPCE is developed and maintained by the Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), which is an affiliate of the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).

The CPCE covers the eight CACREP (Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) common-core areas that represent the foundational knowledge required of all entry-level counselor education graduates: Counseling & Helping Relationships, Research & Program Evaluation, Assessment & Testing, Career Development, Human Growth & Development, Group Counseling & Group Work, Professional Counseling Orientation & Ethical Practice, and Social & Cultural Diversity.

Students are required to have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework, including achieving passing grades in the following classes related to the eight major areas of counseling in order to register for the CPCE:

The CPCE is administered in a computerized format utilizing two different modalities:

1. CPCE-CBT: The “Computer Based Testing” format of the CPCE is administered at Pearson VUE Testing Centers. Students will be able to set up an exam appointment (date and time) that works best for both their own schedule and that of the testing center. Students who wish to schedule this version of the exam will complete the initial registration form below, but please know that there will be additional steps after this one. The CBT modality is the only one where accommodations can be provided for those who need them. If these are needed, please send a copy of the most recent LSP developed by the Disabilities office at Regent University via email to the Field Placement Liaison AFTER completing the first step of the registration process below. The fee for the CPCE-CBT modality is $150.00.
2. CPCE-OnVue: The “OnVue” format of the CPCE is proctored and administered by Pearson VUE in a secure online environment from the student’s home or office. Students will be able to set up an exam appointment (date and time) that works best for their own schedule and that of the OnVUE proctors. Students who wish to take the CPCE utilizing this modality should be aware that it is an online proctored exam that is strictly controlled. Students must be focused only on the CPCE during their testing appointments and must follow very strict guidelines in taking this exam, which can be found here. Students who wish to schedule this version of the exam will complete the initial registration form below, but please know that there will be additional steps after this one. Due to a variety of technical and physical limitations related to internet-based test administrations, CCE is unable to provide special examination accommodations through the Pearson VUE online test delivery and proctoring service for the CPCE. The fee for the CPCE-OnVue is $150.00.

All fees will be paid directly to Pearson VUE when setting up an account, no money will be remitted to Regent University for taking this exam. Benefits received as a student at Regent University, such as financial aid or VA tuition assistance, do NOT automatically pay this fee. Students must pay using their own debit or credit card.

Once a student has received a candidate ID number they will be given a 6-month window of time in which to take the CPCE. During that 6-month time period, students may take the exam twice with the timing of the attempts dependent on the testing modality:

• CPCE-CBT: students are eligible to re-register for the exam 30 days after the last testing date. If a student does not pass the second attempt, please contact the Field Placement Liaison to request an extension in the number of attempts.
• CPCE-OnVUE: students are eligible to re-register for the exam 90 days after the last testing date. If a student does not pass the second attempt, please contact the Field Placement Liaison to request an extension in the number of attempts. If a student desires to switch to CPCE-CBT, please contact the Field Placement Liaison 30 days after the last testing date. 

Students will receive an unofficial score report immediately upon completion of the CPCE if taken via CBT at a Pearson VUE testing center. If, for any reason, this score report does not print (OR if the exam was taken via the OnVue modality), students can log into their Pearson VUE account within 24 hours to view this score report. However, this report will not indicate if it is a passing score. Please allow up to 6 weeks from the date of the exam, and the official score report will be sent to the student’s Regent email account by the Field Placement Liaison.

The passing score for the CPCE is determined by national statistics and varies for each version of the exam. Those who fail to achieve the passing score will be required to meet with their Faculty Mentor to establish a remediation plan, which will be recorded on a Professional Development Form (PDF), before scheduling a retake. Students will be allowed to retake the CPCE twice. When retaking the exam, students will need to either achieve a total passing score OR pass the area(s) failed on the previous exam.

One of the potential outcomes of not passing the CPCE after three (3) attempts is removal from the program.

Initial CPCE Exit Exam Registration