NBCC to Host Focus Groups for the Counselor Job Analysis

NBCC’s efforts to provide counselors and counselors-in-training with access to top-notch resources include the continual updating of certification and licensure examinations to ensure future counselors stay relevant and competent. The feedback NBCC receives from professional counselors through the national job analyses is essential for examination development.

“Job analyses are the foundation for developing appropriate certification exams,” says Unber Ahmad, PhD, MStat, ICE-CCP, Director of Assessments and Lead Psychometrician at NBCC. “This critical step ensures our examinations reflect the current and concrete demands of counseling and provide a reliable assessment of an individual's qualifications.”

NBCC has begun the next job analysis cycle to evaluate and enhance the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). The job analysis cycle includes interviews with professional organization leaders, focus groups, survey development by subject matter experts (SMEs), and survey data collection and analysis, among other steps. Professional organization interviews will feature leaders from ACES, ACA, CSI, CACREP, AMHCA, and AACSB. 

Upon completion of these focus groups and succeeding outcomes of the job analysis, SMEs will analyze the results to create content outlines for the examinations. NBCC’s goal is to release the job analysis survey in early 2025 for data collection.

“The results of this job analysis will impact current and future counselors,” says Dr. Ahmad. “That’s why everyone should attend these focus groups and take these surveys. It informs the NCE and NCMCHE, which are both used for certification and licensure. Ensuring the examinations are current and content-valid is important to ensure future counselors are qualified to safely practice.”

Upon completion of these focus groups and succeeding outcomes of the job analysis, subject matter experts (SMEs), who are experienced counselors ensuring our examinations are both effective and fair, will analyze the results to create content outlines for the examinations.

NBCC examinations are created for counselors, by counselors to ensure appropriate alignment with the skills, knowledge, and behaviors necessary for safe, ethical, and effective professional practice with diverse clients and communities. Counselors being part of the process of the job analysis is an absolutely essential element of strong examination construction for certification and licensure exams for the profession. 

“This is why all counselors, not just organization leaders and supervisors, are a crucial part of this entire vision,” says Dr. Ahmad. “To make sure we are gathering representative data, we encourage all counselors to participate in the job analysis either by attending upcoming focus groups or by completing the survey.”

You can apply to participate in the job analysis focus groups at https://www.research.net/r/MRZQMTZ.