Published September 5, 2026 · Updated September 6, 2026

Free Full-Length NCMHCE Practice Test (10 Cases, 205 Minutes, Save & Resume)

By David Zimmerman · 7 min read · Study strategy

Every CaseSavvy account, free or paid, includes one full-length NCMHCE practice test: 10 clinical case simulations, 130 questions, and a 205-minute clock, built to match the real exam’s per-case pace. You can pause it, close the laptop, and pick it up on your phone a week later. This post explains what is in it, how it is scored, and how to get the most out of your one free attempt.

What the free practice test includes

  • 10 full cases drawn from the CaseSavvy bank, five from the free tier and five that are otherwise Premium-only, chosen to span mood, anxiety, trauma, substance use, psychosis, relationship, and child/adolescent presentations.
  • 13 questions per case across an intake summary, a first session, and a follow-up session, with the real exam’s forward-only movement between sections.
  • 205 minutes for 10 cases, the same pace as the real exam’s 225 minutes of testing time for 11 cases (about 20.5 minutes each).
  • Save and resume. Your position, answers, and remaining time are stored on our servers, not in your browser, so you can continue from any device.
  • A full review when you finish: overall percentage, a per-case breakdown, and every question with its rationale and why each distractor is wrong.

Try the format first

Here are two questions in the exam’s style, from the free tier. Pick an answer to see the rationale.

Domain 3A · Treatment planning

Domain 3A: Treatment Planning

Your client is a 26-year-old woman with Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia). Asked what she hopes to get from counseling she says, "I guess I just want to feel less tired all the time… maybe getting out of bed before noon on weekends? But honestly, whatever you think I should work on is fine." She holds a steady part-time job and recently adopted a cat. You have thirty minutes left to develop at least one treatment goal collaboratively.

Which goal best meets SMART criteria for this client?

Domain 3A · Treatment planning

Domain 3A: Treatment Planning

Your client is a 38-year-old woman with a provisional diagnosis of PTSD following a motor vehicle accident seven weeks ago in which another driver's passenger died. She reports intrusive images, hypervigilance while driving, and nightmares three to four times per week. She disclosed passive suicidal ideation that began two weeks ago and is increasing in frequency; PHQ-9 is 22 and PCL-5 is 58. She sleeps three to four hours a night, has no prescriber, and has not demonstrated any grounding or affect-regulation skills. Today she arrives requesting EMDR because a friend "was fixed in a few sessions."

What is the primary contraindication for beginning trauma reprocessing with this client now?

Ready for the full 10 cases?

Create a free account and start the practice test from your dashboard. No credit card.

Start the free practice test

How to use your one free attempt

Take it early

The most valuable thing a full-length test gives you is a baseline by domain. Take it in your first or second week of studying, before you feel ready, and build the rest of your plan around the two lowest domains. Our study-time guide shows where it fits.

Simulate the day, or split it deliberately

If you can block four hours, sit it in one go under exam conditions: no notes, no phone, a scratch pad for facts from each intake. If you cannot, split it on purpose: five cases one evening, five the next. Either way, do not look up answers between sections; the review at the end is where the learning happens.

Read the review like a score report

Sort your misses by domain, then by exam weight. A miss in Domain 4 or 6 (20% of the 2027 exam each[3]) matters more than a miss in Domain 5 (12%). Then read the rationale on every question you got right by guessing; those are the misses you would have made on a different form.

A note on scoring

The real NCMHCE sets its passing point per exam form; there is no fixed percentage. We show 70% as a working target because candidates who are comfortably above it on realistic practice rarely have trouble. Read how the NCMHCE is scored.

After the free test

Your free account keeps 5 full cases and 18 domain drills you can practice untimed with rationales, plus domain tracking on your dashboard. Premium adds all 97 cases, 241 drills, and unlimited timed exams of 1 to 10 cases, which is the tool for the final two weeks: a second full-length under strict timing, then short 2–3 case sets on your weakest domains.

Compare plans on the pricing page, or start with the free practice questions if you want a smaller first step.

Sources

  1. NBCC — National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (exam overview, candidate handbook, and content outline)
  2. Pearson VUE — NBCC examination testing centers and scheduling
  3. NBCC — NCMHCE Examination Specifications, effective July 1, 2027 (domain weighting, format, scaled scoring)

Frequently asked questions

Is the full-length NCMHCE practice test really free?

Yes. Every CaseSavvy account includes one full-length practice test (10 cases, 130 questions, 205 minutes) with no credit card required. Premium adds unlimited timed exams.

Can I pause the practice test and come back later?

Yes. Your position, answers, and remaining time are saved on CaseSavvy servers, so you can pause, close the browser, and resume from any device.

How is the free practice test scored?

You see your overall percentage, a per-case breakdown, and every question with its rationale. 70% is shown as a working target; the real NCMHCE sets its passing point per exam form.

Ready to practice?

Start drilling NCMHCE-style questions for free — no credit card required.

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