Comprehensive Examination

ONLY CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE AND PASS THE PROGRAM'S COMPREHENSIVE EXAM

SCHOOL COUNSELING STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE THE PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING PRAXIS EXAM AND PASS IT AT THE LEVEL REQUIRED FOR LICENSURE AS A SCHOOL COUNSELOR IN TENNESSEE (159)

All degree seeking clinical mental health counseling students are required to take and pass a comprehensive exam administered online through Canvas in order to earn their degree. 

Exam Content and Format

This exam consists of 120 multiple choice questions covering eight content areas: Human Growth and Development, Ethics, Theories, Career, Group, Assessment, Research, and Multicultural. There are an equal number of questions per area.  Students will be required to complete one essay question that focuses on their program of study, either school counseling or clinical mental health counseling.  Students will be provided with the rubric used to grade the essay prior to the exam in order to guide their preparation.The multiple choice questions are worth 1 point each.  The essay question is worth 60 points.  The total possible points on the comprehensive exam is 180.

The following courses must have been completed (or the equivalent transferred courses) before taking the exam: COUN 620, COUN 710, COUN 716, COUN 721, COUN 722, COUN 725, COUN 730, COUN 740, COUN 760. 

A minimum score of 117 (65%) is required for successful completion.

After you take the comp exam you should consider taking the NCE.  You used the NCE study guide to prepare for the comp exam. The content areas are the same for the NCE and our comp exam.  Take the NCE while this information is still fresh on your mind.  

It's okay, don't be scared.  You can do it!!  

Look at the information below this section to learn more about the NCE.

There is no cost for the exam if you are enrolled in classes the same semester you take the exam. If you are not enrolled in classes during the semester you take the comp exam, you are required to pay a fee equivalent to one credit hour.  

• There are two methods for taking the comprehensive exam: on campus at UTM; or, online.  

• The test dates are the same whether you take the exam remotely or on campus. 

• If you choose the on campus option, you must bring your own laptop computer on which you will access and complete the exam.

• If you choose the remote option you must find an appropriate proctor and submit a proctor application.  The proctor must be approved to monitor your completion of the exam.  See below for access to the Proctor procedure and Proctor form.

Proctor Form and Procedure pdf 

You will access the comp exam using the following link (you will be granted access to this site on the day of the exam):

UTM CMHC Comp Exam 

Counseling Proctor Qualifications (One of the following)

1. Authorized employees at a regionally accredited university/college testing facility.

2. Public or private school administrative or guaidance and counseling officials (e.g. principal, assistant principal, director/supervisor of instruction, school counselor, school librarian).

3. State or county government employees including community mental health center (e.g., center director, clinical director, assistand center director, center psychologist, senior counselor). This most likely applies if you are in the community/mental health counseling program.

4. Government/corporate training/education directors

5. Authorized employees at U.S. military education centers

Fall 2026 dates and times of the exam:

Registration Deadline: Aug. 22, 2026

Test Day: Friday, September 25th 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.               237 Gooch Hall

    1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m.            

Winter 2026 dates and times of the exam:

 Registration Deadline: Nov. 20, 2026  

Test Day: Thursday, December 4th         8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.           237 Gooch Hall

1:00 pm - 5:00 p.m. 

Spring 2027 dates and times of the exam:

 Registration Deadline: Feb. 19, 2027  

Test Day: Friday, March 5th          8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 237 Gooch Hall          

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Summer 2027 dates and times of the exam:

Registration Deadline: May 7, 2027

Test Day: Friday. May 28th     8:00 am - 12:00 pm 237 Gooch Hall

1:00 pm - 5:00 p.m.       

Strict testing deadlines prohibit the rescheduling of exam dates. 

All Gooch Hall Testing times are Central Standard Time

Comp Exam Registration

REGISTER FOR THE EXAM:

1.  Intent to Take Comp Exam Form - This form must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the comprehensive exam. Candidate and proctor will be notified a week prior to the exam by email that form has been received and that proctor is approved.

intent to take comp exam Canvas published.pdf

Contact  Sean Hackett at shacket3@utm.edu or Ryan Lewis at rlewis25@utm.edu with registration questions                                                                                                                    

2. Proctor forms (if applicable) - If you choose to have your comp exam proctored please find below the proctor procedure information and a general proctor approval forms. Please do not use this form for the counseling comprehensive exam. Use the form that specifies "Counseling Comprehensive Exam." Some of the procedures for that exam are different for the proctors.                                                                                                                                                                

Proctor Form and Procedure pdf 

The comp exam covers the 8 common core areas outlined by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP).  Listed below are the CACREP common core areas and the corresponding courses in our program that cover those areas:

• Professional Orientation and Practice  

  • COUN 620

• Social and Cultural Diversity

  • COUN 721

• Human Growth and Development

  • COUN 716

• Career Development

  • COUN 730

• Counseling and Helping Relationships

  • COUN 725

• Group Counseling and Group Work

  • COUN 740

• Assessment and Testing

  • COUN 760

• Research and Program Development

  • COUN 710

The exam will include a discipline-specific essay question (either clinical mental health or school counseling) to assess your knowledge of your concentration. 

An excellent preparation for the comp exam is to review your materials and textbooks from the courses listed above.  You can also use the following study guides developed by counseling faculty: 

• Career Counseling Study Guide.  

• Assessment Study Guide

• Legal and Ethics Study Guide  

• Theories of Counseling Study Guide 

Read these suggestions from previous students who passed the comp:

•  Advice from a student for studying for comps.docx  

• Comp Exam Suggestions.docx 

• Comp Exam Preparation 2022.docx

• Comp Exam Preparation.docx

Visit the NBCC website and access the list of study resources they recommend:

• NBCC Recommended Study Materials 

The most recommended resource by our students to study for the comp exam AND the NCE is:

NCE Study Guide (Purple book/app) 

If you do a web search on "National Counselor Exam preparation guide," you will find numerous sites offering such guides/flashcards, etc. (Sites such as test.com, Amazon, etc.)

Below is the rubric that will be used to grade your comp exam essay question.  Review the appropriate rubric and prepare for each of the elements of the rubric.  To study for the essay question, find a case study online and use the rubric to practice how you would answer the comp essay based on that case.

drive.google.com/open?id=1zhYoTbEee4Hdhd1_f-xsKhBmlzxKUO1L&authuser=2 

Grading the Exam

After you have completed the exam you will be able to view how many of the multiple choice questions you answered correctly.  Remember that there are 120 multiple choice questions, each worth one point each.  The essay question is worth 60 points, or one third of the total possible points. The essay question will be graded by a minimum of two faculty members.  They will meet to discuss each essay and collaborate on a final point total for each student's essay.  If they are unable to agree on a point total, a third counseling faculty member will be asked to read the essay and suggest a final point total.  The length of time needed to grade all of the essays will vary depending upon how many students take the exam.  A minimum of one week will be needed to grade the essays, but no more than two weeks.

Additional Attempts

If you do not pass the Comprehensive exam the first time you take it then you will be allowed a second attempt after 30 days has passed.  If you do not pass the exam on your second attempt then you will be given one more final attempt to pass the exam after a semester has passed. A fee may be associated with the third attempt if you are not enrolled in classes during the semester you take the exam. The fee is equivalent to one credit hour.    Contact Dr. Gibson (gibson@utm.edu) to schedule your additional attempt.

If you fail the exam a third time you will not be allowed to graduate from the program.