High School Guidance Counselor Certification

Bachelor's Degree

• Applicants for a high school guidance counselor certification are required to have a four-year bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. There is no specific prerequisite undergraduate major for a career in counseling, provided students maintain a high GPA and take the classes necessary for acceptance into a counseling master's degree program, including English, psychology, communication and social science. Most master's degree programs will also require applicants to submit scores from the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) standardized exam. The GRE assesses applicant's aptitude for graduate school by asking questions in analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning.
  
  

Master's Degree

• Most states require guidance counselors to have a master's degree in counseling. Programs typically run two years, if attended full time. According to School-Counselor.org, most public school systems mandate counselors to have completed post-bachelor's degree coursework in the following topics: theories, individual counseling, group counseling, social and cultural foundations, testing/ appraisal, research and program evaluation, professional orientation and career development. Applicants should also have completed a supervised practicum and internship.
  
  

Teaching Certification

• Several states require high school guidance counselor certification applicants to already hold a teaching certificate at the time of application. Applicants will have to contact their states' board of education for teacher certification requirements and guidelines, but prerequisites typically include completion of a bachelor's degree and teacher education program, passing both a teacher assessment exam and criminal background check, and paying a licensing fee.
  
  

Counselor Certification

• High school guidance counselor criteria varies; some state boards of education offer certification once the applicant has fulfilled state requirements, including a pre-specified number of undergraduate and graduate level courses, and teacher certification; other states require high school guidance counselors to be National Certified School Counselors (NCSC), a voluntary credential offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Criteria for the NCSC include a master's degree in counseling and a passing score on the National Certified School Counselor Certification.
  
  

NCSC Certification Exam

• The NCSC certification exam tests examinees on several aspects of school counseling in order to verify whether applicants have knowledge and expertise of the best child, adolescent and young adult school counseling techniques. The test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions regarding general counselor knowledge and seven questions based on simulated school counseling cases. The seven simulated school counseling cases are based on the following scenarios: school counseling program delivery, assessment and career development, program administration and professional development, counseling process concepts and applications and family/ school involvements.