CPCE Passing Score: Why There Is No National Number
October 12, 2026 · Alex S. · reviewed by Hana N., Quality Reviewer · how we write
Preparing for the CPCE? Take a free readiness test and see which topics to study first.
If you are looking for "the" CPCE passing score, there isn't one. The Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE), which develops the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination, does not set a pass mark. Each university program that uses the CPCE decides its own cut score. Numbers you see quoted online are some program's number, not yours.
How to find your passing score
- Ask your program. The cut score is a program decision, so it belongs in your program handbook or with the faculty member who coordinates the CPCE.
- Ask what it is measured on. Know whether your program's cut score is a number of correct answers or something else before you test, so you can read your practice results against it.
- Ask about the second attempt. Programs also decide what happens after a failed attempt (see below).
What the exam looks like
The CPCE has 160 multiple-choice questions: 20 in each of the eight CACREP content areas, and in each area 17 questions are scored and 3 are pretest. That makes 136 scored questions. You have 225 minutes of testing within a 255-minute session that includes the agreement, a tutorial and one 15-minute break. The eight areas are Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice; Social and Cultural Diversity; Human Growth and Development; Career Development; Counseling and Helping Relationships; Group Counseling and Group Work; Assessment and Testing; and Research and Program Evaluation.
Because every area has the same weight, a single weak area costs as much as any other. A study plan for the CPCE should give each area time in proportion to your weakness in it, not to how interesting it is.
If you do not pass
You can take the CPCE once more within the same six-month administration window, at least 30 days after the first attempt, with a new registration and fee. After a second failure your program must approve a new authorization before you can test again.
CPCE and NCE
The CPCE is a program exam; the National Counselor Examination (NCE) is a licensure and certification exam with its own standard. See CPCE vs NCE for the differences.
Practice for it: the CPCE study guide and the free CPCE practice test (no account).
Official sources
Checked against the sources above on October 12, 2026. Exam bodies change fees and rules: confirm on the official page before you register.