The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) is the largest counselor certification agency in the U.S. and is widely recognized as a national credential based upon training, experience, and performance on a written examination. NBCC has developed two examinations: the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and the National Career Counselor Examination (NCCE). Currently, both examinations are knowledge-based and NBCC relies on the candidate's experience and supervision as competency checks. A revised NCE will be competency-based. A new clinical counseling examination is also under development. As state licensure for counselors becomes commonplace, national credentialing becomes even more important because: (1) National certification is broader than state licensure; (2) State licensure is subject to the politics of the state; (3) National certification provides referral sources across state lines; and (4) Most state licenses do not provide for a license in a specialty. (ABL)