This overview includes information to help you prepare for the National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level I exam and the National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level II exam. You will find details about eligibility, exam format, content areas, registration, costs, scoring, retakes, and study resources.
Questions
150 multiple-choice questions
Time Limit
3 hours
Passing Score
67%, or 100 out of 150
Content Areas
5 examination domains
Exam Background and Purpose
The National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level I and National Certified Addiction Counselor, Level II credentials are voluntary national certifications for professionals working in substance use disorder and addiction-related disciplines.
The credentials are offered by the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals, which is part of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals.
NCAC I recognizes skills developed through supervised addiction-counseling experience. NCAC II requires additional formal education and is intended to demonstrate more advanced addiction-treatment knowledge.
NCC AP credentials are optional national credentials. They do not replace a license or credential issued by a state or another credentialing authority.
Which Credential Should I Take?
NCAC I
Intended for experienced addiction professionals who have completed supervised work and addiction-related education but are not required to hold a bachelor’s degree.
NCAC II
Intended for addiction professionals who hold at least a bachelor’s degree in addiction studies or a related counseling discipline and have completed additional specialized education.
NCAC I Eligibility Requirements
- A high school diploma, GED, or higher credential
- A current state- or authority-issued addiction-counseling or professional-counseling credential or license
- Three years of full-time supervised experience or 6,000 supervised hours
- At least 270 contact hours of addiction or related counseling education
- At least six hours of ethics education completed within the previous six years
- At least six hours of HIV or other-pathogens education completed within the previous six years
- A passing score on an accepted examination
NCAC II Eligibility Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree or higher in addiction studies or a related counseling subject from a regionally accredited institution
- A current state- or authority-issued addiction-counseling or professional-counseling credential or license
- Three years of full-time supervised experience or 6,000 supervised hours
- At least 450 contact hours of addiction education and training
- At least six hours of ethics education completed within the previous six years
- At least six hours of HIV or other-pathogens education completed within the previous six years
- A passing score on an accepted examination
Associate, provisional, intern, and trainee credentials are not accepted as the current professional credential required for NCAC I or NCAC II eligibility.
Exam Format
Both examinations contain 150 objective multiple-choice questions and allow three hours of testing time.
The questions measure knowledge developed through education, training, and supervised professional experience. Subjects include treatment admission, assessment, treatment planning, counseling services, documentation, case management, continuing care, ethics, physiology, and psychopharmacology.
Candidates should plan to use the full testing period. Three hours for 150 questions provides an average of approximately 72 seconds per question.
NCAC I and NCAC II Content Areas
Both exams cover the same five domains. The percentages differ slightly in Ongoing Treatment Planning and Implementation and Addiction Counseling Practices and Skills.
Orientation to the Treatment Process
NCAC I: 14% | NCAC II: 14%
Screening, intake, orientation, treatment admission, referral, client rights, confidentiality, and beginning the treatment process.
Assessment
NCAC I: 23% | NCAC II: 23%
Gathering client information, evaluating substance use, identifying needs and risks, assessing co-occurring concerns, and supporting treatment decisions.
Ongoing Treatment Planning and Implementation
NCAC I: 25% | NCAC II: 23%
Creating treatment goals, selecting services, monitoring progress, revising treatment plans, coordinating referrals, and planning for continuing care.
Addiction Counseling Practices and Skills
NCAC I: 21% | NCAC II: 23%
Counseling theories, individual and group counseling, family services, client education, crisis intervention, relapse prevention, motivation, and behavior change.
Professional Practices
NCAC I: 17% | NCAC II: 17%
Documentation, case management, discharge planning, ethics, legal responsibilities, cultural responsiveness, professional boundaries, supervision, and professional development.
NCAC I gives slightly more weight to treatment planning, while NCAC II gives slightly more weight to counseling practices and skills.
Costs and Renewal
Initial Credential Application
$235
Examination
$150 per attempt
Renewal
$200 every two years
Examination registration and testing fees are separate from the credential application fee. State boards may also impose their own application, administrative, or licensing fees.
NCAC I and NCAC II renewal generally requires a current professional credential or license, 40 hours of continuing education, recent work history, continued adherence to the NAADAC/NCC AP Code of Ethics, and payment of the renewal fee.
Registration, Testing Dates, and Locations
Candidates seeking a national NCAC I or NCAC II credential must receive approval from NCC AP before registering for the examination.
Candidates taking an NCC AP exam for a state credential or license must receive approval and registration instructions from their state board.
- Determine whether you are applying for a national credential or testing for a state board.
- Submit the required credential or state-board application.
- Wait for approval and the examination registration code.
- Register online through Kryterion.
- Select an available testing date and location.
- Review the confirmation email and test-day requirements.
Testing is available on demand, subject to appointment availability. Candidates may select an approved testing center or distance-proctored appointment when that option is available.
Testing Accommodations
Candidates requesting accommodations must submit the required form and supporting documentation before scheduling. NCC AP instructs candidates to submit accommodation requests at least 35 calendar days before the requested testing date.
What Should I Expect on Test Day?
Test-Day Checklist
- Review the appointment confirmation and identification requirements.
- Make sure the name on your identification matches the registration record.
- Arrive or begin online check-in at the required time.
- Do not bring notes, books, study materials, calculators, phones, or unauthorized electronic devices.
- Follow all instructions from the testing-center administrator or remote proctor.
- Read each question and every response option carefully.
- Mark difficult questions for review when the testing system permits it.
- Leave enough time to review your answers before submitting the exam.
How Are the Exams Scored?
A score of 67% is required to pass either exam. This equals 100 correct answers out of 150 questions.
Candidates receive an email containing their unofficial score after completing the examination.
NCC AP sends official score notices to the state board identified during registration. State-board reports are generally sent by email every two weeks.
Passing the examination does not automatically issue a national credential or state license. All remaining application, education, experience, and documentation requirements must also be satisfied.
Retaking the NCAC I or NCAC II Exam
Candidates who do not pass may register for another attempt.
- Candidates testing for a state credential must contact their state board.
- Candidates testing for a national credential must contact NCC AP.
- The full $150 examination fee applies to each attempt.
- A candidate may take an NCC AP examination no more than three times in one calendar year.
- After three unsuccessful attempts, the candidate must wait until the next calendar year before testing again.
How Can I Prepare?
Begin with a diagnostic practice test and organize missed questions according to the five official domains.
Both examinations test practical counseling judgment as well as factual knowledge. Practice applying assessment, treatment-planning, counseling, ethical, and case-management principles to realistic client situations.
NCAC Study Checklist
- Review screening, intake, orientation, and referral procedures.
- Study comprehensive assessment and diagnostic considerations.
- Review treatment planning, measurable goals, and progress evaluation.
- Study individual, group, family, and crisis-counseling practices.
- Review pharmacology, withdrawal, tolerance, and medication-assisted treatment.
- Study co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.
- Review case management, documentation, discharge planning, and continuing care.
- Study the current NAADAC/NCC AP Code of Ethics.
- Complete full-length practice under the three-hour testing limit.
- Review the explanation for every missed answer and every correct answer obtained through guessing.
NCAC I and NCAC II Study Resources
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