California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep

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  • About the Instructor

    Benjamin E. Caldwell, PsyD, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the author of several books, including Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs.
     
    He has been a strong and successful advocate for mental health professionals, serving as a driving force behind the streamlining of hours of experience for licensure and the title change from "Intern" to "Associate."
     
    He presents around the country on topics related to ethics, technology, supervision, and professional development.

California LPCC Law and Ethics Exam information

If you are an Associate PCC, you must attempt the Law and Ethics Exam at least once in each year of registration until you have passed the exam. Once you have passed the exam, you do not need to take it again (except in extremely rare cases, such as leaving the field for several years and then returning).

In general, we recommend taking the test quickly once you are registered as an associate. Your knowledge from your graduate program is likely to still be fresh in your mind, and taking the test early means that you can quickly be done with this step toward licensure.

If you are planning to take the exam toward the end of your registration period (that is, close to your renewal date), we recommend scheduling your exam attempt at least a few days in advance of your scheduled registration renewal date, as it can take 1-2 business days for PearsonVUE to transmit your exam attempt to the BBS, allowing your renewal to process.


The California LPCC Law and Ethics exam consists of 75 questions, of which 50 are scored and 25 are non-scored. Examinees typically have 90 minutes to complete the exam.


Before you register for the exam, the California BBS must declare you eligible to take it. You can apply for exam eligibility through the state's Breeze system.

Once the BBS has declared you eligible and sent your eligibility to PearsonVUE, you can register for the exam on the PearsonVUE website.


The BBS allows those with recognized disabilities to apply for exam accommodations through its test vendor, PearsonVUE. You can learn more about that process here.

If you have received accommodations for your exam, we can provide mock exam timing that corresponds with your accommodations. Additional information on this is available within the course.


The test is offered at PearsonVUE testing sites around the state. In addition, it is possible to take the exam at many out-of-state locations as well. More information on testing locations is available here.


If you don't pass your LPCC Law and Ethics Exam, you simply must wait at least 90 days and attempt again. We're with you until you pass, so if you need an extension on your program, simply fill out the extension request form available on your dashboard upon login.


While it is not common, on rare occasions exams will be impacted by power outages or other issues that result in inadequate or improper test administration. In such instances, it is important to have testing center staff file an Incident Report before you leave the building. This report makes it much more likely that PearsonVUE or the BBS will be able to take steps to rectify the situation.