Reference · the Board’s accommodations page and two forms · read 5 September 2026
Exam accommodations: apply before you schedule, to the body that runs your exam.
The Board grants testing accommodations on three grounds: a disability, a medical condition, or English as a second language. None is granted at the test site without prior approval, and an accommodation cannot be added to an exam already scheduled. Which body approves depends on the exam: Pearson VUE for the Law and Ethics, LEP written and LMFT clinical exams, ASWB for its clinical exam, the Board itself for the NCMHCE, and the Board’s ESL form for every one of them, with 90 days to process.
Who approves which exam →Who approves which exam
Four bodies, one rule: approval first, scheduling second.
The Board’s page states the timing rule twice. Apply “when submitting your Initial Law and Ethics Exam Application or your Application for Licensure”; an accommodation can be requested before exam eligibility is granted, but “the approved accommodation may not be valid for the entire exam eligibility period”, and one that expires before the eligibility end date has to be requested again.
| Exam | Who approves the accommodation | How | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Law and Ethics exam (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC) | Pearson VUE, for a disability or medical condition; the Board, for ESL | Pearson VUE’s online request system, “case-by-case”; the Board’s form 37A-612 for ESL | An approval letter by email with instructions for scheduling the accommodated exam |
| LMFT clinical exam | Pearson VUE; the Board for ESL | The same two routes | The same letter; do not schedule before it arrives |
| LEP written exam | Pearson VUE; the Board for ESL | The same two routes | The same letter |
| ASWB clinical exam (LCSW) | ASWB, through its nonstandard testing arrangements; the Board for ESL | ASWB’s own process | A letter from ASWB or its vendor with scheduling directions |
| NCMHCE (LPCC) | The Board, through its own packet (37A-610b); the Board for ESL | Submit after applying to NBCC and paying the exam fee | Written notice of the Board’s decision; the letter comes from NBCC, CCE or their vendor |
From the Board’s Testing Accommodations page, 5 September 2026. The Board’s page: “Do not schedule your exam until you receive notification of an approved accommodation.” Pearson VUE’s page: “accommodations cannot be added to a previously scheduled exam.”
The ESL route
Time-and-one-half, on one of three showings, 90 days ahead.
The Board’s Request for Testing Accommodation, English as a Second Language (form 37A-612, revised 10/2022) covers every exam the Board uses and grants “time-and-one-half (1.5x) on your exam”. The candidate applies for the exam separately, submits the form with one of the three documents below, and allows 90 days.
“Score of 85 or below on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based Test (TOEFL-iBT), taken within the two (2) years prior to application.” The score reaches the Board from ETS directly or in an envelope ETS sealed.
“Prior ESL accommodation granted by your qualifying degree program”, shown by “a letter from the chair of the degree program or from the school’s chief academic officer.”
The qualifying degree “was obtained from a school outside of the United States AND at least 50% of the coursework was presented in a language other than English”, shown by the same kind of letter.
“Accommodations will NOT be provided at the exam site unless prior approval by the Board has been granted. Do not schedule an exam until you receive notification of an approved accommodation. Allow 90 days for processing.” Knowingly false or omitted information “may be grounds for denial of this application.”
The NCMHCE packet
For the LPCC clinical exam the Board decides itself, on an evaluator’s documentation.
The packet (form 37A-610b, revised 05/2024) is “ONLY for applicants taking the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) through the National Board of Certified Counselors”; every other candidate applies through Pearson VUE. It states the Board’s duty under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, and the limits of it.
“DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATION UNTIL YOU HAVE SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATION TO TAKE THE EXAM AND FEE TO NBCC. DO NOT SCHEDULE YOUR EXAM UNTIL YOUR ACCOMMODATION HAS BEEN APPROVED.” Processing time “will vary depending on the volume of requests.”
“A disability is a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity”; mental disabilities include “any mental or psychological disorder or condition”; the packet points to Government Code §12926 and 2 CCR §11065(d) for the definitions.
The Board “requires documentation from a qualified evaluator regarding the candidate’s disability or medical condition, and a description of how the accommodation sought is necessary”. The evaluation is “valid for a period of three (3) years from the date on which it was submitted”, except where it states the condition “is not expected to change over time”; a more recent diagnosis carries more weight where the condition can change.
The packet describes the NCMHCE as objective multiple-choice questions lasting “a total of 260 minutes which includes 5 minutes for the non-disclosure agreement, a 15-minute tutorial, and a 15-minute break”, with no computer knowledge or typing required and a tutorial at the site.
What the Board says it will not provide
An accommodation that would “fundamentally alter the measurement of the knowledge or skills the examination is intended to test; afford unfair advantage to the candidate; compromise examination security; propose the Board provide personal services or devices, or create an undue financial and administrative burden to the Board.” And one thing nobody needs to request: “all sites are physically accessible.”
Then what
The exams the accommodation is for.
The paperwork
The Board’s forms, form by form
Sixteen documents from registration to license, kept or submitted.
Where every figure came from
Sources.
The Board and its vendors
- Board of Behavioral Sciences, Testing Accommodations (the page that assigns each exam to its approving body), read 5 September 2026
- Board of Behavioral Sciences, Request for Testing Accommodation, English as a Second Language, form 37A-612 (rev. 10/2022)
- Board of Behavioral Sciences, NCMHCE Examination Candidate Policies and Procedures for Requesting Testing Accommodations, form 37A-610b (rev. 05/2024)
- Pearson VUE, accommodation process for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences
Every quotation is from the Board’s page and its two forms, or Pearson VUE’s page, as posted on 5 September 2026. The Board’s and the vendors’ contact addresses are on those pages and are not repeated here. Whether a given condition qualifies, and what accommodation follows, are the approving body’s decisions. Not legal advice.
