Library · Domain 1. Professional Development & Counselor Self-Awareness · 1B. Counselor Self-Awareness
Task 1B.8
Determining your competency to administer assessments
“Determine your competency for administering assessments” (NBCC, 2027 task 1B.8)
Psychological tests and assessment instruments require specific training to select, administer, score and interpret correctly. Counselors must judge whether they are qualified for a particular instrument before using it. The exam tests assessment competence, test user qualifications and the risks of misuse.
Key points
- The ACA Code of Ethics (E.2) states that counselors use only those testing and assessment services for which they have been trained and are competent.
- Many publishers classify instruments by user qualification level, with more restricted instruments requiring advanced training or licensure; check the publisher's requirements and your state's scope of practice.
- Some state laws restrict certain psychological testing, such as intelligence or projective tests, to other professions or require specific training; scope varies by state.
- Competence covers the whole process: understanding the instrument's purpose, reliability, validity and norms, following standard administration, scoring accurately, and interpreting within the limits of the data.
- Using computer-scored instruments does not remove the need to understand the interpretation.
- If not competent, refer for testing or obtain training and supervision before using the instrument.
- Counselors who supervise others in assessment remain responsible for the appropriate use of instruments.
In practice
A counselor is asked by a parent to give her child an intelligence test. Knowing her state limits this testing and that she lacks the training, she explains why she cannot and refers the family to a licensed psychologist.
A counselor wants to start using a structured trauma symptom inventory. She completes the publisher's training, reviews the manual's norms and validity data, and has her first several interpretations reviewed by an experienced colleague.
Check yourself
What determines whether a counselor may use a particular assessment instrument?
Their training and competence with the instrument, the publisher's user qualifications, and their state's scope of practice.
Does a computer-generated report make interpretation training unnecessary?
No, because the counselor remains responsible for understanding and accurately applying the results.
What should a counselor do when asked to administer a test they are not trained in?
Refer to a qualified professional or obtain training and supervision first, because using an instrument without competence risks harm.
NBCC's knowledge and skills for 1B. Counselor Self-Awareness
Knowledge of: Transference and countertransference within the therapeutic relationship; The importance of self-care; Professional scope and limitations; Power dynamics in the Counseling relationship.
Skill in: Reflexivity/bracketing (e.g., emotional regulation); Recognizing vicarious trauma and burnout; Awareness of your own body language as the Counselor; Self-care strategies; Recognizing the need for professional boundaries; Managing client caseload.
A study guide written by ExamDragon from NBCC's published task; not NBCC material and not part of the exam.