School Counselor First Time Applicant

EDS System

E-Certification System Information

E-Certification Login | EDS

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Submit a question to OSPI.

Residency First Issue Certificate Requirements

This application is for people seeking their first-tier certification for the school counselor role.

  • Master's degree* in counseling 

    • Must submit official transcripts showing degree conferral
  • Eligibility Options: 
    • Completion of any state's approved program leading to certification for the school counselor role (Submit Form 4098E)
    • If you did not complete an approved program, three years of certified out-of-state experience in the PK–12 school counselor role is required (Submit Form 4020F-1)
  • Completion of a comprehensive exam* relevant to the role
  • Submission of fingerprints for a background check is required if a valid Washington educator certificate is not already on record

*Degree Note: Applicants with a master’s degree not specific to counseling may be eligible with sufficient evidence they completed all course work requirements relevant to a master’s degree in counseling. Such evidence may be submitted in the form of school counselor preparation program completion verification (Submit Form 4098E), or a letter on institution letterhead signed by the registrar or head of the counseling department of the institution stating all course work requirements relevant to a master’s degree in counseling have been completed. The OSPI Professional Certification Department is not authorized to perform transcript evaluations.

*Exam Note: If you completed a comprehensive exam relevant to counseling in your program, you may submit Form 4098E for review. If you did not complete such an exam in your program, verification of one of the following approved testing alternatives is required.

Test Name and Code Passing Score Administration Dates
The National Counselor Examination (NCE) of the National Board-Certified Counselors (NBCC) N/A N/A
Praxis II Specialty Area Test Code 5422 159 10/1/2022–Present
Praxis II Specialty Area Test Code 5421 156 9/1/2014–9/30/2022
Praxis II Specialty Area Test Code 0421 156 Prior to 8/31/2014
Praxis II Specialty Area Test Code 0420 600 Prior to 1/17/2003

Professional Certificate Requirements

This application is for people seeking second-tier certification for the school counselor role.

  • Must meet all requirements for a Residency Educational Staff Associate (ESA) First Issue Certificate
  • Must hold a school counselor certificate issued by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
  • Must attest to completion of course work on issues of abuse and emotional or behavioral distress in students; for more information, see WAC 181-79A-030(9).
    • This course MUST be entered into the 'PD Hours' section of your E-Certification account prior to applying
  • Must attest to completion of a suicide prevention training approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) in the state of Washington within the five years previous to application (Submit Form 4020S)

Apply: If you have all necessary documentation to apply for this certificate, login to: E-Certification. Please Note: Application fees are NOT refundable. Ensure that you select and submit the correct application. If you have questions regarding your application, please contact our office.