(a) Every applicant for a license as a professional clinical counselor shall take one or more examinations, as determined by the board, to ascertain their knowledge, professional skills, and judgment in the utilization of appropriate techniques and methods of professional clinical counseling.

(b) The examinations shall be given at least twice a year at a time and place and under supervision as the board may determine.

(c) The board shall not deny any applicant admission to an examination who has submitted a complete application for examination admission if the applicant meets the educational and experience requirements of this chapter and has not committed any acts or engaged in any conduct that would constitute grounds to deny licensure.

(d) The board shall not deny any applicant, whose application for licensure is complete, admission to the clinical examination, nor shall the board postpone or delay any applicant’s clinical examination, solely upon the receipt by the board of a complaint alleging acts or conduct that would constitute grounds to deny licensure.

(e) If an applicant for the examination specified by paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 4999.53, who has passed the California law and ethics examination, is the subject of a complaint or is under board investigation for acts or conduct that, if proven to be true, would constitute grounds for the board to deny licensure, the board shall permit the applicant to take this examination, but may notify the applicant that licensure will not be granted pending completion of the investigation.

(f) Notwithstanding Section 135, the board may deny any applicant who has previously failed either the California law and ethics examination, or the examination specified by paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 4999.53, permission to retake either examination pending completion of the investigation of any complaints against the applicant.

(g) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the board from denying an applicant admission to any examination or refusing to issue a license to any applicant when an accusation or statement of issues has been filed against the applicant pursuant to Section 11503 or 11504 of the Government Code, respectively, or the application has been denied in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 485.

(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may destroy all examination materials two years following the date of an examination.

(i) If the examination specified by paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 4999.53 is not passed within seven years of an applicant for licensure’s initial attempt, the applicant shall obtain a passing score on the current version of the California law and ethics examination in order to be eligible to retake this examination.

(j) A passing score on the clinical examination shall be accepted by the board for a period of seven years from the date the examination was taken.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 456, Sec. 76. (SB 786) Effective January 1, 2020.)