CPCE Exam UPDATED QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to - CORRECT ANSWER
Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to - CORRECT ANSWER jointly
decide, between patient and counselor, how the counseling process will proceed
A client arrives for counseling with the presenting complaint of relationship difficulties. She goes on
to describe that she has had multiple abortions, and seems to use abortion as a birth control method.
You are personally opposed to abortion. How should your personal beliefs impact the therapeutic
relationship? - CORRECT ANSWER Your personal belief system should not have any bearing
on the therapeutic relationship
You have been involved in a counseling relationship with a client for six months, when he presents
you with a small gift. What should you do? - CORRECT ANSWER Accept or decline
depending on the circumstances
You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you are counseling. What do
you do? - CORRECT ANSWER Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal
information and obtain written permission from your client to share confidential information
What should you do if your client requests to see his confidential file? - CORRECT ANSWER
Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
You are a counselor with several clients, and at the same time you are adjusting to a difficult divorce.
You aren't sleeping or eating well, find you are highly distractible, and generally are less in-touch with
your emotional state. You should... - CORRECT ANSWER Be alert to your mental status, and
be able to determine if continuing with your clients poses any threat of being detrimental to the
counseling process
A former client of yours has been arrested for a crime. As his former counselor, you are called to
perform a forensic evaluation. What is your responsibility in this case? - CORRECT ANSWER
It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation on a current or past client, so you
should decline
,You are the supervisor for a new counselor, and are asked to attend her wedding. Would it be ethical
to do so? - CORRECT ANSWER Yes, you should be able to attend her wedding without a
breach of ethics
While involved with a research study, you learn that several of your students are using confidential
material in an unethical manner. You had no prior knowledge of this, and all of your safeguards for
professional practice were appropriate. Are you, as the principal researcher, responsible for the
student's behavior - CORRECT ANSWER Yes, you are ultimately responsible
When publishing research, it is important to - CORRECT ANSWER Give credit to other
contributors or sources, not plagiarize, and submit material to only one journal at a time
When a conflict arises between the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and a
governing authority, which takes precedence? - CORRECT ANSWER Ultimately the law may
be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when - CORRECT ANSWER A counselor has
been retained to review another counselor who is in question; and when confidentiality rights would
be violated
What does multicultural/diversity counseling refer to? - CORRECT ANSWER Counseling that
recognizes diversity and approaches beneficial to specific groups and an approach that all counselors
should ethically be aware of
Most ethical issues are related to - CORRECT ANSWER Confidentiality
Only one psychoanalyst's developmental theory covers the entire lifespan. Who is he? - CORRECT
ANSWER Erik Erikson
The Id, Ego, Superego are attributed to which psychoanalyst? - CORRECT ANSWER
Sigmund Freud
What is the fourth stage of Jean Piaget's four stages - CORRECT ANSWER Formal Operations
, Identity Crisis - CORRECT ANSWER Erik Erikson
Positive Psychology - CORRECT ANSWER processes that contribute to optimal functioning/
not focusing on abnormalities
Smoking habit to Sigmund Freud - CORRECT ANSWER Oral Fixation
Most mental health professionals believe - CORRECT ANSWER no one theory of
development completely explains the process
John Bowlby - CORRECT ANSWER Attachment Theory
Lawrence Kohlberg's three levels of morality - CORRECT ANSWER Pre-conventional,
Conventional, and post-conventional
Female version of Freud's Oedipus complex - CORRECT ANSWER Electra Complex
Researcher known for Rhesus Monkeys - CORRECT ANSWER Harry Harlow
Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - CORRECT ANSWER Theory of human motivation -
psychological, safety, love, affection, belongingness
Down Syndrome - CORRECT ANSWER Chromosomal abnormality
John Watson - CORRECT ANSWER Little Albert experiment
Albert Bandura's best-known research - CORRECT ANSWER Bobo Doll study
What did Lev Vygotsky stress in his development theory? - CORRECT ANSWER Cultural
Context and language
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to - CORRECT ANSWER
Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to - CORRECT ANSWER jointly
decide, between patient and counselor, how the counseling process will proceed
A client arrives for counseling with the presenting complaint of relationship difficulties. She goes on
to describe that she has had multiple abortions, and seems to use abortion as a birth control method.
You are personally opposed to abortion. How should your personal beliefs impact the therapeutic
relationship? - CORRECT ANSWER Your personal belief system should not have any bearing
on the therapeutic relationship
You have been involved in a counseling relationship with a client for six months, when he presents
you with a small gift. What should you do? - CORRECT ANSWER Accept or decline
depending on the circumstances
You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you are counseling. What do
you do? - CORRECT ANSWER Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal
information and obtain written permission from your client to share confidential information
What should you do if your client requests to see his confidential file? - CORRECT ANSWER
Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
You are a counselor with several clients, and at the same time you are adjusting to a difficult divorce.
You aren't sleeping or eating well, find you are highly distractible, and generally are less in-touch with
your emotional state. You should... - CORRECT ANSWER Be alert to your mental status, and
be able to determine if continuing with your clients poses any threat of being detrimental to the
counseling process
A former client of yours has been arrested for a crime. As his former counselor, you are called to
perform a forensic evaluation. What is your responsibility in this case? - CORRECT ANSWER
It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation on a current or past client, so you
should decline
,You are the supervisor for a new counselor, and are asked to attend her wedding. Would it be ethical
to do so? - CORRECT ANSWER Yes, you should be able to attend her wedding without a
breach of ethics
While involved with a research study, you learn that several of your students are using confidential
material in an unethical manner. You had no prior knowledge of this, and all of your safeguards for
professional practice were appropriate. Are you, as the principal researcher, responsible for the
student's behavior - CORRECT ANSWER Yes, you are ultimately responsible
When publishing research, it is important to - CORRECT ANSWER Give credit to other
contributors or sources, not plagiarize, and submit material to only one journal at a time
When a conflict arises between the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and a
governing authority, which takes precedence? - CORRECT ANSWER Ultimately the law may
be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when - CORRECT ANSWER A counselor has
been retained to review another counselor who is in question; and when confidentiality rights would
be violated
What does multicultural/diversity counseling refer to? - CORRECT ANSWER Counseling that
recognizes diversity and approaches beneficial to specific groups and an approach that all counselors
should ethically be aware of
Most ethical issues are related to - CORRECT ANSWER Confidentiality
Only one psychoanalyst's developmental theory covers the entire lifespan. Who is he? - CORRECT
ANSWER Erik Erikson
The Id, Ego, Superego are attributed to which psychoanalyst? - CORRECT ANSWER
Sigmund Freud
What is the fourth stage of Jean Piaget's four stages - CORRECT ANSWER Formal Operations
, Identity Crisis - CORRECT ANSWER Erik Erikson
Positive Psychology - CORRECT ANSWER processes that contribute to optimal functioning/
not focusing on abnormalities
Smoking habit to Sigmund Freud - CORRECT ANSWER Oral Fixation
Most mental health professionals believe - CORRECT ANSWER no one theory of
development completely explains the process
John Bowlby - CORRECT ANSWER Attachment Theory
Lawrence Kohlberg's three levels of morality - CORRECT ANSWER Pre-conventional,
Conventional, and post-conventional
Female version of Freud's Oedipus complex - CORRECT ANSWER Electra Complex
Researcher known for Rhesus Monkeys - CORRECT ANSWER Harry Harlow
Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - CORRECT ANSWER Theory of human motivation -
psychological, safety, love, affection, belongingness
Down Syndrome - CORRECT ANSWER Chromosomal abnormality
John Watson - CORRECT ANSWER Little Albert experiment
Albert Bandura's best-known research - CORRECT ANSWER Bobo Doll study
What did Lev Vygotsky stress in his development theory? - CORRECT ANSWER Cultural
Context and language
