NR 547 CEA Practice Exam|||questions
and answers with rationales/graded
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SECTION 1: PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT & DIAGNOSIS
(Questions 1-25)
Q1. During a Mental Status Examination (MSE), which of the following BEST
describes the difference between "affect" and "mood"?
A) Affect is the objectively observed emotional expression; mood is the patient's
subjectively reported internal emotional state
B) Affect is what the patient reports; mood is what the clinician observes
C) Affect and mood are different terms for the same concept
D) Affect refers to thought processes; mood refers to behavioral presentation
Answer: A. Mood is the patient's described subjective internal emotional
experience (e.g., "I feel sad"), while affect is the clinician's observed external
emotional expression (e.g., "flat affect, restricted range"). Both are essential
components of the MSE.
Q2. A patient describes feeling "down and hopeless" and reports losing
interest in activities they once enjoyed. During the Mental Status Examination,
these subjective complaints fall under which assessment domain?
A) Perception
,B) Thought Content
C) Mood
D) Judgment
Answer: C. "Feeling down" is a description of the subjective emotional state, which
falls under the Mood domain. Affect is the observed presentation, while mood is
the patient's internal subjective experience.
Q3. A patient speaks rapidly, jumping from one topic to another in a way that is
difficult for others to follow. The nurse observes "pressured speech and flight
of ideas." Which term BEST describes this phenomenon?
A) Thought retardation
B) Flight of ideas
C) Tangentiality
D) Poverty of thought
Answer: B. Flight of ideas is characterized by rapid speech with abrupt topic shifts,
often with clang associations. Tangentiality refers to going off-topic without
returning to the original point. Thought retardation refers to slow, delayed speech.
Poverty of thought refers to extremely limited thought content.
Q4. According to DSM-5-TR, which of the following is a core diagnostic
criterion for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)?
A) Depressed mood or anhedonia lasting at least 2 weeks
B) Depressed mood lasting at least 1 month
C) Irritability lasting at least 6 months
D) Low mood lasting at least 2 years
Answer: A. DSM-5-TR requires at least 2 weeks of depressed mood or loss of
interest/pleasure (anhedonia) in nearly all activities, accompanied by other
symptoms (changes in sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, etc.).
,Q5. An older adult patient reports "my memory is getting worse, and I keep
losing things." When performing a cognitive assessment, which screening tool
is MOST appropriate for distinguishing normal aging from mild cognitive
impairment?
A) PHQ-9
B) GDS (Geriatric Depression Scale)
C) MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment)
D) CAGE Questionnaire
Answer: C. The MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) is a widely used cognitive
screening tool with high sensitivity for detecting mild cognitive impairment. PHQ-9
screens for depression, GDS screens for geriatric depression, and CAGE screens
for alcohol use disorder.
Q6. A patient demonstrates distorted perception of the environment and firmly
believes that someone is monitoring their thoughts. This represents which type
of thought content disturbance?
A) Delusion
B) Hallucination
C) Obsession
D) Overvalued idea
Answer: A. A delusion is a fixed, false belief that is not amenable to change in light
of conflicting evidence and is not culturally accepted. Hallucinations are perceptual
disturbances (sensing things without external stimuli). Obsessions are recurrent,
intrusive thoughts.
Q7. A patient reports "hearing voices commenting that I am a bad person." This
experience is classified as which type of symptom?
A) Delusion
B) Hallucination (auditory)
, C) Illusion
D) Thought insertion
Answer: B. Auditory hallucinations are the perception of voices without external
auditory stimuli. Commenting voices (voices commenting on the person) are
characteristic symptoms of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
Q8. According to DSM-5-TR, the diagnosis of Schizophrenia requires at least
two characteristic symptoms, with at least one being:
A) Delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech
B) Blunted affect or avolition
C) Cognitive decline
D) Social withdrawal
Answer: A. DSM-5-TR requires at least two characteristic symptoms (delusions,
hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, negative symptoms),
with at least one being delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech.
Q9. When conducting a suicide risk assessment, which of the following
represents the HIGHEST level of immediate concern?
A) The patient reports suicidal thoughts but has no specific plan
B) The patient has a specific suicide plan, means, and clear timeline
C) The patient has a history of alcohol use disorder
D) The patient has a history of depression
Answer: B. A specific suicide plan, access to lethal means (e.g., firearms,
medications), and a clear timeline represent the highest level of acute suicide risk
requiring immediate intervention. All options are risk factors, but B represents the
most urgent situation.
Q10. Which of the following is considered a protective factor against suicide
for a patient with schizophrenia?
A) History of previous suicide attempts
and answers with rationales/graded
A+/2026 update/100% correct /instant
download
SECTION 1: PSYCHIATRIC-MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT & DIAGNOSIS
(Questions 1-25)
Q1. During a Mental Status Examination (MSE), which of the following BEST
describes the difference between "affect" and "mood"?
A) Affect is the objectively observed emotional expression; mood is the patient's
subjectively reported internal emotional state
B) Affect is what the patient reports; mood is what the clinician observes
C) Affect and mood are different terms for the same concept
D) Affect refers to thought processes; mood refers to behavioral presentation
Answer: A. Mood is the patient's described subjective internal emotional
experience (e.g., "I feel sad"), while affect is the clinician's observed external
emotional expression (e.g., "flat affect, restricted range"). Both are essential
components of the MSE.
Q2. A patient describes feeling "down and hopeless" and reports losing
interest in activities they once enjoyed. During the Mental Status Examination,
these subjective complaints fall under which assessment domain?
A) Perception
,B) Thought Content
C) Mood
D) Judgment
Answer: C. "Feeling down" is a description of the subjective emotional state, which
falls under the Mood domain. Affect is the observed presentation, while mood is
the patient's internal subjective experience.
Q3. A patient speaks rapidly, jumping from one topic to another in a way that is
difficult for others to follow. The nurse observes "pressured speech and flight
of ideas." Which term BEST describes this phenomenon?
A) Thought retardation
B) Flight of ideas
C) Tangentiality
D) Poverty of thought
Answer: B. Flight of ideas is characterized by rapid speech with abrupt topic shifts,
often with clang associations. Tangentiality refers to going off-topic without
returning to the original point. Thought retardation refers to slow, delayed speech.
Poverty of thought refers to extremely limited thought content.
Q4. According to DSM-5-TR, which of the following is a core diagnostic
criterion for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)?
A) Depressed mood or anhedonia lasting at least 2 weeks
B) Depressed mood lasting at least 1 month
C) Irritability lasting at least 6 months
D) Low mood lasting at least 2 years
Answer: A. DSM-5-TR requires at least 2 weeks of depressed mood or loss of
interest/pleasure (anhedonia) in nearly all activities, accompanied by other
symptoms (changes in sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, etc.).
,Q5. An older adult patient reports "my memory is getting worse, and I keep
losing things." When performing a cognitive assessment, which screening tool
is MOST appropriate for distinguishing normal aging from mild cognitive
impairment?
A) PHQ-9
B) GDS (Geriatric Depression Scale)
C) MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment)
D) CAGE Questionnaire
Answer: C. The MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) is a widely used cognitive
screening tool with high sensitivity for detecting mild cognitive impairment. PHQ-9
screens for depression, GDS screens for geriatric depression, and CAGE screens
for alcohol use disorder.
Q6. A patient demonstrates distorted perception of the environment and firmly
believes that someone is monitoring their thoughts. This represents which type
of thought content disturbance?
A) Delusion
B) Hallucination
C) Obsession
D) Overvalued idea
Answer: A. A delusion is a fixed, false belief that is not amenable to change in light
of conflicting evidence and is not culturally accepted. Hallucinations are perceptual
disturbances (sensing things without external stimuli). Obsessions are recurrent,
intrusive thoughts.
Q7. A patient reports "hearing voices commenting that I am a bad person." This
experience is classified as which type of symptom?
A) Delusion
B) Hallucination (auditory)
, C) Illusion
D) Thought insertion
Answer: B. Auditory hallucinations are the perception of voices without external
auditory stimuli. Commenting voices (voices commenting on the person) are
characteristic symptoms of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
Q8. According to DSM-5-TR, the diagnosis of Schizophrenia requires at least
two characteristic symptoms, with at least one being:
A) Delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech
B) Blunted affect or avolition
C) Cognitive decline
D) Social withdrawal
Answer: A. DSM-5-TR requires at least two characteristic symptoms (delusions,
hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, negative symptoms),
with at least one being delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speech.
Q9. When conducting a suicide risk assessment, which of the following
represents the HIGHEST level of immediate concern?
A) The patient reports suicidal thoughts but has no specific plan
B) The patient has a specific suicide plan, means, and clear timeline
C) The patient has a history of alcohol use disorder
D) The patient has a history of depression
Answer: B. A specific suicide plan, access to lethal means (e.g., firearms,
medications), and a clear timeline represent the highest level of acute suicide risk
requiring immediate intervention. All options are risk factors, but B represents the
most urgent situation.
Q10. Which of the following is considered a protective factor against suicide
for a patient with schizophrenia?
A) History of previous suicide attempts
