PRSA APR TEST
Questions & Answers with Rationales | Accredited in
Public Relations Exam Study Guide | 2026
RESOURCE FEATURES
• APR practice questions
• Answers for self-assessment
• Detailed rationales and explanations
• RPIE-focused review
• Ethics and professional-practice questions
• Strategic communication scenarios
• Crisis communication review
• Media-relations concepts
• APR exam preparation for 2026
, PRSA APR Test Questions & Answers with
Rationales | Accredited in Public Relations
Exam Study Guide | 2026
Question 1
You are the VP PR for a Texas nonprofit. You noticed that despite serving
many flood victims after Hurricane Katrina, there is an increasing number of
news reports alleging that the New Orleans chapter of the American Red
Cross' relief efforts involved abuses and missteps. What is the best course
of action based on these developments?
A. While it's a hot topic, send a news release to local media outlets, offering
a local perspective on how organizations should handle a crisis.
B. Work with your leadership to implement a volunteer responsibility
education campaign within the next month.
C. Make a mental note of the coverage. There hasn't been any negative
coverage of your charity and management is pleased with the conduct of
its longstanding volunteers.
D. Encourage leadership to keep a low profile until the end of this news
cycle. It's best to avoid controversial topic unless the media inquires.
Answer: B
,Rationale: An organization is a living system. As counselors, practitioners
must track and inform line management of major trends to help
organizations proactively adjust and adapt to their environments. Choice A
is incorrect because it is a reactive tactic rather than part of a strategic plan.
Choice C represents the static goal state of a closed system, not sensitive to
its environment. Choice D is a reactive (not proactive) response.
Source: EPR Chapter 4, pgs 148-156
Question 2
You are the PR Director for a health clinic system. Your COO has noticed a
disturbing trend with a decline in returning patients to a particular clinic.
Your department is asked to develop a plan to improve the number of
patient visits to the clinic. What is your best response to your COO's
concern of a decline in returning patient appointments? (Choose two)
A. Create a promotional advertising campaign about the importance of
regular and annual health check-ups.
B. Contact the local media to report on a new treatment the clinic
physicians offer to raise public interest in their expertise.
C. Survey current and past patients and ask them to rate satisfaction with
several touch points including; appointment wait times, customer service,
billing and quality of doctor.
D. Meet with other department managers to identify non-returning patients
and call them to reschedule.
, E. Form a focus group comprised of past patients to discuss reasons they
haven't returned.
Answer: C & E
Rationale: An Open Systems Model of Public Relations provides a way to
initiate corrective actions based on open, two-way communication with
publics. Surveying the patient base (public) would be a first step in
identifying reasons patients may not be returning to the clinic. Only after
becoming armed with actual feedback from the patient viewpoint can
management determine the best strategy to improve the return rate of
existing patients.
Source: EPR Chapter 7, pg. 162-163; KSA 4.1
Question 3
Company A plans to roll out a new product line. What role should the PR
manager play in the campaign?
A. Securing ad space on a platform whose viewership matches the
company's target market.
B. Surveying past consumers to identify what features they want to see in
the new product line.
Questions & Answers with Rationales | Accredited in
Public Relations Exam Study Guide | 2026
RESOURCE FEATURES
• APR practice questions
• Answers for self-assessment
• Detailed rationales and explanations
• RPIE-focused review
• Ethics and professional-practice questions
• Strategic communication scenarios
• Crisis communication review
• Media-relations concepts
• APR exam preparation for 2026
, PRSA APR Test Questions & Answers with
Rationales | Accredited in Public Relations
Exam Study Guide | 2026
Question 1
You are the VP PR for a Texas nonprofit. You noticed that despite serving
many flood victims after Hurricane Katrina, there is an increasing number of
news reports alleging that the New Orleans chapter of the American Red
Cross' relief efforts involved abuses and missteps. What is the best course
of action based on these developments?
A. While it's a hot topic, send a news release to local media outlets, offering
a local perspective on how organizations should handle a crisis.
B. Work with your leadership to implement a volunteer responsibility
education campaign within the next month.
C. Make a mental note of the coverage. There hasn't been any negative
coverage of your charity and management is pleased with the conduct of
its longstanding volunteers.
D. Encourage leadership to keep a low profile until the end of this news
cycle. It's best to avoid controversial topic unless the media inquires.
Answer: B
,Rationale: An organization is a living system. As counselors, practitioners
must track and inform line management of major trends to help
organizations proactively adjust and adapt to their environments. Choice A
is incorrect because it is a reactive tactic rather than part of a strategic plan.
Choice C represents the static goal state of a closed system, not sensitive to
its environment. Choice D is a reactive (not proactive) response.
Source: EPR Chapter 4, pgs 148-156
Question 2
You are the PR Director for a health clinic system. Your COO has noticed a
disturbing trend with a decline in returning patients to a particular clinic.
Your department is asked to develop a plan to improve the number of
patient visits to the clinic. What is your best response to your COO's
concern of a decline in returning patient appointments? (Choose two)
A. Create a promotional advertising campaign about the importance of
regular and annual health check-ups.
B. Contact the local media to report on a new treatment the clinic
physicians offer to raise public interest in their expertise.
C. Survey current and past patients and ask them to rate satisfaction with
several touch points including; appointment wait times, customer service,
billing and quality of doctor.
D. Meet with other department managers to identify non-returning patients
and call them to reschedule.
, E. Form a focus group comprised of past patients to discuss reasons they
haven't returned.
Answer: C & E
Rationale: An Open Systems Model of Public Relations provides a way to
initiate corrective actions based on open, two-way communication with
publics. Surveying the patient base (public) would be a first step in
identifying reasons patients may not be returning to the clinic. Only after
becoming armed with actual feedback from the patient viewpoint can
management determine the best strategy to improve the return rate of
existing patients.
Source: EPR Chapter 7, pg. 162-163; KSA 4.1
Question 3
Company A plans to roll out a new product line. What role should the PR
manager play in the campaign?
A. Securing ad space on a platform whose viewership matches the
company's target market.
B. Surveying past consumers to identify what features they want to see in
the new product line.
