CERTIFICATION EXAM PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS (2025-2026) UPDATED.
A child repeatedly asks questions during a blood draw. According to Lazarus, this behavior is
best identified as:
A. Primary appraisal
B. Problem-focused coping
C. Emotion-focused coping
D. Secondary appraisal - Answer B. Problem-focused coping
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the sequence of physiological
development of motor skills?
A. Motor development begins when the child reaches age 6 months
B. The development sequence is disordered in children with cerebral palsy
C. Motor development proceeds from the head downward to the lower body, and from the
center of the body outward to the extremities
D. The development sequence is determined by which of the child's hands will eventually be
dominant - Answer C. Motor development proceeds from the head downward to the lower
body, and from the center of the body outward to the extremities
After working on an individual school project for weeks, a patient learns that hospitalization will
prevent its completion. According to the work of Erikson, at which stage is a child most likely to
be distressed by this situation?
A. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
B. Industry vs. inferiority
C. Identity vs. role diffusion
D. Initiative vs. guilt - Answer B. Industry vs. inferiority
According to theories related to body image, at what age would female patients be expected to
be most distressed upon learning that required chemotherapy is likely to cause hair loss?
A. 7 years
B. 10 years
,A. May reflect the child's behavior when healthy, but is likely to have little or no relation to
behavior in the hospital
B. Offers helpful information about preschool children but little help for understanding children
at other ages
C. Must be viewed with caution, as parents are biased and subjective to their comments
D. Can provide child life specialists with valuable clues as to how to interact with the child -
Answer D. Can provide child life specialists with valuable clues as to how to interact with the
child
6. When talking to parents in a health care setting, the child life specialist should:
A. Be accepting of silence
B. Refrain from asking questions
C. Talk about one's own experience
D. Give advice and offer suggestions - Answer A. Be accepting of silence
The most critical factor associated with a child's vulnerability to the stresses of hospitalization is
the:
A. Age of the patient
B. Level of family support
C. Medical condition
D. Length of hospitalization - Answer A. Age of the patient
As accurate statement about emotional stress is that it is:
A. Experienced by fewer hospitalized children today than in the past
B. Seen frequently in the hospital but rarely observed after discharge
C. Common during the period of hospitalization and following discharge
D. Most sever in chronically ill children - Answer C. Common during the period of
hospitalization and following discharge
Preschool children typically conceptualize illness as something:
A. Located inside the body
B. Caused by proximity or magic
C. Linked to death
,Which of the following statements most supports the use of temperament theory and its
dimensions in child life assessments?
A. The CLS should consider a cognitive-affective approach with an angry child
B. A temperamental child requires focused behavioral interventions
C. Interventions consistent with the child's temperament are more likely to have a successful
outcome
D. Behaviors and anxieties of parents are transmitted to their child and must be considered -
Answer C. Interventions consistent with the child's temperament are more likely to have a
successful outcome
Which are some suggested and age appropriate coping techniques used for infants:
A. Hand held games, guided imagery
B. Counting, deep breathing exercises
C. Pacifiers, touch, music and comfort item
D. Pop-up books, hand holding - Answer C. Pacifiers, touch, music and comfort item
Which statement is true about non-directive medical play?
A. Medical play and preparation are synonymous
B. The adult should follow the child's lead
C. The play is accompanied by positive affect and is not intense or aggressive
D. The child should be the only one to initiate it - Answer B. The adult should follow the child's
lead
The person primarily credited with the development of the child life role is:
A. Gene Stanford
B. Thelma Cooper
C. Emma Plank
D. Anna Freud - Answer C. Emma Plank
When preparing a child for a medical procedure, a CLS should select which of the following age-
appropriate materials:
A. Photographs
B. Dolls
, Which of the following would be most useful in helping a child work through a just- completed
medical procedure?
A. A visit to the activity center
B. Separation play
C. Interacting with peers
D. Medical play - Answer D. Medical play
When providing preparation for a medical procedure, a CLS should always:
A. Contact the hospital administrator
B. Provide accurate and developmentally appropriate explanations
C. Explain the information to the siblings
D. Tour the hospital setting - Answer B. Provide accurate and developmentally appropriate
explanations
A CLS should play for a child when the child:
A. Is either too ill, physically unable or withdrawn to engage in play
B. Has exhibited inappropriate play behavior
C. Expresses feelings of inadequacy about performance on a game or project
D. Has limited social skills and refused to interact with others - Answer A. Is either too ill,
physically unable or withdrawn to engage in play
The use of preparation materials varies from child to child. When preparing a child for a
procedure a CLS should not include which:
A. Cloth doll
B. Medical equipment
C. Photos of the family pet
D. Pre-hospital coloring book - Answer C. Photos of the family pet
The effect of a CLS using a standardized plan to prepare a 5 year old for different types of
medical procedures is that:
A. The child's individual needs may not be met
B. Preparation standards are consistently reinforced
C. The specialist's clinical preparation skills are enhanced
QUESTIONS AND 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS (2025-2026) UPDATED.
A child repeatedly asks questions during a blood draw. According to Lazarus, this behavior is
best identified as:
A. Primary appraisal
B. Problem-focused coping
C. Emotion-focused coping
D. Secondary appraisal - Answer B. Problem-focused coping
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the sequence of physiological
development of motor skills?
A. Motor development begins when the child reaches age 6 months
B. The development sequence is disordered in children with cerebral palsy
C. Motor development proceeds from the head downward to the lower body, and from the
center of the body outward to the extremities
D. The development sequence is determined by which of the child's hands will eventually be
dominant - Answer C. Motor development proceeds from the head downward to the lower
body, and from the center of the body outward to the extremities
After working on an individual school project for weeks, a patient learns that hospitalization will
prevent its completion. According to the work of Erikson, at which stage is a child most likely to
be distressed by this situation?
A. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
B. Industry vs. inferiority
C. Identity vs. role diffusion
D. Initiative vs. guilt - Answer B. Industry vs. inferiority
According to theories related to body image, at what age would female patients be expected to
be most distressed upon learning that required chemotherapy is likely to cause hair loss?
A. 7 years
B. 10 years
,A. May reflect the child's behavior when healthy, but is likely to have little or no relation to
behavior in the hospital
B. Offers helpful information about preschool children but little help for understanding children
at other ages
C. Must be viewed with caution, as parents are biased and subjective to their comments
D. Can provide child life specialists with valuable clues as to how to interact with the child -
Answer D. Can provide child life specialists with valuable clues as to how to interact with the
child
6. When talking to parents in a health care setting, the child life specialist should:
A. Be accepting of silence
B. Refrain from asking questions
C. Talk about one's own experience
D. Give advice and offer suggestions - Answer A. Be accepting of silence
The most critical factor associated with a child's vulnerability to the stresses of hospitalization is
the:
A. Age of the patient
B. Level of family support
C. Medical condition
D. Length of hospitalization - Answer A. Age of the patient
As accurate statement about emotional stress is that it is:
A. Experienced by fewer hospitalized children today than in the past
B. Seen frequently in the hospital but rarely observed after discharge
C. Common during the period of hospitalization and following discharge
D. Most sever in chronically ill children - Answer C. Common during the period of
hospitalization and following discharge
Preschool children typically conceptualize illness as something:
A. Located inside the body
B. Caused by proximity or magic
C. Linked to death
,Which of the following statements most supports the use of temperament theory and its
dimensions in child life assessments?
A. The CLS should consider a cognitive-affective approach with an angry child
B. A temperamental child requires focused behavioral interventions
C. Interventions consistent with the child's temperament are more likely to have a successful
outcome
D. Behaviors and anxieties of parents are transmitted to their child and must be considered -
Answer C. Interventions consistent with the child's temperament are more likely to have a
successful outcome
Which are some suggested and age appropriate coping techniques used for infants:
A. Hand held games, guided imagery
B. Counting, deep breathing exercises
C. Pacifiers, touch, music and comfort item
D. Pop-up books, hand holding - Answer C. Pacifiers, touch, music and comfort item
Which statement is true about non-directive medical play?
A. Medical play and preparation are synonymous
B. The adult should follow the child's lead
C. The play is accompanied by positive affect and is not intense or aggressive
D. The child should be the only one to initiate it - Answer B. The adult should follow the child's
lead
The person primarily credited with the development of the child life role is:
A. Gene Stanford
B. Thelma Cooper
C. Emma Plank
D. Anna Freud - Answer C. Emma Plank
When preparing a child for a medical procedure, a CLS should select which of the following age-
appropriate materials:
A. Photographs
B. Dolls
, Which of the following would be most useful in helping a child work through a just- completed
medical procedure?
A. A visit to the activity center
B. Separation play
C. Interacting with peers
D. Medical play - Answer D. Medical play
When providing preparation for a medical procedure, a CLS should always:
A. Contact the hospital administrator
B. Provide accurate and developmentally appropriate explanations
C. Explain the information to the siblings
D. Tour the hospital setting - Answer B. Provide accurate and developmentally appropriate
explanations
A CLS should play for a child when the child:
A. Is either too ill, physically unable or withdrawn to engage in play
B. Has exhibited inappropriate play behavior
C. Expresses feelings of inadequacy about performance on a game or project
D. Has limited social skills and refused to interact with others - Answer A. Is either too ill,
physically unable or withdrawn to engage in play
The use of preparation materials varies from child to child. When preparing a child for a
procedure a CLS should not include which:
A. Cloth doll
B. Medical equipment
C. Photos of the family pet
D. Pre-hospital coloring book - Answer C. Photos of the family pet
The effect of a CLS using a standardized plan to prepare a 5 year old for different types of
medical procedures is that:
A. The child's individual needs may not be met
B. Preparation standards are consistently reinforced
C. The specialist's clinical preparation skills are enhanced
