CPCE Exam!! Actual Questions and
Answers 2025-2026
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? - 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? - 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? - ANSWER-
Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to - ANSWER-
Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to - 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? - ANSWER-Your personal belief
system should not have any bearing on the therapeutic relationship
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... - 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? -
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? - 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 - ANSWER-Yes, you are ultimately
responsible
When publishing research, it is important to - 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? - ANSWER-Ultimately the
law may be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when - 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? - 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 - ANSWER-Confidentiality
Only one psychoanalyst's developmental theory covers the entire lifespan. Who is he? -
ANSWER-Erik Erikson
The Id, Ego, Superego are attributed to which psychoanalyst? - ANSWER-Sigmund
Freud
What is the fourth stage of Jean Piaget's four stages - ANSWER-Formal Operations
Identity Crisis - ANSWER-Erik Erikson
Positive Psychology - ANSWER-processes that contribute to optimal functioning/ not
focusing on abnormalities
Smoking habit to Sigmund Freud - ANSWER-Oral Fixation
Most mental health professionals believe - ANSWER-no one theory of development
completely explains the process
John Bowlby - ANSWER-Attachment Theory
Lawrence Kohlberg's three levels of morality - ANSWER-Pre-conventional,
Conventional, and post-conventional
Female version of Freud's Oedipus complex - ANSWER-Electra Complex
, Researcher known for Rhesus Monkeys - ANSWER-Harry Harlow
Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - ANSWER-Theory of human motivation -
psychological, safety, love, affection, belongingness
Down Syndrome - ANSWER-Chromosomal abnormality
John Watson - ANSWER-Little Albert experiment
Albert Bandura's best-known research - ANSWER-Bobo Doll study
What did Lev Vygotsky stress in his development theory? - ANSWER-Cultural Context
and language
Freudian Defense Mechanism - ANSWER-Repression
Imprinting - ANSWER-Konrad Lorenz
Incorporating several therapeutic theories in your work - ANSWER-eclectic
Complaining of feeling restless, mood swings, times of hopelessness, periods of high
energy and creativity in which she can go days without sleep - ANSWER-Bipolar
Client presents with his wife both complaining the patient has had a change in cognitive
function including language and memory. Client denies loss of pleasure in normal
activities and denies feeling sad, but client is able to manage his medications but
requires someone to set up his medication box and set a timer for him. - ANSWER-
Neurocognitive Disorder
Disorder of thought; disorder of mood - ANSWER-Schizophrenia; bipolar disorder
Mirroring back client's verbalizations, and not passing judgment. Facilitating in assisting
his client in reaching resolution of the presenting problems. - ANSWER-Rogerian, client-
centered therapy
Binge eating coupled with inappropriate methods of controlling one's weight may be a
symptom of - ANSWER-Bulimia
Concerns of his health; reports chronic intestinal difficulties, but has not sought medical
treatment for his concerns. For the last five years he rarely feels at ease while at his job.
Feels uneasy when outside the home - ANSWER-Agoraphobia
loss of appetite; nervousness, and recurrent nightmares of a past hospital experience
from years prior, where she says she almost died - ANSWER-PTSD
Answers 2025-2026
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? - 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? - 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? - ANSWER-
Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to - ANSWER-
Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to - 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? - ANSWER-Your personal belief
system should not have any bearing on the therapeutic relationship
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... - 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? -
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? - 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 - ANSWER-Yes, you are ultimately
responsible
When publishing research, it is important to - 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? - ANSWER-Ultimately the
law may be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when - 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? - 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 - ANSWER-Confidentiality
Only one psychoanalyst's developmental theory covers the entire lifespan. Who is he? -
ANSWER-Erik Erikson
The Id, Ego, Superego are attributed to which psychoanalyst? - ANSWER-Sigmund
Freud
What is the fourth stage of Jean Piaget's four stages - ANSWER-Formal Operations
Identity Crisis - ANSWER-Erik Erikson
Positive Psychology - ANSWER-processes that contribute to optimal functioning/ not
focusing on abnormalities
Smoking habit to Sigmund Freud - ANSWER-Oral Fixation
Most mental health professionals believe - ANSWER-no one theory of development
completely explains the process
John Bowlby - ANSWER-Attachment Theory
Lawrence Kohlberg's three levels of morality - ANSWER-Pre-conventional,
Conventional, and post-conventional
Female version of Freud's Oedipus complex - ANSWER-Electra Complex
, Researcher known for Rhesus Monkeys - ANSWER-Harry Harlow
Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - ANSWER-Theory of human motivation -
psychological, safety, love, affection, belongingness
Down Syndrome - ANSWER-Chromosomal abnormality
John Watson - ANSWER-Little Albert experiment
Albert Bandura's best-known research - ANSWER-Bobo Doll study
What did Lev Vygotsky stress in his development theory? - ANSWER-Cultural Context
and language
Freudian Defense Mechanism - ANSWER-Repression
Imprinting - ANSWER-Konrad Lorenz
Incorporating several therapeutic theories in your work - ANSWER-eclectic
Complaining of feeling restless, mood swings, times of hopelessness, periods of high
energy and creativity in which she can go days without sleep - ANSWER-Bipolar
Client presents with his wife both complaining the patient has had a change in cognitive
function including language and memory. Client denies loss of pleasure in normal
activities and denies feeling sad, but client is able to manage his medications but
requires someone to set up his medication box and set a timer for him. - ANSWER-
Neurocognitive Disorder
Disorder of thought; disorder of mood - ANSWER-Schizophrenia; bipolar disorder
Mirroring back client's verbalizations, and not passing judgment. Facilitating in assisting
his client in reaching resolution of the presenting problems. - ANSWER-Rogerian, client-
centered therapy
Binge eating coupled with inappropriate methods of controlling one's weight may be a
symptom of - ANSWER-Bulimia
Concerns of his health; reports chronic intestinal difficulties, but has not sought medical
treatment for his concerns. For the last five years he rarely feels at ease while at his job.
Feels uneasy when outside the home - ANSWER-Agoraphobia
loss of appetite; nervousness, and recurrent nightmares of a past hospital experience
from years prior, where she says she almost died - ANSWER-PTSD
