2025-2026 Psychiatric Mental Health
Board Certification Final Exam
Questions with Actual Detailed
Answers.
How many total questions are there on the PMH-BC exam? - Answer 150 (125 scored, 25
unscored)
What are the PMH-BC exam requirements? - Answer RN license (min 2 years’ experience)
2,000 hours clinical practice in past 3 years
30 hours CE in past 3 years
10 Test Taking Techniques - Answer 1. One min per question
2. Answer every question
3. Have a "guess" answer
4. Identify key words (e.g. age, diagnosis)
5. Identify priority words (e.g. first, best)
6. Identify word clues (e.g. physiologic needs)
7. Identify opposites
8. Identify absolutes (e.g. just, always, never)
9. Identify duplicate facts
10. Avoid changing answers
What are the patient barriers to the therapeutic relationship? - Answer The psychiatric
illness
Being resistant to care (paranoia, cultural)
Defense mechanisms
What are the nurse barriers to the therapeutic relationship? - Answer Distracted/
preoccupied/ not fully focused on pts. Verbal and nonverbal cues
Countertransference
Asking patients "why" questions
,2. Comfortable eye contact/ empathetic facial expressions
3. Engaging with a patient with gentle, supportive tone of voice
4. Keeping relaxed, open body posture
5. Providing pt with physical comforts
6. Actively listening to what patient is saying
7. Being fully self-aware
8. Using Therapeutic silence to allow pt reflect/regroup
What practitioners are qualified to make a psychiatric diagnosis? - Answer MD
DO
NP
PA
What handbook is used to make a psychiatric diagnosis? - Answer DSM-5
In what year was the first DSM published? - Answer 1952
What are the 5 characteristics of stable mental health? - Answer 1. Accurately appraise and
interpret reality
2. Love, experience joy, play and laugh
3. Think clearly, make appropriate decisions and problem solve
4. Control one's behavior and cope with one's thoughts
5. Relate to other's, form relationships, experience empathy, and manage conflict constructively
What are the 5 characteristics of a mental health disorder? - Answer 1. Impairment of brain
functioning caused by neurotransmitter dysfunction, abnormal brain structure, genetic factors
or injury
2. There is evidence showing that severe psychological trauma causes physical brain injury
3. Dysfunction in cognition, emotion regulation or behavior
4. It is usually associated with distress or disability in important activities, relationships or
occupations
5. The inability to cope with life stressors, including job changes, loss of a loved one, birth of a
child, medical challenges, etc.
,What does the AIMS assessment tool evaluate? - Answer Assesses the presence and severity
of abnormal extremity, facial and body movement.
Higher score = worse impairment
What does the BDI assessment stand for? - Answer Beck Depression Inventory
What does the BDI assessment tool evaluate? - Answer Measures the presence and severity
of depression
What BDI score is associated with moderate depression? - Answer 19-29
What does the BVC assessment tool stand for? - Answer Broset Violence Checklist
What does the BVC assessment tool evaluate? - Answer The degree or risk a patient has of
becoming violent.
Higher score = more likely they will become violent
What does the CAGE assessment tool assess for? - Answer Assess for drug and/or alcohol
substance use disorder
Score of 2 or greater indicates substance use disorder
What does CAGE stand for? - Answer Cut, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye Opener
Need to cut back, annoyed by criticism, guilty about use, eye opener in the morning
What does CIWA-AR stand for? - Answer Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment form for
Alcohol, Revised
What does the CIWA-AR assessment tool assess for? - Answer Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
Higher score = more severe withdrawal
What does C-SSRS stand for? - Answer Columbia- Suicide Severity Rating Scale
What does C-SSRS evaluate? - Answer Reliably predicts the level of risk an individual dying by
, What scores are considered to indicate severe withdrawal on the COWS scale? - Answer Any
score 36 + is considered severe withdrawal
Mild 5-12, Moderate 13-24, Moderately Severe 25-36, Severe 36 +
What is the Conners Rating Scale used to assess for? - Answer Assesses for the presence and
severity of ADHD in children and adolescents 6-18 years old
What score on the Conners Rating Score indicates a moderate severity level of issues? - Answer
60-70
<60 = no issues, 60-70 = moderate issues, 70 + = severe issues
What does the HAM-A Scale stand for? - Answer Hamilton Anxiety Score
What does the HAM-A Scale assess? - Answer Assesses degree of anxiety, taking both
physical and psychological symptoms into consideration
Scores range 0-56; the higher the score, the worse the impairment
What does the HEEADSSS Scale stand for? - Answer
Home/Education/Employment/Eating/Activities/Drugs/Suicide/Sexuality/Safety
What does the HEEADSSS Scale evaluate? - Answer A big picture look of an adolescent's
well-being
What does the MSE stand for? - Answer Mental Status Exam
What 9 areas of functioning does the MSE assess for? - Answer 1. Appearance
2. Behavior
3. Mood
4. Affect
5. Thought process and content
6. Perception
7. Sensorium
Board Certification Final Exam
Questions with Actual Detailed
Answers.
How many total questions are there on the PMH-BC exam? - Answer 150 (125 scored, 25
unscored)
What are the PMH-BC exam requirements? - Answer RN license (min 2 years’ experience)
2,000 hours clinical practice in past 3 years
30 hours CE in past 3 years
10 Test Taking Techniques - Answer 1. One min per question
2. Answer every question
3. Have a "guess" answer
4. Identify key words (e.g. age, diagnosis)
5. Identify priority words (e.g. first, best)
6. Identify word clues (e.g. physiologic needs)
7. Identify opposites
8. Identify absolutes (e.g. just, always, never)
9. Identify duplicate facts
10. Avoid changing answers
What are the patient barriers to the therapeutic relationship? - Answer The psychiatric
illness
Being resistant to care (paranoia, cultural)
Defense mechanisms
What are the nurse barriers to the therapeutic relationship? - Answer Distracted/
preoccupied/ not fully focused on pts. Verbal and nonverbal cues
Countertransference
Asking patients "why" questions
,2. Comfortable eye contact/ empathetic facial expressions
3. Engaging with a patient with gentle, supportive tone of voice
4. Keeping relaxed, open body posture
5. Providing pt with physical comforts
6. Actively listening to what patient is saying
7. Being fully self-aware
8. Using Therapeutic silence to allow pt reflect/regroup
What practitioners are qualified to make a psychiatric diagnosis? - Answer MD
DO
NP
PA
What handbook is used to make a psychiatric diagnosis? - Answer DSM-5
In what year was the first DSM published? - Answer 1952
What are the 5 characteristics of stable mental health? - Answer 1. Accurately appraise and
interpret reality
2. Love, experience joy, play and laugh
3. Think clearly, make appropriate decisions and problem solve
4. Control one's behavior and cope with one's thoughts
5. Relate to other's, form relationships, experience empathy, and manage conflict constructively
What are the 5 characteristics of a mental health disorder? - Answer 1. Impairment of brain
functioning caused by neurotransmitter dysfunction, abnormal brain structure, genetic factors
or injury
2. There is evidence showing that severe psychological trauma causes physical brain injury
3. Dysfunction in cognition, emotion regulation or behavior
4. It is usually associated with distress or disability in important activities, relationships or
occupations
5. The inability to cope with life stressors, including job changes, loss of a loved one, birth of a
child, medical challenges, etc.
,What does the AIMS assessment tool evaluate? - Answer Assesses the presence and severity
of abnormal extremity, facial and body movement.
Higher score = worse impairment
What does the BDI assessment stand for? - Answer Beck Depression Inventory
What does the BDI assessment tool evaluate? - Answer Measures the presence and severity
of depression
What BDI score is associated with moderate depression? - Answer 19-29
What does the BVC assessment tool stand for? - Answer Broset Violence Checklist
What does the BVC assessment tool evaluate? - Answer The degree or risk a patient has of
becoming violent.
Higher score = more likely they will become violent
What does the CAGE assessment tool assess for? - Answer Assess for drug and/or alcohol
substance use disorder
Score of 2 or greater indicates substance use disorder
What does CAGE stand for? - Answer Cut, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye Opener
Need to cut back, annoyed by criticism, guilty about use, eye opener in the morning
What does CIWA-AR stand for? - Answer Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment form for
Alcohol, Revised
What does the CIWA-AR assessment tool assess for? - Answer Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
Higher score = more severe withdrawal
What does C-SSRS stand for? - Answer Columbia- Suicide Severity Rating Scale
What does C-SSRS evaluate? - Answer Reliably predicts the level of risk an individual dying by
, What scores are considered to indicate severe withdrawal on the COWS scale? - Answer Any
score 36 + is considered severe withdrawal
Mild 5-12, Moderate 13-24, Moderately Severe 25-36, Severe 36 +
What is the Conners Rating Scale used to assess for? - Answer Assesses for the presence and
severity of ADHD in children and adolescents 6-18 years old
What score on the Conners Rating Score indicates a moderate severity level of issues? - Answer
60-70
<60 = no issues, 60-70 = moderate issues, 70 + = severe issues
What does the HAM-A Scale stand for? - Answer Hamilton Anxiety Score
What does the HAM-A Scale assess? - Answer Assesses degree of anxiety, taking both
physical and psychological symptoms into consideration
Scores range 0-56; the higher the score, the worse the impairment
What does the HEEADSSS Scale stand for? - Answer
Home/Education/Employment/Eating/Activities/Drugs/Suicide/Sexuality/Safety
What does the HEEADSSS Scale evaluate? - Answer A big picture look of an adolescent's
well-being
What does the MSE stand for? - Answer Mental Status Exam
What 9 areas of functioning does the MSE assess for? - Answer 1. Appearance
2. Behavior
3. Mood
4. Affect
5. Thought process and content
6. Perception
7. Sensorium
