CPCE Exam | Actual Questions and
Correct Answers | Updated 2026
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to
Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to
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?
Your personal belief system should not have any bearing on the therapeutic
relationship
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?
,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?
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?
Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
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...
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?
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?
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
Yes, you are ultimately responsible
When publishing research, it is important to
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?
Ultimately the law may be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when
, 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?
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
Confidentiality
Only one psychoanalyst's developmental theory covers the entire lifespan. Who is
he?
Erik Erikson
The Id, Ego, Superego are attributed to which psychoanalyst?
Sigmund Freud
What is the fourth stage of Jean Piaget's four stages
Formal Operations
Correct Answers | Updated 2026
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to
Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to
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?
Your personal belief system should not have any bearing on the therapeutic
relationship
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?
,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?
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?
Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
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...
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?
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?
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
Yes, you are ultimately responsible
When publishing research, it is important to
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?
Ultimately the law may be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when
, 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?
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
Confidentiality
Only one psychoanalyst's developmental theory covers the entire lifespan. Who is
he?
Erik Erikson
The Id, Ego, Superego are attributed to which psychoanalyst?
Sigmund Freud
What is the fourth stage of Jean Piaget's four stages
Formal Operations
