NR 548 Exam 3 – Weeks 5 to 6 Covered | Practice Questions
& Answers Complete Study Guide – Psychiatric
Assessment for PMHNP | Chamberlain University | Latest
2026/2027 | 100% Verified
This comprehensive document contains practice questions and verified answers for NR
548 Exam 3, covering Weeks 5–6 of the Psychiatric Assessment for the Psychiatric-Mental
Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) course at Chamberlain University. Topics
include telepsychiatry, special populations (children, geriatric, forensic, military),
cultural competence, the Mental Status Examination (MSE), suicide risk assessment,
cognitive assessment, treatment planning, and the final phases of the psychiatric
interview .
SECTION 1: MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION (MSE) – CORE COMPONENTS
(Questions 1–30)
1. The MSE is best described as:
A) A diagnostic test for personality disorders
B) A standardized assessment of current psychological functioning
C) A tool used only in inpatient settings
D) A self-report questionnaire for patients
Answer: B
The MSE is a standardized assessment of current psychological functioning. It provides a
snapshot of the patient's mental state at the time of the evaluation and is essential for
establishing a psychiatric diagnosis .
2. Which mnemonic helps clinicians remember the core components of the MSE?
,A) A-B-C-D-E
B) All Borderline Subjects Are Tough Troubled Characters
C) S-O-A-P
D) GO-CHaMP
Answer: B
The mnemonic "All Borderline Subjects Are Tough Troubled Characters" helps clinicians
remember the components of the MSE: Appearance, Behavior, Speech, Affect, Thought
process, Thought content, and Cognitive examination .
3. The MSE is conducted:
A) Only at the beginning of the interview
B) Continuously throughout the interview
C) Only at the end of the interview
D) Only when a psychiatric diagnosis is suspected
Answer: B
The MSE is conducted continuously throughout the interview. The clinician observes the
patient's appearance, behavior, speech, and affect from the moment they meet, while
thought process, thought content, and cognition are assessed through questioning and
response patterns .
4. The "Appearance" component of the MSE includes:
A) Facial expressions, level of alertness, grooming, and physical markings
B) Only clothing and hygiene
C) Only age and gender
D) Only distinguishing physical features
Answer: A
,Appearance in the MSE includes facial expressions, level of alertness, grooming, hygiene,
clothing, physical markings (scars, tattoos), and general personal presentation. It provides
important clues about the patient's self-esteem and current mental state .
5. The "Behavior" component of the MSE assesses:
A) Eye contact, psychomotor activity, gait, and how the client responds to the
examination
B) Only eye contact
C) Only psychomotor activity
D) Only how the client responds to questions
Answer: A
Behavior in the MSE includes eye contact, psychomotor activity (increased or decreased),
movements, mannerisms, stereotypies, posturing, gait, coordination, and how the client
responds to the examination .
6. A patient who is experiencing mania is most likely to present with:
A) Psychomotor retardation
B) Pressured speech
C) Flat affect
D) Poverty of speech
Answer: B
An individual with extremely rapid and pressured speech with constant interruptions may be
experiencing hypomania or mania. Pressured speech is characterized by rapid, often loud
speech that is difficult to interrupt and may be accompanied by flight of ideas .
7. An absence of speech is seen with some diagnoses such as:
, A) Dementia
B) Mania
C) Anxiety disorders
D) Personality disorders
Answer: A
An absence of speech (mutism) or significant reduction in verbal output is seen with some
diagnoses such as dementia, severe depression (psychomotor retardation), catatonia, and
certain psychotic disorders .
8. Non-sensical speech is often associated with:
A) Psychotic disorders
B) Anxiety disorders
C) Depression
D) Personality disorders
Answer: A
Non-sensical speech, including word salad, neologisms, or loose associations, is often
associated with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Speech in psychosis may also
show derailment, tangentiality, or incoherence .
9. "Mood" in the MSE is best described as:
A) The client's subjective self-reported emotional state
B) The clinician's observation of the client's emotional expression
C) The client's facial expressions
D) The client's tone of voice
Answer: A
& Answers Complete Study Guide – Psychiatric
Assessment for PMHNP | Chamberlain University | Latest
2026/2027 | 100% Verified
This comprehensive document contains practice questions and verified answers for NR
548 Exam 3, covering Weeks 5–6 of the Psychiatric Assessment for the Psychiatric-Mental
Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) course at Chamberlain University. Topics
include telepsychiatry, special populations (children, geriatric, forensic, military),
cultural competence, the Mental Status Examination (MSE), suicide risk assessment,
cognitive assessment, treatment planning, and the final phases of the psychiatric
interview .
SECTION 1: MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION (MSE) – CORE COMPONENTS
(Questions 1–30)
1. The MSE is best described as:
A) A diagnostic test for personality disorders
B) A standardized assessment of current psychological functioning
C) A tool used only in inpatient settings
D) A self-report questionnaire for patients
Answer: B
The MSE is a standardized assessment of current psychological functioning. It provides a
snapshot of the patient's mental state at the time of the evaluation and is essential for
establishing a psychiatric diagnosis .
2. Which mnemonic helps clinicians remember the core components of the MSE?
,A) A-B-C-D-E
B) All Borderline Subjects Are Tough Troubled Characters
C) S-O-A-P
D) GO-CHaMP
Answer: B
The mnemonic "All Borderline Subjects Are Tough Troubled Characters" helps clinicians
remember the components of the MSE: Appearance, Behavior, Speech, Affect, Thought
process, Thought content, and Cognitive examination .
3. The MSE is conducted:
A) Only at the beginning of the interview
B) Continuously throughout the interview
C) Only at the end of the interview
D) Only when a psychiatric diagnosis is suspected
Answer: B
The MSE is conducted continuously throughout the interview. The clinician observes the
patient's appearance, behavior, speech, and affect from the moment they meet, while
thought process, thought content, and cognition are assessed through questioning and
response patterns .
4. The "Appearance" component of the MSE includes:
A) Facial expressions, level of alertness, grooming, and physical markings
B) Only clothing and hygiene
C) Only age and gender
D) Only distinguishing physical features
Answer: A
,Appearance in the MSE includes facial expressions, level of alertness, grooming, hygiene,
clothing, physical markings (scars, tattoos), and general personal presentation. It provides
important clues about the patient's self-esteem and current mental state .
5. The "Behavior" component of the MSE assesses:
A) Eye contact, psychomotor activity, gait, and how the client responds to the
examination
B) Only eye contact
C) Only psychomotor activity
D) Only how the client responds to questions
Answer: A
Behavior in the MSE includes eye contact, psychomotor activity (increased or decreased),
movements, mannerisms, stereotypies, posturing, gait, coordination, and how the client
responds to the examination .
6. A patient who is experiencing mania is most likely to present with:
A) Psychomotor retardation
B) Pressured speech
C) Flat affect
D) Poverty of speech
Answer: B
An individual with extremely rapid and pressured speech with constant interruptions may be
experiencing hypomania or mania. Pressured speech is characterized by rapid, often loud
speech that is difficult to interrupt and may be accompanied by flight of ideas .
7. An absence of speech is seen with some diagnoses such as:
, A) Dementia
B) Mania
C) Anxiety disorders
D) Personality disorders
Answer: A
An absence of speech (mutism) or significant reduction in verbal output is seen with some
diagnoses such as dementia, severe depression (psychomotor retardation), catatonia, and
certain psychotic disorders .
8. Non-sensical speech is often associated with:
A) Psychotic disorders
B) Anxiety disorders
C) Depression
D) Personality disorders
Answer: A
Non-sensical speech, including word salad, neologisms, or loose associations, is often
associated with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Speech in psychosis may also
show derailment, tangentiality, or incoherence .
9. "Mood" in the MSE is best described as:
A) The client's subjective self-reported emotional state
B) The clinician's observation of the client's emotional expression
C) The client's facial expressions
D) The client's tone of voice
Answer: A
