Arizona Addiction Counselor (CADC)
Certification Practice Exam Questions And
Correct Answers (Verified Answers) Plus
Rationales 2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. What is the primary goal of an addiction counselor?
A. To support clients in achieving recovery and improving overall
functioning
B. To diagnose clients with unrelated mental disorders
C. To prescribe medications for withdrawal
D. To enforce punishment for substance use
• The primary goal of an addiction counselor is to help clients
recover from substance use disorders, improve functioning, and
support long-term wellness.
2. Which model views addiction as a disease?
A. Cognitive behavioral model
B. Biopsychosocial model
C. Medical model
D. Moral model
,• The medical model conceptualizes addiction as a chronic disease
affecting brain and behavior, destigmatizing the condition.
3. What does “harm reduction” focus on?
A. Total abstinence only
B. Minimizing negative consequences of substance use
C. Encouraging substance use in controlled environments
D. Legal punishment for users
• Harm reduction aims to lessen the adverse effects of use without
necessarily requiring abstinence.
4. Which interview technique is most consistent with motivational
interviewing?
A. Confrontation
B. Reflective listening
C. Advice giving only
D. Silence avoidance
• Reflective listening helps clients explore their own motivations for
change.
5. The term “relapse” refers to:
A. A client’s decision to never consider change
B. Return to substance use after a period of abstinence or
stability
, C. Only physical cravings
D. A client lying about use
• Relapse encompasses any return to problematic use or behaviors
after improvement.
6. Which neurotransmitter is most associated with the brain’s reward
system?
A. Serotonin
B. Dopamine
C. GABA
D. Acetylcholine
• Dopamine plays a central role in pleasure and reward circuits
linked to addiction.
7. What is the most important ethical concern regarding
confidentiality?
A. Clients should tell others their diagnosis
B. Protecting client information unless legally required to
disclose
C. Sharing client details for educational purposes
D. Posting client progress online
• Confidentiality is a cornerstone of trust; disclosures are limited to
legal exceptions.
, 8. In motivational interviewing, “discord” refers to:
A. Agreement between counselor and client
B. Tension or conflict in the therapeutic relationship
C. Client eagerness to change
D. Counselor offering solutions
• Discord signals resistance or misalignment that counselors should
navigate carefully.
9. What does “co-occurring disorders” mean?
A. Only addiction problems
B. Mental health and substance use disorders occurring together
C. Physical injuries from use
D. Family history of addiction
• Co-occurring refers to simultaneous mental health and substance
use issues requiring integrated treatment.
10. The stages of change model includes all except:
A. Precontemplation
B. Contemplation
C. Action
D. Abstinence only
Certification Practice Exam Questions And
Correct Answers (Verified Answers) Plus
Rationales 2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. What is the primary goal of an addiction counselor?
A. To support clients in achieving recovery and improving overall
functioning
B. To diagnose clients with unrelated mental disorders
C. To prescribe medications for withdrawal
D. To enforce punishment for substance use
• The primary goal of an addiction counselor is to help clients
recover from substance use disorders, improve functioning, and
support long-term wellness.
2. Which model views addiction as a disease?
A. Cognitive behavioral model
B. Biopsychosocial model
C. Medical model
D. Moral model
,• The medical model conceptualizes addiction as a chronic disease
affecting brain and behavior, destigmatizing the condition.
3. What does “harm reduction” focus on?
A. Total abstinence only
B. Minimizing negative consequences of substance use
C. Encouraging substance use in controlled environments
D. Legal punishment for users
• Harm reduction aims to lessen the adverse effects of use without
necessarily requiring abstinence.
4. Which interview technique is most consistent with motivational
interviewing?
A. Confrontation
B. Reflective listening
C. Advice giving only
D. Silence avoidance
• Reflective listening helps clients explore their own motivations for
change.
5. The term “relapse” refers to:
A. A client’s decision to never consider change
B. Return to substance use after a period of abstinence or
stability
, C. Only physical cravings
D. A client lying about use
• Relapse encompasses any return to problematic use or behaviors
after improvement.
6. Which neurotransmitter is most associated with the brain’s reward
system?
A. Serotonin
B. Dopamine
C. GABA
D. Acetylcholine
• Dopamine plays a central role in pleasure and reward circuits
linked to addiction.
7. What is the most important ethical concern regarding
confidentiality?
A. Clients should tell others their diagnosis
B. Protecting client information unless legally required to
disclose
C. Sharing client details for educational purposes
D. Posting client progress online
• Confidentiality is a cornerstone of trust; disclosures are limited to
legal exceptions.
, 8. In motivational interviewing, “discord” refers to:
A. Agreement between counselor and client
B. Tension or conflict in the therapeutic relationship
C. Client eagerness to change
D. Counselor offering solutions
• Discord signals resistance or misalignment that counselors should
navigate carefully.
9. What does “co-occurring disorders” mean?
A. Only addiction problems
B. Mental health and substance use disorders occurring together
C. Physical injuries from use
D. Family history of addiction
• Co-occurring refers to simultaneous mental health and substance
use issues requiring integrated treatment.
10. The stages of change model includes all except:
A. Precontemplation
B. Contemplation
C. Action
D. Abstinence only
