Psychiatric Mental Health Board Certification Questions and Answers Updated 2026

Psychiatric Mental Health Board
Certification Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
HowBmanyBtotalBquestionsBareBthereBonBtheBPMH-BCBexam?B-
BAnswer150B(125Bscored,B25Bunscored)



WhatBareBtheBPMH-BCBexamBrequirements?B-
BAnswerRNBlicenseB(minB2ByearsBexperience)

2,000BhoursBclinicalBpracticeBinBpastB3Byears

30BhoursBCEBinBpastB3Byears



10BTestBTakingBTechniquesB-BAnswer1.BOneBminBperBquestion

2.BAnswerBeveryBquestion

3.BHaveBaB"guess"Banswer

4.BIdentifyBkeyBwordsB(e.g.Bage,Bdiagnosis)

5.BIdentifyBpriorityBwordsB(e.g.Bfirst,Bbest)

6.BIdentifyBwordBcluesB(e.g.BphysiologicBneeds)

7.BIdentifyBopposites

8.BIdentifyBabsolutesB(e.g.Bjust,Balways,Bnever)

9.BIdentifyBduplicateBfacts

10.BAvoidBchangingBanswers



WhatBareBtheBpatientBbarriersBtoBtheBtherapeuticBrelationship?B-
BAnswerTheBpsychiatricBillness

BeingBresistantBtoBcareB(paranoia,Bcultural)

DefenseBmechanisms



WhatBareBtheBnurseBbarriersBtoBtheBtherapeuticBrelationship?B-
BAnswerDistracted/Bpreoccupied/BnotBfullyBfocusedBonBpts.BVerbalBandBnonverbalBcues

,Countertransference

AskingBpatientsB"why"Bquestions

AskingBpatientsBmoreBthanB1BquestionBatBaBtime



WhatBareBtheB8BmethodsBtoBenhanceBtheBtherapeuticBrelationship?B-
BAnswer1.BMaintainingBprofessionalBboundaries

2.BComfortableBeyeBcontact/BempatheticBfacialBexpressions

3.BEngagingBwithBaBpatientBwithBgentle,BsupportiveBtoneBofBvoice

4.BKeepingBrelaxed,BopenBbodyBposture

5.BProvidingBptBwithBphysicalBcomforts

6.BActivelyBlisteningBtoBwhatBpatientBisBsaying

7.BBeingBfullyBself-aware

8.BUsingBTherapeuticBsilenceBtoBallowBptBreflect/regroup



WhatBpractitionersBareBqualifiedBtoBmakeBaBpsychiatricBdiagnosis?B-BAnswerMD

DO

NP

PA



WhatBhandbookBisBusedBtoBmakeBaBpsychiatricBdiagnosis?B-BAnswerDSM-5



InBwhatByearBwasBtheBfirstBDSMBpublished?B-BAnswer1952



WhatBareBtheB5BcharacteristicsBofBstableBmentalBhealth?B-
BAnswer1.BAccuratelyBappraiseBandBinterpretBreality

2.BLove,BexperienceBjoy,BplayBandBlaugh

3.BThinkBclearly,BmakeBappropriateBdecisionsBandBproblemBsolve

4.BControlBone'sBbehaviorBandBcopeBwithBone'sBthoughts

,5.BRelateBtoBother's,BformBrelationships,BexperienceBempathy,BandBmanageBconflictBcon
structively



WhatBareBtheB5BcharacteristicsBofBaBmentalBhealthBdisorder?B-
BAnswer1.BImpairmentBofBbrainBfunctioningBcausedBbyBneurotransmitterBdysfunction,Ba
bnormalBbrainBstructure,BgeneticBfactorsBorBinjury

2.BThereBisBevidenceBshowingBthatBsevereBpsychologicalBtraumaBcausesBphysicalBbrainB
injury

3.BDysfunctionBinBcognition,BemotionBregulationBorBbehavior

4.BItBisBusuallyBassociatedBwithBdistressBorBdisabilityBinBimportantBactivities,Brelationshi
psBorBoccupations

5.BTheBinabilityBtoBcopeBwithBlifeBstressors,BincludingBjobBchanges,BlossBofBaBlovedBon
e,BbirthBofBaBchild,BmedicalBchallenges,Betc.



WhatBdoesBtheBAIMSBassessmentBstandBfor?B-
BAnswerAbnormalBInvoluntaryBMovementBScale



WhatBdoesBtheBAIMSBassessmentBtoolBevaluate?B-
BAnswerAssessesBtheBpresenceBandBseverityBofBabnormalBextremity,BfacialBandBbodyB
movement.

HigherBscoreB=BworseBimpairment



WhatBdoesBtheBBDIBassessmentBstandBfor?B-BAnswerBeckBDepressionBInventory



WhatBdoesBtheBBDIBassessmentBtoolBevaluate?B-
BAnswerMeasuresBtheBpresenceBandBseverityBofBdepression



WhatBBDIBscoreBisBassociatedBwithBmoderateBdepression?B-BAnswer19-29



WhatBdoesBtheBBVCBassessmentBtoolBstandBfor?B-BAnswerBrosetBViolenceBChecklist

, WhatBdoesBtheBBVCBassessmentBtoolBevaluate?B-
BAnswerTheBdegreeBorBriskBaBpatientBhasBofBbecomingBviolent.

HigherBscoreB=BmoreBlikelyBtheyBwillBbecomeBviolent



WhatBdoesBtheBCAGEBassessmentBtoolBassessBfor?B-
BAnswerAssessBforBdrugBand/orBalcoholBsubstanceBuseBdisorder

ScoreBofB2BorBgreaterBindicatesBsubstanceBuseBdisorder



WhatBdoesBCAGEBstandBfor?B-BAnswerCut,BAnnoyed,BGuilty,BEyeBOpener

NeedBtoBcutBback,BannoyedBbyBcriticism,BguiltyBaboutBuse,BeyeBopenerBinBtheBmornin
g



WhatBdoesBCIWA-ARBstandBfor?B-
BAnswerClinicalBInstituteBWithdrawalBAssessmentBformBforBAlcohol,BRevised



WhatBdoesBtheBCIWA-ARBassessmentBtoolBassessBfor?B-
BAnswerAlcoholBwithdrawalBsymptoms

HigherBscoreB=BmoreBsevereBwithdrawal



WhatBdoesBC-SSRSBstandBfor?B-BAnswerColumbia-BSuicideBSeverityBRatingBScale



WhatBdoesBC-SSRSBevaluate?B-
BAnswerReliablyBpredictsBtheBlevelBofBriskBanBindividualBdyingBbyBsuicide.

HigherBtheBscore,BtheBmoreBtheBpatientBisBatBrisk



WhatBdoesBCOWSBstandBfor?B-BAnswerClinicalBOpiateBWithdrawalBScales



WhatBscoresBareBconsideredBtoBindicateBsevereBwithdrawalBonBtheBCOWSBscale?B-
BAnswerAnyBscoreB36B+BisBconsideredBsevereBwithdrawal

MildB5-12,BModerateB13-24,BModeratelyBSevereB25-36,BSevereB36B+