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BARKLEY PMHNP REVIEW
2026/2027 ACTUAL QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS.
What is the first step in the assessment process? - ANSWER-
Gather the chief complaint and history information before
treatment.
What does the pneumonic COLDSPA stand for? - ANSWER-C -
Character of symptoms, O - Onset, L - Length of symptoms, D -
Duration, S - Stressors, P - Precipitating factors, A - Alleviating
factors.
What should you inquire about in a social history? - ANSWER-
Relationships, work, education, trauma, and legal issues.
What is important to assess in a developmental history? -
ANSWER-Difficulties with parents, teachers, and authority
figures.
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What is the significance of family history in mental health
assessment? - ANSWER-It helps identify genetic
predispositions to disorders and any history of trauma or
substance use.
What personal information should be gathered during
assessment? - ANSWER-Hobbies and coping strategies,
particularly for depression assessment.
What does the Gottesman et al. (2010) study indicate about
schizophrenia risk? - ANSWER-Having two parents with
schizophrenia increases the child's risk to 27%, while one
parent increases it to 7%.
Why is past psychiatric history assessed later in the
evaluation? - ANSWER-To avoid bias and ensure a
comprehensive assessment of other factors first.
What is the importance of medical history in psychiatric
evaluations? - ANSWER-To rule out medical conditions that
could mimic psychiatric symptoms.
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What is the normal sleep cycle composed of? - ANSWER-Non-
REM, deeper non-REM, and REM sleep.
What is assessed in a Mental Status Examination (MSE)? -
ANSWER-Appearance, behavior, speech, affect, thought
process, thought content, and cognitive examination.
What is the purpose of the Mini Mental Status Exam? -
ANSWER-To assess cognitive function through memory recall
and interpretation tasks.
What does the Clock Drawing test assess? - ANSWER-
Cognitive distortion; inability to draw a clock correctly may
indicate dementia.
What are the components of the MMSE? - ANSWER-
Orientation, memory recall, counting backwards, language, and
following commands.
What is the scoring range for the Hamilton Depression Scale? -
ANSWER-0-76, with <7 indicating no depression and >23
indicating severe depression.
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What does the PHQ-9 assess? - ANSWER-Depression
symptoms over the past two weeks with a scoring range of 1-
27.
What is the purpose of the GAD-7 screening tool? - ANSWER-
To assess anxiety symptoms with a scoring range of 5-21.
What symptoms are assessed for Bipolar Disorder? -
ANSWER-Family history, speech patterns, sleep, hyperactivity,
irritability, grandiosity, and impulsiveness.
What does the Mood Disorder Questionnaire screen for? -
ANSWER-Bipolar disorder through yes/no questions about
mood and relationships.
What is required for an ADHD diagnosis? - ANSWER-
Symptoms must be present in two different settings.
BARKLEY PMHNP REVIEW
2026/2027 ACTUAL QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS.
What is the first step in the assessment process? - ANSWER-
Gather the chief complaint and history information before
treatment.
What does the pneumonic COLDSPA stand for? - ANSWER-C -
Character of symptoms, O - Onset, L - Length of symptoms, D -
Duration, S - Stressors, P - Precipitating factors, A - Alleviating
factors.
What should you inquire about in a social history? - ANSWER-
Relationships, work, education, trauma, and legal issues.
What is important to assess in a developmental history? -
ANSWER-Difficulties with parents, teachers, and authority
figures.
,2 | Page
What is the significance of family history in mental health
assessment? - ANSWER-It helps identify genetic
predispositions to disorders and any history of trauma or
substance use.
What personal information should be gathered during
assessment? - ANSWER-Hobbies and coping strategies,
particularly for depression assessment.
What does the Gottesman et al. (2010) study indicate about
schizophrenia risk? - ANSWER-Having two parents with
schizophrenia increases the child's risk to 27%, while one
parent increases it to 7%.
Why is past psychiatric history assessed later in the
evaluation? - ANSWER-To avoid bias and ensure a
comprehensive assessment of other factors first.
What is the importance of medical history in psychiatric
evaluations? - ANSWER-To rule out medical conditions that
could mimic psychiatric symptoms.
,3 | Page
What is the normal sleep cycle composed of? - ANSWER-Non-
REM, deeper non-REM, and REM sleep.
What is assessed in a Mental Status Examination (MSE)? -
ANSWER-Appearance, behavior, speech, affect, thought
process, thought content, and cognitive examination.
What is the purpose of the Mini Mental Status Exam? -
ANSWER-To assess cognitive function through memory recall
and interpretation tasks.
What does the Clock Drawing test assess? - ANSWER-
Cognitive distortion; inability to draw a clock correctly may
indicate dementia.
What are the components of the MMSE? - ANSWER-
Orientation, memory recall, counting backwards, language, and
following commands.
What is the scoring range for the Hamilton Depression Scale? -
ANSWER-0-76, with <7 indicating no depression and >23
indicating severe depression.
, 4 | Page
What does the PHQ-9 assess? - ANSWER-Depression
symptoms over the past two weeks with a scoring range of 1-
27.
What is the purpose of the GAD-7 screening tool? - ANSWER-
To assess anxiety symptoms with a scoring range of 5-21.
What symptoms are assessed for Bipolar Disorder? -
ANSWER-Family history, speech patterns, sleep, hyperactivity,
irritability, grandiosity, and impulsiveness.
What does the Mood Disorder Questionnaire screen for? -
ANSWER-Bipolar disorder through yes/no questions about
mood and relationships.
What is required for an ADHD diagnosis? - ANSWER-
Symptoms must be present in two different settings.
