TF-CBT Certification Exam – 2026/2027 ULTIMATE
REVIEW WITH DETAILED SOLUTIONS
• . How often should TF-CBT treatment sessions be conducted? -✓✓ Once a week
or more frequently
Weekly sessions are the TF-CBT standard, and treatment can be delivered more
frequently if circumstances make that possible.
• For what age range of children has TF-CBT been found to be effective? -✓✓ 3-
18 years
Research demonstrating TF-CBT's efficacy has included children as young as 3
and as old as 18.
• Which of the following statements is NOT true for TF-CBT? -✓✓ All children
who have experienced at least one potentially traumatic event are good candidates
for TF-CBT
Simply experiencing a trauma does not make a child a good candidate for TF-CBT;
trauma-related symptoms must be present, as well.
• Lila is a 10-year-old girl referred to you by a school counselor due to misbehavior
in school and decreased academic performance that both have become serious
problems over the past 3 months. Your trauma assessment revealed that she had
been in a serious car crash about three years ago, suffering some minor physical
injuries. Neither she nor her parents report any other traumatic events. Her mother
reported no difficulties related to the car crash and Lila's score on a standardized
measure of PTSD symptoms was in the low normal range. Is Lila a good treatment
candidate for TF-CBT and why? -✓✓ No, she does not have clinically significant
trauma-related problems that require trauma-focused treatment.
TF-CBT should be provided to kids who have experienced trauma AND who
report some symptoms of PTSD
,• Which of the following is a TF-CBT treatment goal for participating parents and
caregivers? -✓✓ To increase caregiver support of the child, parenting skills, and
parent-child communication
Some of the other response options may be ancillary benefits of TF-CBT in some
cases, but they are not explicit treatment goals.
• Which of the following is NOT a problem that should be managed prior to
beginning TF-CBT? -✓✓ Child has significant academic problems and is failing
Issues that pertain to the safety of the child or others in the child's environment
need to be addressed prior to beginning TF-CBT. Academic problems generally do
not rise to this standard.
• What treatment elements should be included in every session of TF-CBT? -✓✓
Parenting Skills and Gradual Exposure
The trauma should be discussed in every session of TF-CBT (as the PRAC skills
are applied to trauma-related problems, for example), and parent sessions should
include some discussion of parenting
• Which TF-CBT treatment components make up the Integration/Consolidation
Phase of treatment? -✓✓ In Vivo Mastery, Conjoint Sessions, and Enhancing
Future Safety and Development
Integration/Consolidation is the final phase of TF-CBT treatment and includes all
the components after the creation and processing of the Trauma Narrative.
• Samuel is a 14-year-old boy with a cognitive disability who functions at about the
level of a 5-year-old. He was referred to you by a child welfare worker after a
report of physical abuse by his mother. Your trauma assessment found that Samuel
had a long history of significant physical abuse by both his parents. Samuel
reported that when his parents beat him, it was his fault because he did something
wrong, and that he usually deserved the punishment. He often felt guilty about
causing his parents to hit him and ashamed of himself for being bad. A
, standardized measure of PTSD symptoms completed by his current caregiver, an
aunt, was in the high normal range. Is Samuel a good treatment candidate for TF-
CBT and why? -✓✓ Yes, Samuel's problems with guilt, self-blame, and shame are
clinically significant trauma related problems that can be treated with TF-CBT.
Despite Samuel's disability, he is functioning at a developmental level for which
TF-CBT is appropriate, and his self-blame and emotional symptoms are
appropriate treatment targets.
• What are the two components of treatment fidelity? -✓✓ Adherence and
Competence
The degree to which therapists provide treatment "with fidelity" is dependent on
how closely they follow the prescribed treatment model (adherence) and their skill
in delivering the treatment components (competence).
• Which of the following is a main purpose of the psychoeducation module? -✓✓
Helping children and caregivers understand common reactions to trauma exposure
is one of the main functions of this module.
• All of the following are important aspects of the psychoeducation module
EXCEPT: -✓✓ Assessing the child's trauma symptoms and appropriateness for
TF-CBT
Initial assessment of symptoms occurs prior to treatment onset.
• Which statement reflects an element of psychoeducation pertaining to physical
abuse? -✓✓ Physical abuse and punishment are not the same thing.
Physically abused kids often struggle to understand the difference between
"punishment" and "abusive discipline."
REVIEW WITH DETAILED SOLUTIONS
• . How often should TF-CBT treatment sessions be conducted? -✓✓ Once a week
or more frequently
Weekly sessions are the TF-CBT standard, and treatment can be delivered more
frequently if circumstances make that possible.
• For what age range of children has TF-CBT been found to be effective? -✓✓ 3-
18 years
Research demonstrating TF-CBT's efficacy has included children as young as 3
and as old as 18.
• Which of the following statements is NOT true for TF-CBT? -✓✓ All children
who have experienced at least one potentially traumatic event are good candidates
for TF-CBT
Simply experiencing a trauma does not make a child a good candidate for TF-CBT;
trauma-related symptoms must be present, as well.
• Lila is a 10-year-old girl referred to you by a school counselor due to misbehavior
in school and decreased academic performance that both have become serious
problems over the past 3 months. Your trauma assessment revealed that she had
been in a serious car crash about three years ago, suffering some minor physical
injuries. Neither she nor her parents report any other traumatic events. Her mother
reported no difficulties related to the car crash and Lila's score on a standardized
measure of PTSD symptoms was in the low normal range. Is Lila a good treatment
candidate for TF-CBT and why? -✓✓ No, she does not have clinically significant
trauma-related problems that require trauma-focused treatment.
TF-CBT should be provided to kids who have experienced trauma AND who
report some symptoms of PTSD
,• Which of the following is a TF-CBT treatment goal for participating parents and
caregivers? -✓✓ To increase caregiver support of the child, parenting skills, and
parent-child communication
Some of the other response options may be ancillary benefits of TF-CBT in some
cases, but they are not explicit treatment goals.
• Which of the following is NOT a problem that should be managed prior to
beginning TF-CBT? -✓✓ Child has significant academic problems and is failing
Issues that pertain to the safety of the child or others in the child's environment
need to be addressed prior to beginning TF-CBT. Academic problems generally do
not rise to this standard.
• What treatment elements should be included in every session of TF-CBT? -✓✓
Parenting Skills and Gradual Exposure
The trauma should be discussed in every session of TF-CBT (as the PRAC skills
are applied to trauma-related problems, for example), and parent sessions should
include some discussion of parenting
• Which TF-CBT treatment components make up the Integration/Consolidation
Phase of treatment? -✓✓ In Vivo Mastery, Conjoint Sessions, and Enhancing
Future Safety and Development
Integration/Consolidation is the final phase of TF-CBT treatment and includes all
the components after the creation and processing of the Trauma Narrative.
• Samuel is a 14-year-old boy with a cognitive disability who functions at about the
level of a 5-year-old. He was referred to you by a child welfare worker after a
report of physical abuse by his mother. Your trauma assessment found that Samuel
had a long history of significant physical abuse by both his parents. Samuel
reported that when his parents beat him, it was his fault because he did something
wrong, and that he usually deserved the punishment. He often felt guilty about
causing his parents to hit him and ashamed of himself for being bad. A
, standardized measure of PTSD symptoms completed by his current caregiver, an
aunt, was in the high normal range. Is Samuel a good treatment candidate for TF-
CBT and why? -✓✓ Yes, Samuel's problems with guilt, self-blame, and shame are
clinically significant trauma related problems that can be treated with TF-CBT.
Despite Samuel's disability, he is functioning at a developmental level for which
TF-CBT is appropriate, and his self-blame and emotional symptoms are
appropriate treatment targets.
• What are the two components of treatment fidelity? -✓✓ Adherence and
Competence
The degree to which therapists provide treatment "with fidelity" is dependent on
how closely they follow the prescribed treatment model (adherence) and their skill
in delivering the treatment components (competence).
• Which of the following is a main purpose of the psychoeducation module? -✓✓
Helping children and caregivers understand common reactions to trauma exposure
is one of the main functions of this module.
• All of the following are important aspects of the psychoeducation module
EXCEPT: -✓✓ Assessing the child's trauma symptoms and appropriateness for
TF-CBT
Initial assessment of symptoms occurs prior to treatment onset.
• Which statement reflects an element of psychoeducation pertaining to physical
abuse? -✓✓ Physical abuse and punishment are not the same thing.
Physically abused kids often struggle to understand the difference between
"punishment" and "abusive discipline."
