CPCE Exam Questions and Correct Answers Plus
Rationale | Counseling, Psychology, and Human
Development | New Update 2026-2027 | Graded A+
Ethical Issues in Counseling
1. When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to:
A) Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
B) Guarantee complete confidentiality
C) Share all client information with family members
D) Avoid discussing confidentiality to prevent anxiety
Correct Answer: A) Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
Rationale: Ethical practice requires informing clients of the limits of confidentiality
at the outset of the counseling relationship. Clients have the right to know when
confidentiality may be breached (e.g., duty to warn, child abuse reporting, court
orders).
2. As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to:
A) Dictate all counseling goals without client input
B) Jointly decide, between patient and counselor, how the counseling process will
proceed
C) Avoid discussing the counseling process
D) Focus only on the counselor's agenda
Correct Answer: B) Jointly decide, between patient and counselor, how the
counseling process will proceed
Rationale: Collaborative goal-setting and treatment planning empowers the client
and increases engagement. The counseling relationship should be a partnership
where both parties agree on the process and goals.
,3. A client arrives for counseling with the presenting complaint of relationship
difficulties. She describes having had multiple abortions and seems to use
abortion as a birth control method. You are personally opposed to abortion.
How should your personal beliefs impact the therapeutic relationship?
A) Your personal belief system should not have any bearing on the therapeutic
relationship
B) You should refer the client to another counselor immediately
C) You should share your personal beliefs to help the client
D) You should terminate the counseling relationship
Correct Answer: A) Your personal belief system should not have any bearing on
the therapeutic relationship
Rationale: Counselors must maintain objectivity and not impose their personal
values on clients. Ethical practice requires setting aside personal beliefs to provide
unbiased, client-centered care.
4. You have been involved in a counseling relationship with a client for six
months when he presents you with a small gift. What should you do?
A) Always refuse all gifts
B) Always accept all gifts
C) Accept or decline depending on the circumstances
D) Report the client for boundary violation
Correct Answer: C) Accept or decline depending on the circumstances
Rationale: Accepting small gifts may be appropriate depending on cultural
context, therapeutic relationship, and the gift's value. Counselors should consider
the therapeutic impact and potential for boundary issues.
5. You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you
are counseling. What do you do?
,A) Refuse to disclose any information
B) Disclose all information without client consent
C) Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal information and
obtain written permission from your client to share confidential information
D) Destroy all client records
Correct Answer: C) Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal
information and obtain written permission from your client to share confidential
information
Rationale: When legally required to disclose, counselors should minimize
disclosure to only what is legally required and obtain client consent when
possible. This balances legal obligations with ethical duties to protect client
privacy.
6. What should you do if your client requests to see his confidential file?
A) Always refuse access
B) Always provide immediate access
C) Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
D) Destroy the file
Correct Answer: C) Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
Rationale: Client access to records depends on jurisdiction, facility policy, and
potential harm to the client. Counselors should follow legal and ethical guidelines
while considering the therapeutic impact.
7. You are a counselor with several clients, and at the same time you are
adjusting to a difficult divorce. You aren't sleeping or eating well, find you are
highly distractible, and generally are less in-touch with your emotional state.
You should...
A) Continue seeing clients without changes
B) Be alert to your mental status, and be able to determine if continuing with your
clients poses any threat of being detrimental to the counseling process
, C) Increase your client load to stay busy
D) Ignore your personal issues
Correct Answer: B) Be alert to your mental status, and be able to determine if
continuing with your clients poses any threat of being detrimental to the
counseling process
Rationale: Counselors have an ethical obligation to monitor their own
competence and well-being. If personal issues impair professional functioning,
counselors should seek supervision, reduce workload, or take leave.
8. A former client of yours has been arrested for a crime. As his former
counselor, you are called to perform a forensic evaluation. What is your
responsibility in this case?
A) Perform the evaluation as requested
B) It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation on a current or past
client, so you should decline
C) Perform the evaluation but only share negative information
D) Refer the case to a colleague without explanation
Correct Answer: B) It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation
on a current or past client, so you should decline
Rationale: Performing forensic evaluations on current or former clients creates a
conflict of interest and dual role. The therapeutic relationship compromises
objectivity required for forensic evaluation.
9. You are the supervisor for a new counselor, and are asked to attend her
wedding. Would it be ethical to do so?
A) No, it is never ethical
B) Yes, you should be able to attend her wedding without a breach of ethics
C) Only if other colleagues attend
D) Only if you bring a gift
Rationale | Counseling, Psychology, and Human
Development | New Update 2026-2027 | Graded A+
Ethical Issues in Counseling
1. When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to:
A) Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
B) Guarantee complete confidentiality
C) Share all client information with family members
D) Avoid discussing confidentiality to prevent anxiety
Correct Answer: A) Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
Rationale: Ethical practice requires informing clients of the limits of confidentiality
at the outset of the counseling relationship. Clients have the right to know when
confidentiality may be breached (e.g., duty to warn, child abuse reporting, court
orders).
2. As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to:
A) Dictate all counseling goals without client input
B) Jointly decide, between patient and counselor, how the counseling process will
proceed
C) Avoid discussing the counseling process
D) Focus only on the counselor's agenda
Correct Answer: B) Jointly decide, between patient and counselor, how the
counseling process will proceed
Rationale: Collaborative goal-setting and treatment planning empowers the client
and increases engagement. The counseling relationship should be a partnership
where both parties agree on the process and goals.
,3. A client arrives for counseling with the presenting complaint of relationship
difficulties. She describes having had multiple abortions and seems to use
abortion as a birth control method. You are personally opposed to abortion.
How should your personal beliefs impact the therapeutic relationship?
A) Your personal belief system should not have any bearing on the therapeutic
relationship
B) You should refer the client to another counselor immediately
C) You should share your personal beliefs to help the client
D) You should terminate the counseling relationship
Correct Answer: A) Your personal belief system should not have any bearing on
the therapeutic relationship
Rationale: Counselors must maintain objectivity and not impose their personal
values on clients. Ethical practice requires setting aside personal beliefs to provide
unbiased, client-centered care.
4. You have been involved in a counseling relationship with a client for six
months when he presents you with a small gift. What should you do?
A) Always refuse all gifts
B) Always accept all gifts
C) Accept or decline depending on the circumstances
D) Report the client for boundary violation
Correct Answer: C) Accept or decline depending on the circumstances
Rationale: Accepting small gifts may be appropriate depending on cultural
context, therapeutic relationship, and the gift's value. Counselors should consider
the therapeutic impact and potential for boundary issues.
5. You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you
are counseling. What do you do?
,A) Refuse to disclose any information
B) Disclose all information without client consent
C) Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal information and
obtain written permission from your client to share confidential information
D) Destroy all client records
Correct Answer: C) Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal
information and obtain written permission from your client to share confidential
information
Rationale: When legally required to disclose, counselors should minimize
disclosure to only what is legally required and obtain client consent when
possible. This balances legal obligations with ethical duties to protect client
privacy.
6. What should you do if your client requests to see his confidential file?
A) Always refuse access
B) Always provide immediate access
C) Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
D) Destroy the file
Correct Answer: C) Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
Rationale: Client access to records depends on jurisdiction, facility policy, and
potential harm to the client. Counselors should follow legal and ethical guidelines
while considering the therapeutic impact.
7. You are a counselor with several clients, and at the same time you are
adjusting to a difficult divorce. You aren't sleeping or eating well, find you are
highly distractible, and generally are less in-touch with your emotional state.
You should...
A) Continue seeing clients without changes
B) Be alert to your mental status, and be able to determine if continuing with your
clients poses any threat of being detrimental to the counseling process
, C) Increase your client load to stay busy
D) Ignore your personal issues
Correct Answer: B) Be alert to your mental status, and be able to determine if
continuing with your clients poses any threat of being detrimental to the
counseling process
Rationale: Counselors have an ethical obligation to monitor their own
competence and well-being. If personal issues impair professional functioning,
counselors should seek supervision, reduce workload, or take leave.
8. A former client of yours has been arrested for a crime. As his former
counselor, you are called to perform a forensic evaluation. What is your
responsibility in this case?
A) Perform the evaluation as requested
B) It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation on a current or past
client, so you should decline
C) Perform the evaluation but only share negative information
D) Refer the case to a colleague without explanation
Correct Answer: B) It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation
on a current or past client, so you should decline
Rationale: Performing forensic evaluations on current or former clients creates a
conflict of interest and dual role. The therapeutic relationship compromises
objectivity required for forensic evaluation.
9. You are the supervisor for a new counselor, and are asked to attend her
wedding. Would it be ethical to do so?
A) No, it is never ethical
B) Yes, you should be able to attend her wedding without a breach of ethics
C) Only if other colleagues attend
D) Only if you bring a gift
