CPCE EXAM 2026 PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to
Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to
jointly decide, between patient and counselor, how the counseling process will proceed
A client arrives for counseling with the presenting complaint of relationship difficulties. She goes
on to describe that she has 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?
Your personal belief system should not have any bearing on the therapeutic relationship
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?
Accept or decline depending on the circumstances
You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you are counseling.
What do you do?
, Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal information and obtain written
permission from your client to share confidential information
What should you do if your client requests to see his confidential file?
Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
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...
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
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?
It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation on a current or past client, so you
should decline
You are the supervisor for a new counselor, and are asked to attend her wedding. Would it be
ethical to do so?
Yes, you should be able to attend her wedding without a breach of ethics
While involved with a research study, you learn that several of your students are using
confidential material in an unethical manner. You had no prior knowledge of this, and all of your
safeguards for professional practice were appropriate. Are you, as the principal researcher,
responsible for the student's behavior
Yes, you are ultimately responsible
When publishing research, it is important to
Give credit to other contributors or sources, not plagiarize, and submit material to only one
journal at a time
When a conflict arises between the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and a
governing authority, which takes precedence?
Ultimately the law may be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when
A counselor has been retained to review another counselor who is in question; and when
confidentiality rights would be violated
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to
Inform the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to
jointly decide, between patient and counselor, how the counseling process will proceed
A client arrives for counseling with the presenting complaint of relationship difficulties. She goes
on to describe that she has 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?
Your personal belief system should not have any bearing on the therapeutic relationship
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?
Accept or decline depending on the circumstances
You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you are counseling.
What do you do?
, Limit, as much as possible, any possibly damaging personal information and obtain written
permission from your client to share confidential information
What should you do if your client requests to see his confidential file?
Accept or decline depending upon circumstances
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...
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
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?
It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation on a current or past client, so you
should decline
You are the supervisor for a new counselor, and are asked to attend her wedding. Would it be
ethical to do so?
Yes, you should be able to attend her wedding without a breach of ethics
While involved with a research study, you learn that several of your students are using
confidential material in an unethical manner. You had no prior knowledge of this, and all of your
safeguards for professional practice were appropriate. Are you, as the principal researcher,
responsible for the student's behavior
Yes, you are ultimately responsible
When publishing research, it is important to
Give credit to other contributors or sources, not plagiarize, and submit material to only one
journal at a time
When a conflict arises between the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and a
governing authority, which takes precedence?
Ultimately the law may be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when
A counselor has been retained to review another counselor who is in question; and when
confidentiality rights would be violated
