NATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
What are the practice standards for working with Indigenous Australians? - Answers
:Develop an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, and
particularly, the impact of colonisation on present day grief, loss, and trauma,
communicate in a culturally sensitive and respectful way, being aware of government
mistrust as a result of past history, use culturally sensitive language and preferred
terminology, implement culturally specific practices, work in collaboration with Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander cultural advisers, seek to understand local cultural protocols,
kinship and structures of Aboriginal and Tress
What is General Principle A in the Code of ethics? - Answers :Respect for the rights and
dignity of people and peoples
What are the ethical Standards in Principle A? - Answers :Justice, Respect, Informed
Consent, Privacy & Confidentiality
What is Justice? - Answers :Don't discriminate against people based on diversity,
understand the consequence of discrimination and stereotype
What is respect? - Answers :Communicate respectfully, do not be coercive or
demeaning, respect the rights of others, and don't engage in conduct that demeans or
harasses.
What is Competence? - Answers :Maintaining appropriate skills in your area of
professional practice
What are the rules about record-keeping? - Answers :Keep records for at least 7 years
after client contact unless organisational requirements specify otherwise, if the
individual was under 18, keep them until they are at least 25
What are a psychologist's professional responsibilities? - Answers :The act with skill and
care, to take responsibility for the risks of their conduct, to provide services only when it
is necessary, to ensure their services are used appropriately, to maintain boundaries
What are the rules about interpreters? - Answers :Make sure the interpreters are
competent, not in a multiple relationship with the client, will maintain confidentiality and
that the client has given consent
What are the rules about suspension of service? - Answers :Make arrangements for
professionals to be available to meet the emergency needs of the client, or
professionals to consult
,What are the rules about termination of service? - Answers :Terminate service if the
client is not benefiting from the service, make arrangements for continuity of service, if
incompetent, explain the need for termination, make steps to safeguard welfare, and
offer help to the client to locate alternative assistance
How do you manage conflicting demands between an organisation and the principles? -
Answers :Clarify the nature of the conflict, inform all parties of the responsibilities of
psychologists, seek a constructive resolution of the conflict that upholds the code and
consult a colleague
What is general principle C? - Answers :Integrity (ensuring the best interest of the client,
profession and colleagues)
What is Informed Consent? - Answers :Clients should be fully informed about the nature
and purpose of the procedures of the psychologist, including risks, data collection and
storage, confidentiality etc.
What is privacy? - Answers :Do not collect irrelevant information and do not require
supervisees to disclose their personal information, unless this is a normal expectation of
a training procedure
What is confidentiality? - Answers :Make provisions to ensure confidentiality in the
collection, recording, access, storage, dissemination and disposal of information
What is General Principle B? - Answers :Propriety (providing services with competence,
that do no harm and that protect client welfare)
What are the ethical standards in Principle B? - Answers :Competence, record-keeping,
professional responsibility, interpreters, suspension of service, managing conflicting
demands
What are the ethical standards in principle C? - Answers :Reputable behaviour,
communication, conflicts of interest, non-exploitation, managing finances
What is reputable behaviour? - Answers :Avoid engaging in disreputable conduct which
reflects negatively on the profession of psychology
What is appropriate communication? - Answers :Be honest, correct misrepresentation
about your capacity, do not make misleading statements, endorsements, statements
implying superiority or statements indicating favourable results
How do you manage conflicts of interest - Answers :Avoid multiple relationships that
impair the competence, or objectivity of a service or harm the client
, What is non-exploitation? - Answers :Do not exploit individuals with whom you have a
professional relationship, do not have sex with a client or close relative, a former client
(within 2 years)
What is the law about mandatory notification of practitioners? - Answers :Notify the
board within 28 days of notifiable misconduct
What are the functions of national health boards? - Answers :To register qualified
people, to decide registration requirements, to develop standards and codes
What are the obligations of health practitioners? - Answers :To continue professional
development, get professional indemnity insurance, inform the board if the are in trouble
with the law
What is notifiable conduct? - Answers :Practising while intoxicated, sexual misconduct,
impairment or professional practice deviation that places the client at risk
How do you maintain an individual's right to privacy? - Answers :Make sure that
personal information is properly collected, stored, used or released, allow clients to
make reasonable changes to their information, allow clients to see their information
When can a firearm be revoked? - Answers :When a person has indicated threats to
themself or others
Who is a mentally ill person under the mental health act? - Answers :Someone who is
suffering from a mental illness and owing to that illness treatment of that person is
necessary for the person's own or other's protection
What is a mentally disordered person according to the mental health act? - Answers
:Someone whose behaviour is so irrational that there are reasonable grounds for
deciding that temporary care (up to 3 days) is necessary to protect them or others from
harm
What is elder abuse? - Answers :Physical, emotional, or sexual harm inflicted upon
older adults, financial exploitation or neglect of their welfare
Do Australian practitioners have a legal duty to protect by warning others who their
patient threatened? - Answers :No, but they are permitted to disclose confidential
information in such cases
What are the guidelines for reporting practitioners who place the public at risk due to
impairment? - Answers :To notify, the practitioner is unfit to correctly diagnose or treat
because of impairment
Who needs professional indemnity insurance? - Answers :All practicing psychologists in
Australia
ANSWERS
What are the practice standards for working with Indigenous Australians? - Answers
:Develop an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, and
particularly, the impact of colonisation on present day grief, loss, and trauma,
communicate in a culturally sensitive and respectful way, being aware of government
mistrust as a result of past history, use culturally sensitive language and preferred
terminology, implement culturally specific practices, work in collaboration with Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander cultural advisers, seek to understand local cultural protocols,
kinship and structures of Aboriginal and Tress
What is General Principle A in the Code of ethics? - Answers :Respect for the rights and
dignity of people and peoples
What are the ethical Standards in Principle A? - Answers :Justice, Respect, Informed
Consent, Privacy & Confidentiality
What is Justice? - Answers :Don't discriminate against people based on diversity,
understand the consequence of discrimination and stereotype
What is respect? - Answers :Communicate respectfully, do not be coercive or
demeaning, respect the rights of others, and don't engage in conduct that demeans or
harasses.
What is Competence? - Answers :Maintaining appropriate skills in your area of
professional practice
What are the rules about record-keeping? - Answers :Keep records for at least 7 years
after client contact unless organisational requirements specify otherwise, if the
individual was under 18, keep them until they are at least 25
What are a psychologist's professional responsibilities? - Answers :The act with skill and
care, to take responsibility for the risks of their conduct, to provide services only when it
is necessary, to ensure their services are used appropriately, to maintain boundaries
What are the rules about interpreters? - Answers :Make sure the interpreters are
competent, not in a multiple relationship with the client, will maintain confidentiality and
that the client has given consent
What are the rules about suspension of service? - Answers :Make arrangements for
professionals to be available to meet the emergency needs of the client, or
professionals to consult
,What are the rules about termination of service? - Answers :Terminate service if the
client is not benefiting from the service, make arrangements for continuity of service, if
incompetent, explain the need for termination, make steps to safeguard welfare, and
offer help to the client to locate alternative assistance
How do you manage conflicting demands between an organisation and the principles? -
Answers :Clarify the nature of the conflict, inform all parties of the responsibilities of
psychologists, seek a constructive resolution of the conflict that upholds the code and
consult a colleague
What is general principle C? - Answers :Integrity (ensuring the best interest of the client,
profession and colleagues)
What is Informed Consent? - Answers :Clients should be fully informed about the nature
and purpose of the procedures of the psychologist, including risks, data collection and
storage, confidentiality etc.
What is privacy? - Answers :Do not collect irrelevant information and do not require
supervisees to disclose their personal information, unless this is a normal expectation of
a training procedure
What is confidentiality? - Answers :Make provisions to ensure confidentiality in the
collection, recording, access, storage, dissemination and disposal of information
What is General Principle B? - Answers :Propriety (providing services with competence,
that do no harm and that protect client welfare)
What are the ethical standards in Principle B? - Answers :Competence, record-keeping,
professional responsibility, interpreters, suspension of service, managing conflicting
demands
What are the ethical standards in principle C? - Answers :Reputable behaviour,
communication, conflicts of interest, non-exploitation, managing finances
What is reputable behaviour? - Answers :Avoid engaging in disreputable conduct which
reflects negatively on the profession of psychology
What is appropriate communication? - Answers :Be honest, correct misrepresentation
about your capacity, do not make misleading statements, endorsements, statements
implying superiority or statements indicating favourable results
How do you manage conflicts of interest - Answers :Avoid multiple relationships that
impair the competence, or objectivity of a service or harm the client
, What is non-exploitation? - Answers :Do not exploit individuals with whom you have a
professional relationship, do not have sex with a client or close relative, a former client
(within 2 years)
What is the law about mandatory notification of practitioners? - Answers :Notify the
board within 28 days of notifiable misconduct
What are the functions of national health boards? - Answers :To register qualified
people, to decide registration requirements, to develop standards and codes
What are the obligations of health practitioners? - Answers :To continue professional
development, get professional indemnity insurance, inform the board if the are in trouble
with the law
What is notifiable conduct? - Answers :Practising while intoxicated, sexual misconduct,
impairment or professional practice deviation that places the client at risk
How do you maintain an individual's right to privacy? - Answers :Make sure that
personal information is properly collected, stored, used or released, allow clients to
make reasonable changes to their information, allow clients to see their information
When can a firearm be revoked? - Answers :When a person has indicated threats to
themself or others
Who is a mentally ill person under the mental health act? - Answers :Someone who is
suffering from a mental illness and owing to that illness treatment of that person is
necessary for the person's own or other's protection
What is a mentally disordered person according to the mental health act? - Answers
:Someone whose behaviour is so irrational that there are reasonable grounds for
deciding that temporary care (up to 3 days) is necessary to protect them or others from
harm
What is elder abuse? - Answers :Physical, emotional, or sexual harm inflicted upon
older adults, financial exploitation or neglect of their welfare
Do Australian practitioners have a legal duty to protect by warning others who their
patient threatened? - Answers :No, but they are permitted to disclose confidential
information in such cases
What are the guidelines for reporting practitioners who place the public at risk due to
impairment? - Answers :To notify, the practitioner is unfit to correctly diagnose or treat
because of impairment
Who needs professional indemnity insurance? - Answers :All practicing psychologists in
Australia
