PA PSYCHIATRY EXAMINATION 2025/2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔Histrionic PD Criteria - ✔✔• Pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking,
present by early adulthood and in a variety of contexts.
• At least five of the following must be present:
I. Uncomfortable when not the center of attention 2. Inappropriately seductive or
provocative behavior
3. Uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
4. Has speech that is impressionistic and lacking in detail
5. Theatrical and exaggerated expression of emotion
6. Easily influenced by others or situation
7. Perceives relationships as more intimate than they actually are
✔✔Histrionic PD TX - ✔✔• Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice
✔✔Narcissistic PD - ✔✔Sense of superiority, a need for admiration, and a lack of
empathy. They consider themselves "special" and will exploit others for their own gain.
Despite their grandiosity, however, these patients often have fragile self-esteem.
✔✔Narcissistic PD Criteria - ✔✔• Pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of
empathy beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts.
• Five or more of the following must be present:
1. Exaggerated sense of self-importance
2. Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited money, success, brilliance, etc
3. Believes that he or she is "special" or unique and can associate only with other high-
status individuals
4. Needs excessive admiration
5. Has sense of entitlement
6. Takes advantage of others for self-gain
7. Lacks empathy
8. Envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. Arrogant or haughty
✔✔Narcissistic PD Tx - ✔✔Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice. Group therapy
may help these patients learn empathy.
✔✔A 30-year-old unemployed man has been accused of killing three senior citizens
after robbing them. He is surprisingly charming in the interview. In his adolescence, he
was arrested several times for stealing cars and assaulting other kids. - ✔✔Antisocial
PD
✔✔A 23-year-old medical student attempted to slit her wrist because things did not work
out with 11 man she had been dating over the past 3 weeks. She states that guys are
,jerks and •not worth her time." She often feels that she is •alone in this world." -
✔✔Borderline PD
✔✔A 33-year-old scantily clad woman comes to your office complaining that her fever
feels like "she is burning in hell." She vividly describes how the fever has affected her
work as a teacher. - ✔✔Histrionic PD
✔✔A 48-year-old company CEO is rushed to the ED after an automobile accident. He
does not let the residents operate on him and requests the chief of trauma surgery
because he is "vital to the company.• He makes several business phone calls in the ED
to stay on •top of his game." - ✔✔Narcissistic PD
✔✔Avoidant PD - ✔✔Patients with avoidant personality disorder have a pervasive
pattern of social inhibition and an intense fear of rejection. They will avoid situations in
which they may be rejected. Their fear of rejection is so overwhelming that it affects all
aspects of their lives. They avoid social interactions and seek jobs in which there is little
interpersonal contact. These patients desire companionship but are extremely shy and
easily injured.
✔✔Avoidant PD Criteria - ✔✔• A pattern of social inhibition, hypersensitivity, and
feelings of inadequacy since early adulthood.
• At least four of the following must be present:
1. Avoids occupation that involves interpersonal contact due to a fear of criticism and
rejection
2. Unwilling to interact unless certain of being liked
3. Cautious of interpersonal relationships
4. Preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations
5. Inhibited in new social situations because he or she feels inadequate
6. Believes he or she is socially inept and inferior 7. Reluctant to engage in new
activities for fear of embarrassment
✔✔Avoidant PD Tx - ✔✔Psychotherapy, including assertiveness training, is most
effective.
✔✔Dependent PD - ✔✔poor self-confidence and fear separation. They have an
excessive need to be taken care of and allow others to make decisions for them. They
feel helpless when left alone.
✔✔Dependent PD criteria - ✔✔• A pattern of submissive and clinging behavior due to
excessive need to be taken care of.
• At least five of the following must be present:
1. Difficulty making everyday decisions without reassurance from others
2. Needs others to assume responsibilities for most areas of his or her life
3. Cannot express disagreement because of fear ofloss of approval
4. Difficulty initiating projects because oflack of self-confidence
, 5. Goes to excessive lengths to obtain support from others
6. Feels helpless when alone
7. Urgently seeks another relationship when one ends
8. Preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of self
✔✔Dependent PD Tx - ✔✔• Psychotherapy, particularly groups and social skills
training, is the treatment of choice.
✔✔Obsessive compulsive PD - ✔✔pervasive pattern of perfectionism, inflexibility, and
orderliness. They get so preoccupied with unimportant details that they are often unable
to complete simple tasks in a timely fashion. They appear stiff, serious, and formal, with
constricted affect. They are often successful professionally but have poor interpersonal
skills
✔✔Obsessive compulsive PD Criteria - ✔✔• Pattern of preoccupation with orderliness,
control, and perfectionism at the expense of efficiency, present by early adulthood and
in a variety of contexts.
• At least four of the following must be present:
I. Preoccupation with details, rules, lists, and organization such that the major point of
the activity is lost
2. Perfectionism that is detrimental to completion of task
3. Excessive devotion to work
4. Excessive conscientiousness and scrupulousness about morals and ethics
5. Will not delegate tasks
6. Unable to discard worthless objects
7. Miserly
8. Rigid and stubborn
✔✔Obsessive compulsive PD Tx - ✔✔Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice. Group
therapy and behavior therapy may be useful.
✔✔A 30-year-old postal worker rarely goes out with her coworkers and often makes
excuses when they ask her to join them because she is afraid they will not like her. She
wishes to go out and meet new people but. according to her, she is too shy• -
✔✔Avoidant PD
✔✔A 40-year-old man who lives with his parents has trouble deciding on how to go
about having his car fixed. He calls his father at work several times to ask very trivial
things. He has been unemployed over the past 3 years. - ✔✔Dependent PD
✔✔A 40-year-old secretary has been recently fired because of her inability to prepare
some work projects in time. According to her, they were not in the right format and she
had to revise them six times, which led to the delay. This has happened before but she
feels that she is not given enough time. - ✔✔Obsessive compulsive PD
WITH ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔Histrionic PD Criteria - ✔✔• Pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking,
present by early adulthood and in a variety of contexts.
• At least five of the following must be present:
I. Uncomfortable when not the center of attention 2. Inappropriately seductive or
provocative behavior
3. Uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
4. Has speech that is impressionistic and lacking in detail
5. Theatrical and exaggerated expression of emotion
6. Easily influenced by others or situation
7. Perceives relationships as more intimate than they actually are
✔✔Histrionic PD TX - ✔✔• Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice
✔✔Narcissistic PD - ✔✔Sense of superiority, a need for admiration, and a lack of
empathy. They consider themselves "special" and will exploit others for their own gain.
Despite their grandiosity, however, these patients often have fragile self-esteem.
✔✔Narcissistic PD Criteria - ✔✔• Pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of
empathy beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts.
• Five or more of the following must be present:
1. Exaggerated sense of self-importance
2. Preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited money, success, brilliance, etc
3. Believes that he or she is "special" or unique and can associate only with other high-
status individuals
4. Needs excessive admiration
5. Has sense of entitlement
6. Takes advantage of others for self-gain
7. Lacks empathy
8. Envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. Arrogant or haughty
✔✔Narcissistic PD Tx - ✔✔Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice. Group therapy
may help these patients learn empathy.
✔✔A 30-year-old unemployed man has been accused of killing three senior citizens
after robbing them. He is surprisingly charming in the interview. In his adolescence, he
was arrested several times for stealing cars and assaulting other kids. - ✔✔Antisocial
PD
✔✔A 23-year-old medical student attempted to slit her wrist because things did not work
out with 11 man she had been dating over the past 3 weeks. She states that guys are
,jerks and •not worth her time." She often feels that she is •alone in this world." -
✔✔Borderline PD
✔✔A 33-year-old scantily clad woman comes to your office complaining that her fever
feels like "she is burning in hell." She vividly describes how the fever has affected her
work as a teacher. - ✔✔Histrionic PD
✔✔A 48-year-old company CEO is rushed to the ED after an automobile accident. He
does not let the residents operate on him and requests the chief of trauma surgery
because he is "vital to the company.• He makes several business phone calls in the ED
to stay on •top of his game." - ✔✔Narcissistic PD
✔✔Avoidant PD - ✔✔Patients with avoidant personality disorder have a pervasive
pattern of social inhibition and an intense fear of rejection. They will avoid situations in
which they may be rejected. Their fear of rejection is so overwhelming that it affects all
aspects of their lives. They avoid social interactions and seek jobs in which there is little
interpersonal contact. These patients desire companionship but are extremely shy and
easily injured.
✔✔Avoidant PD Criteria - ✔✔• A pattern of social inhibition, hypersensitivity, and
feelings of inadequacy since early adulthood.
• At least four of the following must be present:
1. Avoids occupation that involves interpersonal contact due to a fear of criticism and
rejection
2. Unwilling to interact unless certain of being liked
3. Cautious of interpersonal relationships
4. Preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations
5. Inhibited in new social situations because he or she feels inadequate
6. Believes he or she is socially inept and inferior 7. Reluctant to engage in new
activities for fear of embarrassment
✔✔Avoidant PD Tx - ✔✔Psychotherapy, including assertiveness training, is most
effective.
✔✔Dependent PD - ✔✔poor self-confidence and fear separation. They have an
excessive need to be taken care of and allow others to make decisions for them. They
feel helpless when left alone.
✔✔Dependent PD criteria - ✔✔• A pattern of submissive and clinging behavior due to
excessive need to be taken care of.
• At least five of the following must be present:
1. Difficulty making everyday decisions without reassurance from others
2. Needs others to assume responsibilities for most areas of his or her life
3. Cannot express disagreement because of fear ofloss of approval
4. Difficulty initiating projects because oflack of self-confidence
, 5. Goes to excessive lengths to obtain support from others
6. Feels helpless when alone
7. Urgently seeks another relationship when one ends
8. Preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of self
✔✔Dependent PD Tx - ✔✔• Psychotherapy, particularly groups and social skills
training, is the treatment of choice.
✔✔Obsessive compulsive PD - ✔✔pervasive pattern of perfectionism, inflexibility, and
orderliness. They get so preoccupied with unimportant details that they are often unable
to complete simple tasks in a timely fashion. They appear stiff, serious, and formal, with
constricted affect. They are often successful professionally but have poor interpersonal
skills
✔✔Obsessive compulsive PD Criteria - ✔✔• Pattern of preoccupation with orderliness,
control, and perfectionism at the expense of efficiency, present by early adulthood and
in a variety of contexts.
• At least four of the following must be present:
I. Preoccupation with details, rules, lists, and organization such that the major point of
the activity is lost
2. Perfectionism that is detrimental to completion of task
3. Excessive devotion to work
4. Excessive conscientiousness and scrupulousness about morals and ethics
5. Will not delegate tasks
6. Unable to discard worthless objects
7. Miserly
8. Rigid and stubborn
✔✔Obsessive compulsive PD Tx - ✔✔Psychotherapy is the treatment of choice. Group
therapy and behavior therapy may be useful.
✔✔A 30-year-old postal worker rarely goes out with her coworkers and often makes
excuses when they ask her to join them because she is afraid they will not like her. She
wishes to go out and meet new people but. according to her, she is too shy• -
✔✔Avoidant PD
✔✔A 40-year-old man who lives with his parents has trouble deciding on how to go
about having his car fixed. He calls his father at work several times to ask very trivial
things. He has been unemployed over the past 3 years. - ✔✔Dependent PD
✔✔A 40-year-old secretary has been recently fired because of her inability to prepare
some work projects in time. According to her, they were not in the right format and she
had to revise them six times, which led to the delay. This has happened before but she
feels that she is not given enough time. - ✔✔Obsessive compulsive PD
