PMHNP Certification Exam – Complete Review Guide with
Practice Questions and Answers – Board Prep 2025 Edition
This comprehensive study guide is designed for the PMHNP Certification Exam and
aligns with the latest 2025 board requirements. It includes key topics such as diagnostic
criteria (DSM-5-TR), pharmacology, psychotherapy modalities, ethical and legal
considerations, lifespan psychiatric care, and clinical case-based questions. With verified
practice questions and detailed answer rationales, this resource is ideal for last-minute prep
and in-depth review for new or renewing PMHNPs.
1. denial: refusal to admit or recognize problem or event- primitive defense
mechanism
2. projection: taking one's own unacceptable qualities and attributing them to
another- primitive defense mechanism
3. regression: reverting to patterns of behavior from earlier stage of
developement- immature defense mechanism
4. passive-aggression: indirectly expressing anger- immature defense
mechanism
5. reaction formation: taking up the opposite feeling to reduce anxiety- neurotic
defense mechanism
6. intelluctualization: focusing on intellectual component to AVOID anxiety or
thinking about the matter- neurotic defense mechanism
, 7. repression: keeping info out of consciousness- neurotic defense mechanism
8. displacement: taking out frustrations, etc on people or objects less
threatening- neurotic defense mechanism
9. rationalization: explaining unacceptable in a rational or logical manner-
neurotic defense mechanism
10. splitting: seeing things about self or others in extremes, unable to integrate
negative and positive- neurotic defense mechanism
11. sublimation: converts unacceptable into acceptable (going to gym when
angry)- mature, healthy defense mechanism
12. humor, sublimation, suppression: mature, healthy defense mechanisms
13. suppression: removal of unwanted information (thinking about matter later)-
mature, healthy defense mechanism
14. cohort study: level 3 evidence heirarchy- specific variable and a specific
outcome tested
15. Meta-analysis (systematic review): level 1 highest level of evidence-
review of high quality published research
16. RCTs: level 2 evidence heirarchy
17. case control study: level 4 evidence heirarchy- retrospective study of cases
and controls compared
18. case series/ reports: level 5 evidence heirarchyone study or narrative of one
study/patient
19. editorial/expert opinion: lowest level (6) of evidence heirarchy- essays
20. herd community: resistance of group to infectious agent
21. active immunity: resistance developed in response to an antigen (agent or
vaccine) ;presence of antibody produced by host, years or lifelong
22. passive immunity: immunity from mother or IG administered; 6-9 months
23. sensitivity: positive in disease; SnNout- sensitive test when negative rules
OUT disease
Practice Questions and Answers – Board Prep 2025 Edition
This comprehensive study guide is designed for the PMHNP Certification Exam and
aligns with the latest 2025 board requirements. It includes key topics such as diagnostic
criteria (DSM-5-TR), pharmacology, psychotherapy modalities, ethical and legal
considerations, lifespan psychiatric care, and clinical case-based questions. With verified
practice questions and detailed answer rationales, this resource is ideal for last-minute prep
and in-depth review for new or renewing PMHNPs.
1. denial: refusal to admit or recognize problem or event- primitive defense
mechanism
2. projection: taking one's own unacceptable qualities and attributing them to
another- primitive defense mechanism
3. regression: reverting to patterns of behavior from earlier stage of
developement- immature defense mechanism
4. passive-aggression: indirectly expressing anger- immature defense
mechanism
5. reaction formation: taking up the opposite feeling to reduce anxiety- neurotic
defense mechanism
6. intelluctualization: focusing on intellectual component to AVOID anxiety or
thinking about the matter- neurotic defense mechanism
, 7. repression: keeping info out of consciousness- neurotic defense mechanism
8. displacement: taking out frustrations, etc on people or objects less
threatening- neurotic defense mechanism
9. rationalization: explaining unacceptable in a rational or logical manner-
neurotic defense mechanism
10. splitting: seeing things about self or others in extremes, unable to integrate
negative and positive- neurotic defense mechanism
11. sublimation: converts unacceptable into acceptable (going to gym when
angry)- mature, healthy defense mechanism
12. humor, sublimation, suppression: mature, healthy defense mechanisms
13. suppression: removal of unwanted information (thinking about matter later)-
mature, healthy defense mechanism
14. cohort study: level 3 evidence heirarchy- specific variable and a specific
outcome tested
15. Meta-analysis (systematic review): level 1 highest level of evidence-
review of high quality published research
16. RCTs: level 2 evidence heirarchy
17. case control study: level 4 evidence heirarchy- retrospective study of cases
and controls compared
18. case series/ reports: level 5 evidence heirarchyone study or narrative of one
study/patient
19. editorial/expert opinion: lowest level (6) of evidence heirarchy- essays
20. herd community: resistance of group to infectious agent
21. active immunity: resistance developed in response to an antigen (agent or
vaccine) ;presence of antibody produced by host, years or lifelong
22. passive immunity: immunity from mother or IG administered; 6-9 months
23. sensitivity: positive in disease; SnNout- sensitive test when negative rules
OUT disease
