CPCE EXAM-COUNSELOR PREPERATION COMPREHENSIVE
EXAM|QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLU-
TIONS|GRADED A+|PASS ON FIRST ATTEMPT|BRAND NEW
2026/2027 UPDATE!!!!!
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to - ANSWER Inform
the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to - ANSWER jointly decide, be-
tween 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 be-
liefs impact the therapeutic relationship? - ANSWER 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? - ANSWER Accept or decline depend-
ing on the circumstances
You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you are counseling.
What do you do? - ANSWER 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? - ANSWER 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... - ANSWER Be alert to your mental
1
,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? - AN-
SWER It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation on a current or past cli-
ent, 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? - ANSWER 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 confi-
dential 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 - ANSWER Yes, you are ultimately responsible
When publishing research, it is important to - ANSWER 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? - ANSWER Ultimately the law may
be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when - ANSWER A counselor has been re-
tained to review another counselor who is in question; and when confidentiality rights
would be violated
What does multicultural/diversity counseling refer to? - ANSWER Counseling that recog-
nizes diversity and approaches beneficial to specific groups and an approach that all counse-
lors should ethically be aware of
2
, Most ethical issues are related to - ANSWER Confidentiality
Only one psychoanalyst's developmental theory covers the entire lifespan. Who is he? - AN-
SWER Erik Erikson
The Id, Ego, Superego are attributed to which psychoanalyst? - ANSWER Sigmund Freud
What is the fourth stage of Jean Piaget's four stages - ANSWER Formal Operations
Identity Crisis - ANSWER Erik Erikson
Positive Psychology - ANSWER processes that contribute to optimal functioning/ not fo-
cusing on abnormalities
Smoking habit to Sigmund Freud - ANSWER Oral Fixation
Most mental health professionals believe - ANSWER no one theory of development com-
pletely explains the process
John Bowlby - ANSWER Attachment Theory
Lawrence Kohlberg's three levels of morality - ANSWER Pre-conventional, Conventional,
and post-conventional
Female version of Freud's Oedipus complex - ANSWER Electra Complex
Researcher known for Rhesus Monkeys - ANSWER Harry Harlow
3
EXAM|QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLU-
TIONS|GRADED A+|PASS ON FIRST ATTEMPT|BRAND NEW
2026/2027 UPDATE!!!!!
When beginning a counseling relationship, you are ethically required to - ANSWER Inform
the patient of the limits of confidentiality
As you begin a counseling relationship, it is important to - ANSWER jointly decide, be-
tween 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 be-
liefs impact the therapeutic relationship? - ANSWER 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? - ANSWER Accept or decline depend-
ing on the circumstances
You are court-ordered to disclose confidential information about a client you are counseling.
What do you do? - ANSWER 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? - ANSWER 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... - ANSWER Be alert to your mental
1
,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? - AN-
SWER It is not considered ethical to perform a forensic evaluation on a current or past cli-
ent, 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? - ANSWER 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 confi-
dential 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 - ANSWER Yes, you are ultimately responsible
When publishing research, it is important to - ANSWER 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? - ANSWER Ultimately the law may
be adhered to over the Code of Ethics
An ethics violation should NOT be reported when - ANSWER A counselor has been re-
tained to review another counselor who is in question; and when confidentiality rights
would be violated
What does multicultural/diversity counseling refer to? - ANSWER Counseling that recog-
nizes diversity and approaches beneficial to specific groups and an approach that all counse-
lors should ethically be aware of
2
, Most ethical issues are related to - ANSWER Confidentiality
Only one psychoanalyst's developmental theory covers the entire lifespan. Who is he? - AN-
SWER Erik Erikson
The Id, Ego, Superego are attributed to which psychoanalyst? - ANSWER Sigmund Freud
What is the fourth stage of Jean Piaget's four stages - ANSWER Formal Operations
Identity Crisis - ANSWER Erik Erikson
Positive Psychology - ANSWER processes that contribute to optimal functioning/ not fo-
cusing on abnormalities
Smoking habit to Sigmund Freud - ANSWER Oral Fixation
Most mental health professionals believe - ANSWER no one theory of development com-
pletely explains the process
John Bowlby - ANSWER Attachment Theory
Lawrence Kohlberg's three levels of morality - ANSWER Pre-conventional, Conventional,
and post-conventional
Female version of Freud's Oedipus complex - ANSWER Electra Complex
Researcher known for Rhesus Monkeys - ANSWER Harry Harlow
3
