NATIONAL COUNSELOR EXAMINATION (NCE) —
PRACTICE EXAM Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2025/2026
Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. Which of the following best describes Carl Rogers’ concept of
unconditional positive regard?
A. Praising clients for positive behaviors
B. Accepting clients without judgment or conditions
C. Encouraging clients to change to meet social norms
D. Setting expectations for client progress
Rationale: Rogers emphasized total acceptance of the client regardless of their
behavior or choices.
2. In Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, the primary task of
adolescence is:
A. Trust vs. Mistrust
B. Identity vs. Role Confusion
C. Initiative vs. Guilt
D. Integrity vs. Despair
Rationale: Adolescents seek to establish a sense of personal identity versus
confusion about their role.
3. Which type of group focuses on growth and enhancement rather than
remediation?
A. Counseling group
B. Therapy group
C. Growth group
D. Support group
,Rationale: Growth groups help members achieve personal potential rather than
address specific problems.
4. A counselor uses systematic desensitization with a client who fears dogs.
This technique is based on:
A. Cognitive restructuring
B. Classical conditioning
C. Operant conditioning
D. Social learning theory
Rationale: Systematic desensitization pairs relaxation with gradual exposure to
a feared stimulus, rooted in classical conditioning.
5. The statement “people strive toward self-actualization” is most consistent
with which theory?
A. Psychoanalytic
B. Behavioral
C. Cognitive
D. Humanistic
Rationale: Humanistic theorists like Maslow and Rogers emphasized personal
growth and self-actualization.
6. When a counselor asks a client to keep a thought record to identify
automatic thoughts, this is an example of:
A. Behavioral rehearsal
B. Exposure therapy
C. Cognitive restructuring
D. Flooding
Rationale: Thought records are cognitive-behavioral tools for identifying and
challenging irrational thoughts.
7. Which of the following best defines reliability in testing?
, A. Test measures what it claims to measure
B. Consistency of test results over time or across raters
C. Test correlates with other measures of the same construct
D. Test accurately predicts future performance
Rationale: Reliability refers to stability and consistency of test scores.
8. Which theorist introduced the concept of the collective unconscious?
A. Freud
B. Adler
C. Jung
D. Skinner
Rationale: Carl Jung proposed a shared, inherited reservoir of human
experiences called the collective unconscious.
9. The “miracle question” is a key technique in:
A. Gestalt therapy
B. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
C. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
D. Reality therapy
Rationale: The miracle question helps clients envision how their life would look
if the problem disappeared.
10. Which of the following is an example of a norm-referenced test?
A. Driver’s license test
B. SAT
C. Final exam in counseling class
D. Counselor licensure checklist
Rationale: Norm-referenced tests compare scores to a representative group.
11. The “empty-chair” technique is most associated with:
A. Psychoanalysis
B. Gestalt therapy
PRACTICE EXAM Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2025/2026
Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. Which of the following best describes Carl Rogers’ concept of
unconditional positive regard?
A. Praising clients for positive behaviors
B. Accepting clients without judgment or conditions
C. Encouraging clients to change to meet social norms
D. Setting expectations for client progress
Rationale: Rogers emphasized total acceptance of the client regardless of their
behavior or choices.
2. In Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, the primary task of
adolescence is:
A. Trust vs. Mistrust
B. Identity vs. Role Confusion
C. Initiative vs. Guilt
D. Integrity vs. Despair
Rationale: Adolescents seek to establish a sense of personal identity versus
confusion about their role.
3. Which type of group focuses on growth and enhancement rather than
remediation?
A. Counseling group
B. Therapy group
C. Growth group
D. Support group
,Rationale: Growth groups help members achieve personal potential rather than
address specific problems.
4. A counselor uses systematic desensitization with a client who fears dogs.
This technique is based on:
A. Cognitive restructuring
B. Classical conditioning
C. Operant conditioning
D. Social learning theory
Rationale: Systematic desensitization pairs relaxation with gradual exposure to
a feared stimulus, rooted in classical conditioning.
5. The statement “people strive toward self-actualization” is most consistent
with which theory?
A. Psychoanalytic
B. Behavioral
C. Cognitive
D. Humanistic
Rationale: Humanistic theorists like Maslow and Rogers emphasized personal
growth and self-actualization.
6. When a counselor asks a client to keep a thought record to identify
automatic thoughts, this is an example of:
A. Behavioral rehearsal
B. Exposure therapy
C. Cognitive restructuring
D. Flooding
Rationale: Thought records are cognitive-behavioral tools for identifying and
challenging irrational thoughts.
7. Which of the following best defines reliability in testing?
, A. Test measures what it claims to measure
B. Consistency of test results over time or across raters
C. Test correlates with other measures of the same construct
D. Test accurately predicts future performance
Rationale: Reliability refers to stability and consistency of test scores.
8. Which theorist introduced the concept of the collective unconscious?
A. Freud
B. Adler
C. Jung
D. Skinner
Rationale: Carl Jung proposed a shared, inherited reservoir of human
experiences called the collective unconscious.
9. The “miracle question” is a key technique in:
A. Gestalt therapy
B. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
C. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
D. Reality therapy
Rationale: The miracle question helps clients envision how their life would look
if the problem disappeared.
10. Which of the following is an example of a norm-referenced test?
A. Driver’s license test
B. SAT
C. Final exam in counseling class
D. Counselor licensure checklist
Rationale: Norm-referenced tests compare scores to a representative group.
11. The “empty-chair” technique is most associated with:
A. Psychoanalysis
B. Gestalt therapy
