PMH-BC Certification Prep 2026 | Psychiatric-
Mental Health Nursing Practice Test
How many total questions are there on the PMH-BC exam? -
Precise Answer ✔✔150 (125 scored, 25 unscored)
What are the PMH-BC exam requirements? - Precise Answer
✔✔RN license (min 2 years experience)
2,000 hours clinical practice in past 3 years
30 hours CE in past 3 years
10 Test Taking Techniques - Precise Answer ✔✔1. One min per
question
2. Answer every question
3. Have a "guess" answer
4. Identify key words (e.g. age, diagnosis)
5. Identify priority words (e.g. first, best)
6. Identify word clues (e.g. physiologic needs)
7. Identify opposites
8. Identify absolutes (e.g. just, always, never)
9. Identify duplicate facts
10. Avoid changing answers
What are the patient barriers to the therapeutic relationship? -
Precise Answer ✔✔The psychiatric illness
Being resistant to care (paranoia, cultural)
Defense mechanisms
What are the nurse barriers to the therapeutic relationship? -
,Precise Answer ✔✔Distracted/ preoccupied/ not fully focused
on pts. Verbal and nonverbal cues
Countertransference
Asking patients "why" questions
Asking patients more than 1 question at a time
What are the 8 methods to enhance the therapeutic relationship?
- Precise Answer ✔✔1. Maintaining professional boundaries
2. Comfortable eye contact/ empathetic facial expressions
3. Engaging with a patient with gentle, supportive tone of voice
4. Keeping relaxed, open body posture
5. Providing pt with physical comforts
6. Actively listening to what patient is saying
7. Being fully self-aware
8. Using Therapeutic silence to allow pt reflect/regroup
What practitioners are qualified to make a psychiatric diagnosis?
- Precise Answer ✔✔MD
DO
NP
PA
What handbook is used to make a psychiatric diagnosis? -
Precise Answer ✔✔DSM-5
In what year was the first DSM published? - Precise Answer
✔✔1952
What are the 5 characteristics of stable mental health? - Precise
Answer ✔✔1. Accurately appraise and interpret reality
,2. Love, experience joy, play and laugh
3. Think clearly, make appropriate decisions and problem solve
4. Control one's behavior and cope with one's thoughts
5. Relate to other's, form relationships, experience empathy, and
manage conflict constructively
What are the 5 characteristics of a mental health disorder? -
Precise Answer ✔✔1. Impairment of brain functioning caused
by neurotransmitter dysfunction, abnormal brain structure,
genetic factors or injury
2. There is evidence showing that severe psychological trauma
causes physical brain injury
3. Dysfunction in cognition, emotion regulation or behavior
4. It is usually associated with distress or disability in important
activities, relationships or occupations
5. The inability to cope with life stressors, including job
changes, loss of a loved one, birth of a child, medical
challenges, etc.
What does the AIMS assessment stand for? - Precise Answer
✔✔Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale
What does the AIMS assessment tool evaluate? - Precise
Answer ✔✔Assesses the presence and severity of abnormal
extremity, facial and body movement.
Higher score = worse impairment
What does the BDI assessment stand for? - Precise Answer
✔✔Beck Depression Inventory
, What does the BDI assessment tool evaluate? - Precise Answer
✔✔Measures the presence and severity of depression
What BDI score is associated with moderate depression? -
Precise Answer ✔✔19-29
What does the BVC assessment tool stand for? - Precise Answer
✔✔Broset Violence Checklist
What does the BVC assessment tool evaluate? - Precise Answer
✔✔The degree or risk a patient has of becoming violent.
Higher score = more likely they will become violent
What does the CAGE assessment tool assess for? - Precise
Answer ✔✔Assess for drug and/or alcohol substance use
disorder
Score of 2 or greater indicates substance use disorder
What does CAGE stand for? - Precise Answer ✔✔Cut,
Annoyed, Guilty, Eye Opener
Need to cut back, annoyed by criticism, guilty about use, eye
opener in the morning
What does CIWA-AR stand for? - Precise Answer ✔✔Clinical
Institute Withdrawal Assessment form for Alcohol, Revised
What does the CIWA-AR assessment tool assess for? - Precise
Answer ✔✔Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
Higher score = more severe withdrawal
Mental Health Nursing Practice Test
How many total questions are there on the PMH-BC exam? -
Precise Answer ✔✔150 (125 scored, 25 unscored)
What are the PMH-BC exam requirements? - Precise Answer
✔✔RN license (min 2 years experience)
2,000 hours clinical practice in past 3 years
30 hours CE in past 3 years
10 Test Taking Techniques - Precise Answer ✔✔1. One min per
question
2. Answer every question
3. Have a "guess" answer
4. Identify key words (e.g. age, diagnosis)
5. Identify priority words (e.g. first, best)
6. Identify word clues (e.g. physiologic needs)
7. Identify opposites
8. Identify absolutes (e.g. just, always, never)
9. Identify duplicate facts
10. Avoid changing answers
What are the patient barriers to the therapeutic relationship? -
Precise Answer ✔✔The psychiatric illness
Being resistant to care (paranoia, cultural)
Defense mechanisms
What are the nurse barriers to the therapeutic relationship? -
,Precise Answer ✔✔Distracted/ preoccupied/ not fully focused
on pts. Verbal and nonverbal cues
Countertransference
Asking patients "why" questions
Asking patients more than 1 question at a time
What are the 8 methods to enhance the therapeutic relationship?
- Precise Answer ✔✔1. Maintaining professional boundaries
2. Comfortable eye contact/ empathetic facial expressions
3. Engaging with a patient with gentle, supportive tone of voice
4. Keeping relaxed, open body posture
5. Providing pt with physical comforts
6. Actively listening to what patient is saying
7. Being fully self-aware
8. Using Therapeutic silence to allow pt reflect/regroup
What practitioners are qualified to make a psychiatric diagnosis?
- Precise Answer ✔✔MD
DO
NP
PA
What handbook is used to make a psychiatric diagnosis? -
Precise Answer ✔✔DSM-5
In what year was the first DSM published? - Precise Answer
✔✔1952
What are the 5 characteristics of stable mental health? - Precise
Answer ✔✔1. Accurately appraise and interpret reality
,2. Love, experience joy, play and laugh
3. Think clearly, make appropriate decisions and problem solve
4. Control one's behavior and cope with one's thoughts
5. Relate to other's, form relationships, experience empathy, and
manage conflict constructively
What are the 5 characteristics of a mental health disorder? -
Precise Answer ✔✔1. Impairment of brain functioning caused
by neurotransmitter dysfunction, abnormal brain structure,
genetic factors or injury
2. There is evidence showing that severe psychological trauma
causes physical brain injury
3. Dysfunction in cognition, emotion regulation or behavior
4. It is usually associated with distress or disability in important
activities, relationships or occupations
5. The inability to cope with life stressors, including job
changes, loss of a loved one, birth of a child, medical
challenges, etc.
What does the AIMS assessment stand for? - Precise Answer
✔✔Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale
What does the AIMS assessment tool evaluate? - Precise
Answer ✔✔Assesses the presence and severity of abnormal
extremity, facial and body movement.
Higher score = worse impairment
What does the BDI assessment stand for? - Precise Answer
✔✔Beck Depression Inventory
, What does the BDI assessment tool evaluate? - Precise Answer
✔✔Measures the presence and severity of depression
What BDI score is associated with moderate depression? -
Precise Answer ✔✔19-29
What does the BVC assessment tool stand for? - Precise Answer
✔✔Broset Violence Checklist
What does the BVC assessment tool evaluate? - Precise Answer
✔✔The degree or risk a patient has of becoming violent.
Higher score = more likely they will become violent
What does the CAGE assessment tool assess for? - Precise
Answer ✔✔Assess for drug and/or alcohol substance use
disorder
Score of 2 or greater indicates substance use disorder
What does CAGE stand for? - Precise Answer ✔✔Cut,
Annoyed, Guilty, Eye Opener
Need to cut back, annoyed by criticism, guilty about use, eye
opener in the morning
What does CIWA-AR stand for? - Precise Answer ✔✔Clinical
Institute Withdrawal Assessment form for Alcohol, Revised
What does the CIWA-AR assessment tool assess for? - Precise
Answer ✔✔Alcohol withdrawal symptoms
Higher score = more severe withdrawal
