Personality Disorders - Erasmus University Rotterdam
Academic Year 2025-26
135 Multiple-Choice Practice Questions
- always one correct answer option
- includes materials from both the readings and lectures
- they are in the same order as they appear in the course materials,
except when it would give away the answer (e.g. order of PD types)
- answer sheet on last page
- you can find the context for each question in my summary (separate
document for sale in my profile)
- good luck :)
,1. What is the prevalence of cluster B disorders?
a) 10.5%
b) 3.6%
c) 4.5%
d) 2.8%
2. When does a personality disorder usually become recognizable?
a) infancy/early childhood
b) late childhood/adolescence
c) adolescence/early adult life
d) early adult life/late adult life
3. For a diagnosis of a personality disorder under age 18, the features must have been present for ____, except
for ________ disorder, because it cannot be diagnosed under 18.
a) 1 year; borderline
b) 1 year; antisocial
c) 2 years; borderline
d) 2 years; antisocial
4. Which personality disorder does this symptom belong to: “Perceives attacks on his or her character or
reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack”
a) paranoid
b) borderline
c) narcissistic
d) histrionic
5. Which of the following criteria does not belong to borderline personality disorder?
a) Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
b) Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger
c) Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
d) Is interpersonally exploitative
6. Which of the following criteria does not belong to schizotypal personality disorder?
a) Suspiciousness or paranoid ideation
b) Inappropriate or constricted affect
c) Excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with familiarity
d) Persistently bears grudges (i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights)
7. Which personality disorder does this symptom belong to: “Appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of
others”
a) antisocial
b) narcissistic
c) schizoid
d) schizotypal
8. People with which PD would me most likely to have time-consuming and painful decision-making and may
abandon tasks overall?
a) avoidant
b) borderline
c) obsessive-compulsive
d) paranoid
9. Who would be most likely to drop out of school just before graduation or destroy a good relationship just
when it becomes clear that the relationship could last?
a) someone with antisocial PD
b) someone with paranoid PD
c) someone with borderline PD
d) someone with avoidant PD
, 10. Which disorder does this diagnostic criterion belong to: “Displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of
emotions”
a) borderline
b) histrionic
c) antisocial
d) all of the above
11. To give the diagnosis of antisocial PD, there must be evidence for ______ with onset before age ____ years.
a) oppositional defiant disorder; 18
b) conduct disorder; 18
c) oppositional defiant disorder; 15
d) conduct disorder; 15
12. What is not an associated feature of schizotypal personality disorder?
a) difficulty understanding social interactions
b) not believing in coincidences
c) superficial charm
d) seeking treatment for the associated symptoms of anxiety or depression
13. Which of the following statements about the differential diagnosis of OCPD is false?
a) In OCD, there are true obsessions and compulsions present, in OCPD, there are not.
b) In OCD, own rules make sense to the person, in OCPD, they make the person distressed
c) People with OCPD want people to follow their rules too, people with OCD don’t.
d) Commitment to perfectionism in narcissistic PD is about believing that others cannot do things as well as
them, in OCPD it’s about being self-critical
14. Which of the following symptoms does not belong to antisocial PD criteria?
a) Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
b) Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor
financial obligations
c) Chronic feelings of emptiness.
d) Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
15. People with which personality disorder are likely to have psychotic-like symptoms during times of stress?
a) borderline
b) narcissistic
c) histrionic
d) paranoid
16. In which area do people with histrionic PD show the biggest impairment of functioning?
a) academic
b) occupational
c) interpersonal
d) intrapersonal
17. Complete the sentence: People with _____ PD want praise for their superiority, whereas people with ____ PD
are willing to be viewed as fragile or dependent if this is the instrument of getting attention.
a) narcissistic; histrionic
b) histrionic; narcistic
c) narcistic; borderline
d) borderline; dependent
18. People with which personality disorder are most likely to form cults/groups based on their shared belief
system?
a) schizotypal
b) paranoid
c) obsessive-compulsive
d) antisocial
Academic Year 2025-26
135 Multiple-Choice Practice Questions
- always one correct answer option
- includes materials from both the readings and lectures
- they are in the same order as they appear in the course materials,
except when it would give away the answer (e.g. order of PD types)
- answer sheet on last page
- you can find the context for each question in my summary (separate
document for sale in my profile)
- good luck :)
,1. What is the prevalence of cluster B disorders?
a) 10.5%
b) 3.6%
c) 4.5%
d) 2.8%
2. When does a personality disorder usually become recognizable?
a) infancy/early childhood
b) late childhood/adolescence
c) adolescence/early adult life
d) early adult life/late adult life
3. For a diagnosis of a personality disorder under age 18, the features must have been present for ____, except
for ________ disorder, because it cannot be diagnosed under 18.
a) 1 year; borderline
b) 1 year; antisocial
c) 2 years; borderline
d) 2 years; antisocial
4. Which personality disorder does this symptom belong to: “Perceives attacks on his or her character or
reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack”
a) paranoid
b) borderline
c) narcissistic
d) histrionic
5. Which of the following criteria does not belong to borderline personality disorder?
a) Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms
b) Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger
c) Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
d) Is interpersonally exploitative
6. Which of the following criteria does not belong to schizotypal personality disorder?
a) Suspiciousness or paranoid ideation
b) Inappropriate or constricted affect
c) Excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with familiarity
d) Persistently bears grudges (i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights)
7. Which personality disorder does this symptom belong to: “Appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of
others”
a) antisocial
b) narcissistic
c) schizoid
d) schizotypal
8. People with which PD would me most likely to have time-consuming and painful decision-making and may
abandon tasks overall?
a) avoidant
b) borderline
c) obsessive-compulsive
d) paranoid
9. Who would be most likely to drop out of school just before graduation or destroy a good relationship just
when it becomes clear that the relationship could last?
a) someone with antisocial PD
b) someone with paranoid PD
c) someone with borderline PD
d) someone with avoidant PD
, 10. Which disorder does this diagnostic criterion belong to: “Displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of
emotions”
a) borderline
b) histrionic
c) antisocial
d) all of the above
11. To give the diagnosis of antisocial PD, there must be evidence for ______ with onset before age ____ years.
a) oppositional defiant disorder; 18
b) conduct disorder; 18
c) oppositional defiant disorder; 15
d) conduct disorder; 15
12. What is not an associated feature of schizotypal personality disorder?
a) difficulty understanding social interactions
b) not believing in coincidences
c) superficial charm
d) seeking treatment for the associated symptoms of anxiety or depression
13. Which of the following statements about the differential diagnosis of OCPD is false?
a) In OCD, there are true obsessions and compulsions present, in OCPD, there are not.
b) In OCD, own rules make sense to the person, in OCPD, they make the person distressed
c) People with OCPD want people to follow their rules too, people with OCD don’t.
d) Commitment to perfectionism in narcissistic PD is about believing that others cannot do things as well as
them, in OCPD it’s about being self-critical
14. Which of the following symptoms does not belong to antisocial PD criteria?
a) Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
b) Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor
financial obligations
c) Chronic feelings of emptiness.
d) Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
15. People with which personality disorder are likely to have psychotic-like symptoms during times of stress?
a) borderline
b) narcissistic
c) histrionic
d) paranoid
16. In which area do people with histrionic PD show the biggest impairment of functioning?
a) academic
b) occupational
c) interpersonal
d) intrapersonal
17. Complete the sentence: People with _____ PD want praise for their superiority, whereas people with ____ PD
are willing to be viewed as fragile or dependent if this is the instrument of getting attention.
a) narcissistic; histrionic
b) histrionic; narcistic
c) narcistic; borderline
d) borderline; dependent
18. People with which personality disorder are most likely to form cults/groups based on their shared belief
system?
a) schizotypal
b) paranoid
c) obsessive-compulsive
d) antisocial
