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National Counselor Examination Question and Answers

National Counselor Examination

Last Update Nov 30, 2025
Total Questions : 200

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Questions 1

A principle of behavioral group counseling is that:

Options:

A.  

Members should have individualized objectives to be accomplished between group sessions.

B.  

Verbal interaction is the only medium to be used to convey instructions, feedback, and support.

C.  

Each group member should have multiple goals stated in performance terms.

D.  

Group members' behaviors are seldom influenced by environmental factors.

Discussion 0
Questions 2

A primary distinction between content and construct validity is the:

Options:

A.  

Nature of the judges evaluating the test.

B.  

Nature of the rationale underlying the test.

C.  

Types of items included in the test.

D.  

Statistical analyses used on the test.

Discussion 0
Questions 3

Which of the following is not equivalent to the other three in a normal distribution?

Options:

A.  

Z score of 1

B.  

T score of 60

C.  

Percentile rank of 84

D.  

Stanine of 5

Discussion 0
Questions 4

Which Holland personality type should be assigned to a person who enjoys engaging in verbal persuasion to gain power and social status?

Options:

A.  

Enterprising

B.  

Realistic

C.  

Conventional

D.  

Social

Discussion 0
Questions 5

A counselor conducting group counseling for retired persons should

Options:

A.  

Increase use of purpose-specific, structured group activities

B.  

Avoid use of pre-group screening interviews to select group members

C.  

Focus on development of new, humanistic interpersonal coping skills

D.  

Focus on personal reminiscences by group members

Discussion 0
Questions 6

Which of the following would be the most appropriate approach for the counselor to use to help the client clarify vague descriptions of depression and existential concerns?

Options:

A.  

Challenge the client to establish a structure with which the client can organize life values.

B.  

Use active-listening skills to help the client to be more competent in describing the problem.

C.  

Generate and discuss possible antecedents of depression for the client to consider and evaluate.

D.  

Confront the client’s inconsistency between feelings of depression and lack of explanation of those feelings.

Discussion 0
Questions 7

Which of the following types of data is considered to have the greatest impact when collecting career counseling program data for accountability purposes?

Options:

A.  

Input

B.  

Context

C.  

Process

D.  

Outcome

Discussion 0
Questions 8

An important emphasis of behavior therapy is:

Options:

A.  

Developing a collaborative counseling relationship.

B.  

Promoting a client's personal awareness.

C.  

Identifying ineffective moral behavior.

D.  

Mapping antecedents and consequences.

Discussion 0
Questions 9

What is the prominent activity in career construction counseling?

Options:

A.  

Analyzing temperament

B.  

Documenting experience

C.  

Identifying life themes

D.  

Practicing interview skills

Discussion 0
Questions 10

Which intervention is evidence-based for a client experiencing depression?

Options:

A.  

Fear hierarchy

B.  

Behavioral activation

C.  

Empty chair

D.  

Dream analysis

Discussion 0
Questions 11

The type of test validity that refers to the test's relationship to independent ratings of an individual's performance in a particular area is:

Options:

A.  

Face validity.

B.  

Criterion validity.

C.  

Content validity.

D.  

Construct validity.

Discussion 0
Questions 12

Piaget's studies of the cognitive growth of children are an example of which of the following types of research?

Options:

A.  

Descriptive

B.  

Correlational

C.  

Causal-comparative

D.  

Historical

Discussion 0
Questions 13

What would a counselor do during the diagnostic process?

Options:

A.  

Involve the client actively.

B.  

Conceal the diagnosis from the client.

C.  

Discuss treatment alternatives.

D.  

Accept any previous diagnosis without reassessment.

Discussion 0
Questions 14

Which theorist studied the development of moral values in females, allowing specialists to more thoroughly examine gender differences?

Options:

A.  

Carol Gilligan

B.  

Virginia Satir

C.  

Anne Roe

D.  

Karen Horney

Discussion 0
Questions 15

Which of the following cognitive-behavioral counseling techniques is designed specifically to help family members develop new behaviors?

Options:

A.  

Intensification

B.  

Modeling

C.  

Reinforcement of incompatible behaviors

D.  

Extinction

Discussion 0
Questions 16

A client reports difficulty concentrating “because everyone is always speaking at once.” Following this disclosure, what symptom must the counselor assess?

Options:

A.  

Visual hallucinations

B.  

Auditory hallucinations

C.  

Delusions of grandeur

D.  

Tactile hallucinations

Discussion 0
Questions 17

In family counseling, when a counselor attempts to help one family member become more assertive, the counselor recognizes that

Options:

A.  

making one member more assertive will result in other family members becoming more assertive.

B.  

changing one family member's behavior will change the behavior of other family members.

C.  

assertiveness is a uniquely personal attribute not usually amenable to change through family counseling.

D.  

such a behavior change can be accomplished effectively only if the other family members concur that it is a desirable change.

Discussion 0
Questions 18

What would a counseling researcher focus on at the termination of the counseling relationship?

Options:

A.  

Needs assessment

B.  

Formative evaluation

C.  

Outcome evaluation

D.  

Program development

Discussion 0
Questions 19

Career development theories are helpful to the counselor because they

Options:

A.  

Increase job satisfaction and employment productivity

B.  

Indicate the occupation that the client will most likely select

C.  

Reduce complexity and guide the selection of helping strategies

D.  

Indicate the type of counselor needed for a specific client

Discussion 0
Questions 20

A client is an 85-year-old male who is in declining health. He has had a recent heart attack and his cardiologist recommended counseling. The client reports being divorced for 10 years and estranged from his adult children. He presents as mildly depressed with a limited range of emotional expression. He says he has accepted the loss of family relationships while recounting all he did to provide for his family. He expresses some fears about dying alone and wonders aloud about how much time he has left. An important focus of counseling with this client would be which of the following?

Options:

A.  

End-of-life issues

B.  

Repairing family relationships

C.  

Reviewing will and health care directives

D.  

Developing and expanding support networks

Discussion 0
Questions 21

What is the best course of treatment for a 25-year-old client who has lost 20 lb in the past month, maintains a strict exercise regimen and a restrictive diet, uses the bathroom after every meal, and has been missing 2–3 days of work each week due to fatigue?

Options:

A.  

Refer the client to a crisis unit since they intend to lose more weight.

B.  

Refer the client to an eating disorder peer support group.

C.  

Refer the client to an outpatient therapy group for eating disorders.

D.  

Refer the client to an eating disorder inpatient facility.

Discussion 0
Questions 22

Your client has experienced a significant loss and asks you for help in making sense of his purpose in life. Which of the following would be most important to explore with your client?

Options:

A.  

The purpose of human existence

B.  

Different denominations within the church

C.  

The client's history of volunteer experiences

D.  

The number of deaths within the client's family

Discussion 0
Questions 23

Generalized anxiety disorder is best characterized by which of the following symptom patterns?

Options:

A.  

Pervasive lack of enthusiasm coupled with continual fatigue

B.  

Overconcern with bodily functioning and possible ailments

C.  

Repetitive thoughts and ritualistic actions

D.  

Continual yet diffuse and overly-intense reactions to day-to-day stress

Discussion 0
Questions 24

Using a psychodynamic approach, how can you relate reported symptoms to the best treatment process?

Options:

A.  

By utilizing the DSM-5-TR to associate symptoms with disorders.

B.  

By including a reinforcement learning model in the treatment process.

C.  

By researching the optimal interventions for the treatment process.

D.  

By examining the client's attachment to symptoms and the therapeutic alliance.

Discussion 0
Questions 25

A client-centered counselor would agree that people are:

Options:

A.  

Forward moving and realistic.

B.  

Incongruent in most aspects of their lives.

C.  

Incapable of unassisted change (i.e., without a counselor).

D.  

Seeking to purge the evil from their lives.

Discussion 0
Questions 26

To overcome problems involved in the interpretation of a ratio IQ, deviation IQs have been developed that:

Options:

A.  

Lower the standard deviation among test takers.

B.  

Are based on common means and standard deviations for many IQ tests.

C.  

Place primary emphasis on selecting students in extreme intelligence categories.

D.  

Reflect that all new IQ tests are being based on a common theory of intelligence.

Discussion 0
Questions 27

Which lack of bonding factor between caregiver and child has been found to contribute to academic underperformance by a child?

Options:

A.  

Inhibited cognitive and emotional growth due to low stimulation

B.  

Indiscriminate attachments to adults due to lack of attachment

C.  

Decreased experience with attending behaviors

D.  

Decreased practice with delaying gratifications

Discussion 0
Questions 28

What skill would a counselor use with a client who continually refers to certain topics and focuses on themes in order to help the client understand them?

Options:

A.  

Reflection

B.  

Clarification

C.  

Summarization

D.  

Confrontation

Discussion 0
Questions 29

At the beginning of a group counseling process, the counselor informs group members that after each group session each will be asked to provide brief, anonymous, and positive or negative written comments about the counselor's behaviors during the group sessions. The counselor states that the comments will be typed by a secretary to further protect clients' identities prior to review by the counselor. This counselor is proposing a process that will produce data most useful for:

Options:

A.  

Group stage evaluation.

B.  

Outcome evaluation.

C.  

Self-evaluation.

D.  

Process gradient scaling.

Discussion 0
Questions 30

What is the process by which offspring develop an attachment to the primary caregiver?

Options:

A.  

Role identification

B.  

Imprinting

C.  

Operant conditioning

D.  

Classical conditioning

Discussion 0
Questions 31

Client A: “I don’t believe you are being entirely honest about the amount of alcohol you use.”

Client B: “Are you saying I’m a liar? Nobody calls me a liar! I’ll talk to you about this when we get outside.”

What is the most appropriate intervention for a group counselor to use in this exchange?

Options:

A.  

Advise client B to apologize for the response.

B.  

Encourage client A to provide evidence for the accusation.

C.  

Remain silent to facilitate further interaction.

D.  

Acknowledge the anger response.

Discussion 0
Questions 32

After the counselor has identified the client’s primary issue or problem in the intake interview, which of the following is the most appropriate next step?

Options:

A.  

Implement the first step in the treatment.

B.  

Complete the informed disclosure form.

C.  

Set counseling goals collaboratively with the client.

D.  

Set the number of treatment sessions.

Discussion 0
Questions 33

How would a counselor know that systematic desensitization is working for a client with social anxiety disorder?

Options:

A.  

The Subjective Units of Discomfort Scale rating has decreased from 70 to 60 for attending a social event.

B.  

The Subjective Units of Discomfort Scale rating has increased from 60 to 70 for attending a social event.

C.  

The client displays reactivity in their behavior due to being observed.

D.  

The client displays reactivity in their behavior because they have been keeping a diary of immediate records.

Discussion 0
Questions 34

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder can be characterized as predominately hyperactive/impulsive, combined, or which other presentation?

Options:

A.  

Aggressive

B.  

Disorganized

C.  

Inattentive

D.  

Interpersonal

Discussion 0
Questions 35

What strategy would a counselor use with a client whose cultural background is different from their own?

Options:

A.  

Wait for the client to share their cultural experiences.

B.  

View cultural background as secondary to treatment planning.

C.  

Address presenting concerns separately from culture, race, and ethnic background.

D.  

Ask the client about any cultural issues or beliefs that may be impacting them.

Discussion 0
Questions 36

Counselor A has noticed that Counselor B often speaks about clients in public spaces, makes no effort to conceal the clients’ identities, and often includes very personal details about the clients’ circumstances. According to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics, what should Counselor A do first?

Options:

A.  

Report Counselor B to the American Counseling Association (ACA).

B.  

Speak privately to express ethical concerns and suggest how to best maintain privacy.

C.  

Immediately contact the director of the center and report an ethical violation.

D.  

Contact the state regulatory board for mental health counselors.

Discussion 0
Questions 37

What must a counselor do to foster progress in counseling groups?

Options:

A.  

Call on natural leaders to take charge.

B.  

Promote sharing on an affective level.

C.  

Link interactions to personal problems.

D.  

Minimize interpretation of relationships.

Discussion 0
Questions 38

An instrument used to indicate likes and dislikes is

Options:

A.  

An interest inventory

B.  

A Likert-type scale

C.  

A self-concept inventory

D.  

A projective technique

Discussion 0
Questions 39

If a student achieved a score of 56 on a test having a mean of 42 and a standard deviation of 7, what would the student’s f-score (50,10) be?

Options:

A.  

49

B.  

50

C.  

63

D.  

70

Discussion 0
Questions 40

Which is an example of a nonjudgmental stance?

Options:

A.  

“Tell me more about your experience from that day.”

B.  

“You speak English so well to be from another country.”

C.  

“I do not think that you should stay with your partner.”

D.  

“We first need to address your sexual orientation.”

Discussion 0
Questions 41

A descriptor that refers to clients who are pathologically self-focused, withdrawn, and unresponsive is

Options:

A.  

Autistic

B.  

Neurotic

C.  

Lethargic

D.  

Neurasthenic

Discussion 0
Questions 42

You have diagnosed your client with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Which of the following would you implement as the primary long-term goal for this client?

Options:

A.  

Develop relationships with others by attending regular group counseling sessions.

B.  

Learn one or two strategies to reduce bouts of anxiety to 2–3 times per week.

C.  

Listen to relaxing music for 15 minutes, 3–5 times per week.

D.  

Reduce frequency of anxiety so that daily routines are not interrupted or impaired.

Discussion 0
Questions 43

When Rogers’s statement “What is most personal is most general” is applied in a group counseling context, it is called

Options:

A.  

Projection

B.  

Universalization

C.  

Transference

D.  

Generalization

Discussion 0
Questions 44

Which is a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder?

Options:

A.  

Lack of hobbies

B.  

Restlessness

C.  

Rechecking locked doors

D.  

Pressured speech

Discussion 0
Questions 45

What term describes when immigrants identify with both their original culture and new culture?

Options:

A.  

Acculturation

B.  

Biculturalism

C.  

Marginalization

D.  

Separation

Discussion 0
Questions 46

Face validity is established by

Options:

A.  

Correlating the test with another test that measures the same thing.

B.  

Eliminating items that do not correlate highly with the total test score.

C.  

Having experts judge the adequacy and appropriateness of the items.

D.  

Subjectively examining the items on the test.

Discussion 0
Questions 47

A 4-year-old child thought that a 10-year-old child had disappeared when the older child put on a Halloween costume. At what developmental stage is the younger child according to Piaget's theory?

Options:

A.  

Formal operational

B.  

Sensorimotor

C.  

Concrete operational

D.  

Preoperational

Discussion 0
Questions 48

Within the context of Minuchin’s theory of family counseling, standards that govern behavior in families are determined primarily by

Options:

A.  

Genetics

B.  

Family norms

C.  

Socioeconomic status

D.  

Family hierarchy

Discussion 0
Questions 49

Contemporary theories of occupational placement services emphasize

Options:

A.  

the need for clients to develop job search and networking skills.

B.  

reliance on computer-assisted decision-making models.

C.  

that the singular purpose of placement centers is to find jobs for clients.

D.  

that personal skills and abilities can compensate for declining trends in any occupational field.

Discussion 0
Questions 50

How do counselors define the concept of post-traumatic growth?

Options:

A.  

A theory that reduces emphasis on the negative aspects of trauma and leads to growth

B.  

A process and outcome based in adaptive coping, meaning making, and personal growth following traumatic experiences

C.  

A theory that growth is still possible for clients after traumatic or difficult experiences

D.  

A growth process that normalizes clients' experiences and helps them understand what is positive in their situations

Discussion 0
Questions 51

Which is true regarding the concept of circular causality in family counseling?

Options:

A.  

Children’s actions are fully predictable from parents’ behaviors and attitudes.

B.  

A child’s behaviors are conceptually inseparable from parents’ behaviors.

C.  

Any family member can terminate interrelated behaviors by withdrawing from the situation.

D.  

Parental behaviors are necessarily the starting point for any family member’s behaviors.

Discussion 0
Questions 52

When is the best time to provide feedback to a client?

Options:

A.  

During the review of the treatment plan

B.  

At scheduled times throughout treatment

C.  

Immediately following a behavior

D.  

Only after the client asks for it

Discussion 0
Questions 53

A counselor who believes that most thoughts and behaviors are learned and subject to change, and that the procedures employed with a client can be specifically designed to help the individual in solving a particular problem, has which theoretical orientation?

Options:

A.  

Cognitive behavioral counseling

B.  

Existential counseling

C.  

Person-centered counseling

D.  

Trait-and-factor counseling

Discussion 0
Questions 54

Which of the following should a counselor do when using a diagnostic interview to identify client strengths?

Options:

A.  

Ask what has previously worked in navigating the problem.

B.  

Discuss research-based strategies in reaching client goals.

C.  

Observe and comment on client body paraverbal and nonverbal cues.

D.  

Use clinical impressions to anticipate client resistance.

Discussion 0
Questions 55

Which of the following is not a goal of Gestalt counseling groups?

Options:

A.  

Helping individuals achieve integration

B.  

Helping group members grow up

C.  

Helping individuals accept anxiety as a part of life

D.  

Helping group members extinguish maladaptive behavior

Discussion 0
Questions 56

Which factors below are the first things to consider as a guide in treatment planning?

Options:

A.  

The availability and accessibility of treatment resources

B.  

Relationship established between client and counselor

C.  

Detailed case analysis, assessment, and long-term objectives

D.  

Establishing client-specific short- and long-term goals

Discussion 0
Questions 57

An observer’s subjective description that provides a narrative of a client’s behavior in a given situation or event is

Options:

A.  

a rating scale.

B.  

a checklist.

C.  

a cumulative folder.

D.  

an anecdotal report.

Discussion 0
Questions 58

If there is a statistically significant difference between two samples due to some determining factor or condition, what decision could the counseling researcher make?

Options:

A.  

Reject the null hypothesis

B.  

Accept the null hypothesis

C.  

Accept the research hypothesis

D.  

Reject a directional hypothesis

Discussion 0
Questions 59

Behaviorists assert that inappropriate behavior

Options:

A.  

is a defense mechanism.

B.  

is a symptom of intrapersonal conflict.

C.  

results from early conflict in the family.

D.  

is reinforced and therefore tends to reoccur.

Discussion 0
Questions 60

Clients who experience financial stress are more likely to focus on which area of concern?

Options:

A.  

Developmental needs

B.  

Interpersonal needs

C.  

Intrapersonal needs

D.  

Survival needs

Discussion 0