NCE NATIONAL COUNSELOR
EXAMINATION BUNDLED EXAM ACTUAL
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ Experiment. Answer: The Experiment is the most valuable type of
research it is used to discover cause-and-effect relationships
⩥ How many individual participants do you need to conduct a "true"
experiment?. Answer: To conduct a "true" experiment you needs 30
individual participants.
⩥ How many individual participants do you need to conduct
Correlational research?. Answer: To conduct correlational research you
needs 30 subjects per variable.
⩥ Quasi-experiment. Answer: A Quasi-experiment uses PRE-
EXISTING groups, so the independent variable (IV) cannot be altered
(i.e. gender or ethnicity), & cannot state with any statistical confidence
that the IV caused the dependent variable (DV).
⩥ What type of experiment is a correlational research, and what does it
tell us about cause and effect?. Answer: Correlational research is a
Quasi-experimental and does not yield cause-effect data.
,⩥ What do correlational studies tell us about the relationship between
variables?. Answer: Since correlational research is Quasi-experimental,
it only shows a positive or negative relationship between the variables,
but does not yield cause-effect data.
⩥ Parsimony. Answer: Parsimony (aka Occam's Razor) refers to the
practice of interpreting the results in the simplest ways (Literally a
tendency to be miserly and not overspend.)
⩥ Occam's Razor. Answer: Occam's Razor (aka Parsimony) refers to the
practice of interpreting the results in the simplest ways (Literally a
tendency to be miserly and not overspend.)
⩥ Ex post facto study. Answer: Ex post facto study is a type of quasi-
experiment (literally means 'after the fact') connoting a correlational
study in which preexisting groups are utilized
⩥ Independent variable. Answer: The Independent variable is the
variable the researcher manipulates, controls, alters, or wishes to
experiment with. Memory Device: 'I' manipulate the IV, or a hospital
patient gets treatment form IV)
⩥ Dependent variable. Answer: The dependent variable expresses the
outcome or the data regarding factors one wants to measure. Memory
Device: 'D' in dependent signifies 'D' in data.
,⩥ Validity. Answer: Validity is the extent or degree to which an idea/
conclusion/measurement/ score/ study is well-founded, measures what it
claims to measure, corresponds accurately to the real world & answers
the questions it is intended to answer. 'valid' in Latin meaning strong,
equivalent.
⩥ Internal Validity. Answer: Internal validity 'in experiments' refers to
whether the Dependent Variables, 'DVs' , the data were truly influenced
by the experimental independent variables, 'IVs', treatment or if other
factors impacted the Data.
⩥ What are some examples of "Threats to internal validity"?. Answer:
Examples of threats to 'internal validity' or factors that reduce the impact
of tx on Data are 1. maturation of subjects, the psychological & physical
changes e.g. fatigue due to time involved, 2. 'mortality' subjects
withdrawing, 3. instruments used to measure the behavior or trait, or 4.
'statistical regression' the notion that extremely high or low scores would
move toward the mean if utilized again.
⩥ External validity. Answer: 'External validity' or outside of experiment,
refers to whether the experimental research results can be generalized to
larger populations, e.g. other people, settings, conditions. If the results of
the study only apply to the population in the study then external validity
is LOW.
, ⩥ Causal Comparative Design. Answer: Causal Comparative design is a
true experiment WITHOUT random assignment. Data from the causal
comparative ex post factor 'after the fact' design can be analyzed with a
test of significance, t test or ANOVA, just like any true experiment.
⩥ Factor Analysis. Answer: Factor Analysis is Statistical procedure to
summarize MANY variables, e.g. A test measuring a counselor's ability,
may try to describe 3 important variables that make up an effective
helper although hundreds exist.
⩥ Chi-Square. Answer: Chi-Square is used for 'Non-parametric' data i.g.
cannot be plotted on a x y axis, statistical measure that tests whether a
distribution differs significantly from an expected theoretical distribution
of scores. (Memory: ''chi' like 'chi-a pet' that I expected more from)
⩥ Occam's Razor. Answer: Occam's Razor is (also known as Lloyd
Morgan's 1894 Canon) suggests experimenters interpret the results in the
simplest manner.
⩥ William of Occam. Answer: William of Occam as in Occam's Razor"
was a 14th century philosopher and theologian. (Occam's Razor, aka
'parsimony' named for)
⩥ Bubbles in Research. Answer: Bubbles in research are considered
flaws in research (i.e., rubbing a sticker on car and getting no bubbles -
impossible)
EXAMINATION BUNDLED EXAM ACTUAL
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
⩥ Experiment. Answer: The Experiment is the most valuable type of
research it is used to discover cause-and-effect relationships
⩥ How many individual participants do you need to conduct a "true"
experiment?. Answer: To conduct a "true" experiment you needs 30
individual participants.
⩥ How many individual participants do you need to conduct
Correlational research?. Answer: To conduct correlational research you
needs 30 subjects per variable.
⩥ Quasi-experiment. Answer: A Quasi-experiment uses PRE-
EXISTING groups, so the independent variable (IV) cannot be altered
(i.e. gender or ethnicity), & cannot state with any statistical confidence
that the IV caused the dependent variable (DV).
⩥ What type of experiment is a correlational research, and what does it
tell us about cause and effect?. Answer: Correlational research is a
Quasi-experimental and does not yield cause-effect data.
,⩥ What do correlational studies tell us about the relationship between
variables?. Answer: Since correlational research is Quasi-experimental,
it only shows a positive or negative relationship between the variables,
but does not yield cause-effect data.
⩥ Parsimony. Answer: Parsimony (aka Occam's Razor) refers to the
practice of interpreting the results in the simplest ways (Literally a
tendency to be miserly and not overspend.)
⩥ Occam's Razor. Answer: Occam's Razor (aka Parsimony) refers to the
practice of interpreting the results in the simplest ways (Literally a
tendency to be miserly and not overspend.)
⩥ Ex post facto study. Answer: Ex post facto study is a type of quasi-
experiment (literally means 'after the fact') connoting a correlational
study in which preexisting groups are utilized
⩥ Independent variable. Answer: The Independent variable is the
variable the researcher manipulates, controls, alters, or wishes to
experiment with. Memory Device: 'I' manipulate the IV, or a hospital
patient gets treatment form IV)
⩥ Dependent variable. Answer: The dependent variable expresses the
outcome or the data regarding factors one wants to measure. Memory
Device: 'D' in dependent signifies 'D' in data.
,⩥ Validity. Answer: Validity is the extent or degree to which an idea/
conclusion/measurement/ score/ study is well-founded, measures what it
claims to measure, corresponds accurately to the real world & answers
the questions it is intended to answer. 'valid' in Latin meaning strong,
equivalent.
⩥ Internal Validity. Answer: Internal validity 'in experiments' refers to
whether the Dependent Variables, 'DVs' , the data were truly influenced
by the experimental independent variables, 'IVs', treatment or if other
factors impacted the Data.
⩥ What are some examples of "Threats to internal validity"?. Answer:
Examples of threats to 'internal validity' or factors that reduce the impact
of tx on Data are 1. maturation of subjects, the psychological & physical
changes e.g. fatigue due to time involved, 2. 'mortality' subjects
withdrawing, 3. instruments used to measure the behavior or trait, or 4.
'statistical regression' the notion that extremely high or low scores would
move toward the mean if utilized again.
⩥ External validity. Answer: 'External validity' or outside of experiment,
refers to whether the experimental research results can be generalized to
larger populations, e.g. other people, settings, conditions. If the results of
the study only apply to the population in the study then external validity
is LOW.
, ⩥ Causal Comparative Design. Answer: Causal Comparative design is a
true experiment WITHOUT random assignment. Data from the causal
comparative ex post factor 'after the fact' design can be analyzed with a
test of significance, t test or ANOVA, just like any true experiment.
⩥ Factor Analysis. Answer: Factor Analysis is Statistical procedure to
summarize MANY variables, e.g. A test measuring a counselor's ability,
may try to describe 3 important variables that make up an effective
helper although hundreds exist.
⩥ Chi-Square. Answer: Chi-Square is used for 'Non-parametric' data i.g.
cannot be plotted on a x y axis, statistical measure that tests whether a
distribution differs significantly from an expected theoretical distribution
of scores. (Memory: ''chi' like 'chi-a pet' that I expected more from)
⩥ Occam's Razor. Answer: Occam's Razor is (also known as Lloyd
Morgan's 1894 Canon) suggests experimenters interpret the results in the
simplest manner.
⩥ William of Occam. Answer: William of Occam as in Occam's Razor"
was a 14th century philosopher and theologian. (Occam's Razor, aka
'parsimony' named for)
⩥ Bubbles in Research. Answer: Bubbles in research are considered
flaws in research (i.e., rubbing a sticker on car and getting no bubbles -
impossible)
