CPCE ACTUAL EXAM 2026 PRACTICE TEST
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
◉ The state in which you reside does not yet have counselor
licensure, so a local civic club has asked you to address their
members by presenting an overview of counselor licensure and its
benefits to the public. In your presentation to the group you note
that
A) licensure automatically entitles counselors to receive third- party
payments from insurance companies.
B) some professional groups (e.g., psychologists) have opposed
counselor licensure although the need for mental health services for
the public has increased steadily.
C) state-level counselor licensure laws have existed for over 40 years
although it is only recently that a majority of the states have
counselor licensure laws.
D) one of the ways that counselor licensure laws protect the public's
general welfare is through restriction of the use of the term
"counselor" to those persons who have graduated from counselor
education programs.. Answer: CORRECT ANSWER:
,B) some professional groups (e.g., psychologists) have opposed
counselor licensure although the need for mental health services for
the public has increased steadily.
◉ A client has concluded a series of counseling sessions with
another counselor and has now come to you for counseling.
According to the NBCC ethical standards, you should
A) proceed as you would with any other new client.
B) contact the other counselor and find out if it is appropriate for
you to counsel the client.
C) contact the other counselor to ensure that you do not cover the
same topic areas with the client.
D) advise the client to continue with the other counselor.. Answer:
CORRECT ANSWER:
A) proceed as you would with any other new client.
◉ Your employer has a policy which necessitates that you report all
instances of child abuse to state authorities. A client alludes (in your
judgment) to the possibility of (the client) being a child abuser. As a
counselor you should
,A) contact your lawyer; the policy is a violation of the "fair trade"
laws.
B) refer the person elsewhere; receipt of a salary constitutes
voluntary agreement with the employer's policies.
C) inform the client of the policy and let the client decide how to
proceed.
D) contact a consultant; then do as the consultant suggests.. Answer:
CORRECT ANSWER:
C) inform the client of the policy and let the client decide how to
proceed.
◉ A married couple comes to you, as a counselor in private practice
and tells you that they are having marital difficulties and have
sought counseling for resolution of them. In the course of an initial
session with them, one of the spouses reports being a new and
active member of the local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA~) group. You
should
A) investigate the nature of the local AA's activities and continue
counseling if those activities do not include accepted definitions of
counseling.
, B) terminate counseling with the one spouse but continue to work
with the spouse who is not an AA participant.
C) offer to co-counsel with the staff of the local AA.
D) refer both spouses to the local AA.. Answer: CORRECT ANSWER:
A) investigate the nature of the local AA's activities and continue
counseling if those activities do not include accepted definitions of
counseling.
◉ A member of the local clergy telephones and asks for your
evaluation of the spiritual values of a person whom the caller knows
was one of your clients. The caller wants your opinion because the
former client is an applicant to a theological institution for which the
caller is the local applicant evaluator. You should
a. respond orally but require that no records be made of the
conversation and that no comments be attributed to you.
b. inform the caller that under no circumstances are you ethically
permitted to divulge whether a person is or has been a client or any
information about a client without the client's permission.
c. inform the caller that you need to call the former client and obtain
the client's permission before you can express your opinions.
d. seek the counsel of your supervisor to determine what types of
information it would be permissible to divulge.. Answer: b. inform
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
◉ The state in which you reside does not yet have counselor
licensure, so a local civic club has asked you to address their
members by presenting an overview of counselor licensure and its
benefits to the public. In your presentation to the group you note
that
A) licensure automatically entitles counselors to receive third- party
payments from insurance companies.
B) some professional groups (e.g., psychologists) have opposed
counselor licensure although the need for mental health services for
the public has increased steadily.
C) state-level counselor licensure laws have existed for over 40 years
although it is only recently that a majority of the states have
counselor licensure laws.
D) one of the ways that counselor licensure laws protect the public's
general welfare is through restriction of the use of the term
"counselor" to those persons who have graduated from counselor
education programs.. Answer: CORRECT ANSWER:
,B) some professional groups (e.g., psychologists) have opposed
counselor licensure although the need for mental health services for
the public has increased steadily.
◉ A client has concluded a series of counseling sessions with
another counselor and has now come to you for counseling.
According to the NBCC ethical standards, you should
A) proceed as you would with any other new client.
B) contact the other counselor and find out if it is appropriate for
you to counsel the client.
C) contact the other counselor to ensure that you do not cover the
same topic areas with the client.
D) advise the client to continue with the other counselor.. Answer:
CORRECT ANSWER:
A) proceed as you would with any other new client.
◉ Your employer has a policy which necessitates that you report all
instances of child abuse to state authorities. A client alludes (in your
judgment) to the possibility of (the client) being a child abuser. As a
counselor you should
,A) contact your lawyer; the policy is a violation of the "fair trade"
laws.
B) refer the person elsewhere; receipt of a salary constitutes
voluntary agreement with the employer's policies.
C) inform the client of the policy and let the client decide how to
proceed.
D) contact a consultant; then do as the consultant suggests.. Answer:
CORRECT ANSWER:
C) inform the client of the policy and let the client decide how to
proceed.
◉ A married couple comes to you, as a counselor in private practice
and tells you that they are having marital difficulties and have
sought counseling for resolution of them. In the course of an initial
session with them, one of the spouses reports being a new and
active member of the local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA~) group. You
should
A) investigate the nature of the local AA's activities and continue
counseling if those activities do not include accepted definitions of
counseling.
, B) terminate counseling with the one spouse but continue to work
with the spouse who is not an AA participant.
C) offer to co-counsel with the staff of the local AA.
D) refer both spouses to the local AA.. Answer: CORRECT ANSWER:
A) investigate the nature of the local AA's activities and continue
counseling if those activities do not include accepted definitions of
counseling.
◉ A member of the local clergy telephones and asks for your
evaluation of the spiritual values of a person whom the caller knows
was one of your clients. The caller wants your opinion because the
former client is an applicant to a theological institution for which the
caller is the local applicant evaluator. You should
a. respond orally but require that no records be made of the
conversation and that no comments be attributed to you.
b. inform the caller that under no circumstances are you ethically
permitted to divulge whether a person is or has been a client or any
information about a client without the client's permission.
c. inform the caller that you need to call the former client and obtain
the client's permission before you can express your opinions.
d. seek the counsel of your supervisor to determine what types of
information it would be permissible to divulge.. Answer: b. inform
