NCE Sample Test A

b

The first state to offer licensure to counselors was

a. South Carolina.

b. Virginia.

c. Maryland.

d. Delaware.

d

Ana is a 19-year-old Latina college student whose cultural background values family interdependence. The past three weeks Ana has been crying a lot, has trouble sleeping, and has lost her appetite. Her mother called the school counseling center to make an appointment for Ana. A White intake worker at the center told the mother that Ana needs to be more independent and call the center on her own. The intake worker demonstrated an instance of

a. cultural identity.

b. assimilation.

c. introjection.

d. cultural encapsulation.

b

A 53-year-old woman feels like she is 25 years old. She often goes shopping in the juniors’ section of the department stores in her local mall and takes a pole dance class with her college-student nieces. Which category of aging does this statement represent?

a. Biological aging

b. Psychological aging

c. Social aging

d. All of the above.

a

The _____________ was founded in 1913 as the first career- guidance organization.

a. National Vocational Guidance Association (NVGA)

b. American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA)

c. National Career Development Association (NCDA)

d. National Employment Counseling Association (NECA)

c

Stress management, self-worth, and leisure are dimensions of the _____________ self factor of the indivisible-self model of wellness.

a. social

b. essential

c. coping

d. creative

b

Soraya and Jean Paul met in group and quickly became friends. They talk every other day and hang out after group. Recently, Soraya has decided to take a ten-day vacation. When Jean Paul learned that Soraya would miss a meeting, he remained silent in group and declined her invitation to have coffee afterward. This most likely means that Jean Paul

a. has become involved in an abusive relationship with Soraya.

b. feels dependent on the relationship formed in group.

c. has developed a romantic attachment to Soraya.

d. All of the above.

a

James Bryant Conant believed he could create equal opportunities in access to college education through the development of

a. the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

b. the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS).

c. the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

d. TerraNova tests.

d

A researcher recruited two counseling groups with clients who self-reported as test anxious. One group was instructed on the use of meditation prior to exams; the other was not. Students’ anxiety level was assessed after the training just prior to final exams. What research design has just been described?

a. Single-group posttest

b. Pre-experimental

c. Randomized experimental

d. Quasi-experimental

c

The civil rights law that mandates equal access for individuals with disabilities to opportunities and services is called

a. FERPA.

b. HIPAA.

c. Section 504 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act.

d. CAPTA

b

The model refers to when persons reject both the customs and values of the new culture and their country of origin.

a. separation

b. marginalization

c. biculturalism

d. assimilation

c

The _____________ controls higher-order behavior and conscious thought.

a. hindbrain

b. midbrain

c. forebrain

d. limbic system

c

Williamson’s Minnesota point of view is considered a

a. nondirective counseling approach.

b. cognitive-behavioral counseling approach.

c. directive counseling approach.

d. psychodynamic counseling approach.

d

Which of the following is NOT an example of resistance?

a. A client who refuses to talk

b. A client who frequently misses appointments

c. A client who tries to steer conversations toward irrelevant, “safe” topics

d. A client who says that they disagree with the counselor’s suggestion

d

Which of the following is NOT a reason a counselor may choose to run a group?

a. it is more cost efficient than individual counseling.

b. it is time-efficient.

c. it presents members with a microcosm of society.

d. it lets counselors serve more people at once thereby meeting grants goals faster.

d

Power tests

a. use time to prevent perfect scores.

b. are concerned with normal performance.

c. assess how quickly one understands the question.

d. prevent perfect scores by including difficult test items.

a

A counselor wants to explore the relationship between three types of counseling interventions and client satisfaction. He is considering using semi-structured interviews of clients between the ages of 18–40. Which of the following would represent a confounding variable?

a. Client issue: Each intervention addresses a different client problem.

b. Time of day: All interventions occur at 10:00 a.m.

c. Medication use: Clients under study for each intervention are heterogeneous with respect to medications.

d. Environmental factors: Clients vary in their experiences to trauma.

a

Dee’Sean is a 9-year-old student with dyscalculia. After this learning disability was documented, his father spends each night assisting Dee’Sean. The child has been doing well in all of his classes, so Dee’Sean would most likely

a. not qualify for special education services under IDEA or accommodations under Section 504.

b. qualify for special education services under IDEA but not accommodations under Section 504.

c. not qualify for special education services under IDEA but qualify for accommodations under Section 504.

d. qualify for special education services under IDEA and accommodations under Section 504.

b

In Ivan Pavlov’s experiment with dogs, the unconditioned stimulus was the

a. salivation.

b. food.

c. bell.

d. None of the above.

c

An individual who enjoys acting would be demonstrating a manifest interest by

a. stating out loud, “I enjoy acting.”

b. applying to a school that specialized in the performing arts.

c. performing the lead role in a school play.

d. talking to a career counselor about career options in theater.

d

Cindy generally has a smile and a kind word to share when she encounters others. She is known among her friends and coworkers for being a good listener and for easily understanding other people’s feelings and point of view. She would most likely score high on the _____________ factor of the Five Factor model.

a. openness

b. affability

c. conscientiousness

d. agreeableness

b

Group member screening is

a. a legal requirement.

b. an ethical requirement.

c. recommended but neither a legal nor an ethical requirement.

d. both a legal and an ethical requirement.

d

The _____________ is NOT an example of a subjective test.

a. Rorschach inkblot test

b. sentence completion test

c. Mental Status Exam (MSE)

d. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

b

A sampling method in which participants from an entire population have an equal chance of being selected is known as _____________ sampling.

a. systematic

b. simple random

c. quota

d. stratified

a

A counselor suspects that one of her minor clients is being physically abused, so she files a report with child protective services. The worker informs the client that in their state, cases are opened under the mother’s name, and reports stay on record until the family’s youngest child at the time of investigation turns 28 years old. CPS conducts an investigation and finds that no abuse has occurred or is occurring with the client. The mother believes that the counselor filed the report and promised to sue. In this situation, the counselor

a. would not be held liable unless the report was made with malice.

b. would be held liable for making a false report.

c. would receive a warning from CPS.

d. would be investigated by an ethics committee.

b

Burnout can lead to

a. physical exertion.

b. emotional exhaustion.

c. an increased sense of personal accomplishment.

d. social withdrawal.

a

Assessment generally occurs during the _____________ stage of counseling.

a. action/intervention

b. termination

c. relationship-building

d. follow-up

b

According to the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW), the four categories of group work are

a. growth groups, counseling groups, T-groups, and psychotherapy groups.

b. task groups, psychoeducational groups, counseling groups, and psychotherapy groups.

c. self-help groups, psychotherapy groups, task groups, and psychoeducational groups.

d. encounter groups, counseling groups, psychoeducational groups, and psychotherapy groups.

a

According to _____________, test examiners must have technical knowledge regarding the validity and reliability of test results.

a. Responsibilities of Users of Standardized Tests (RUST)

b. Rights and Responsibilities of Test-Takers

c. Test Critiques

d. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

d

Jenny wants to examine two scores for a group of adolescents in an after-school program based on pretest and posttest data. She knows the mean pretest and posttest scores for adolescents in the after-school program last year. Which analysis is most appropriate?

a. Independent t-test

b. ANCOVA

c. Logistic regression design

d. Dependent t-test

a

In the _____________ consultation model, there is no “expert”; all members are equally responsible for the outcome.

a. collaborative-interdependent

b. collaborative-dependent

c. triadic-dependent

d. triadic-interdependent

b

Which of the following is a closed-ended question?

a. “What went through your mind when your girlfriend was breaking up with you?”

b. “How many times have you fought with your daughter in the past week?”

c. “What is your relationship with your brother like now?”

d. “How do you feel about your decision to go back to school?”

a

In most states, for counselors to work in private practice, they must obtain

a. licensure.

b. certification.

c. licensure and certification.

d. neither licensure nor certification.

b

The counseling theory called _____________ is deterministic.

a. individual psychology

b. psychoanalysis

c. humanistic

d. existential

c

Which of the following factors is NOT related to career salience?

a. Participation: spending time and energy in a work role

b. Commitment: an emotional attachment to the work role

c. Interest: engaging in meaningful vocational activities

d. Value expectation: the satisfaction gained from the vocational decisions and actions one makes throughout the course of one’s lifespan

c

Licensure occurs at the

a. national level.

b. regional level.

c. state level.

d. county level.

c

The superego resides in a person’s

a. preconscious mind.

b. conscious mind.

c. unconscious mind.

d. subconscious mind.

a

Which of the following is NOT true concerning construct validity?

a. Construct validity is empirically established by examining the relationship between data collected from the instrument and a specific criterion.

b. Construct validity is important to establish when an instrument measures an abstract construct.

c. Construct validity is defined as the extent to which an instrument measures a theoretical construct.

d. Construct validity can be determined through experimental design or factor analysis.

b

_____________ have been trained to help clients work through their issues by uncovering and examining unconscious conflicts.

a. Psychologists

b. Psychoanalysts

c. Psychiatrists

d. Mental health counselors

a

_____________ were considered by Freud to be the “royal road to the unconscious.”

a. Dreams

b. Memories

c. Early childhood recollections

d. Fantasies

b

Ethnocentrism means

a. believing that other cultures are worthier than one’s own.

b. believing that one’s own culture is superior to others.

c. believing culturally appropriate research is only done through ethnography.

d. believing that gender roles should be congruent with a culture.

c

A client tells his counselor that after thinking about all of the potential consequences, he has decided to engage in an extramarital affair. The counselor believes he will be making a huge mistake if he takes this course of action; however, after consideration, the counselor decides to accept and respect the client’s decision and not try to convince the client to change his mind. In this situation, the counselor is upholding the meta-ethical principle of

a. independence.

b. fidelity.

c. autonomy.

d. self-determination.

d

Spiritual bypass refers to

a. a counselor not discussing spirituality with a client.

b. a client not discussing spirituality with a counselor.

c. an agency having an anti-discrimination policy that prohibits spirituality questions on the intake.

d. avoiding problematic issues by using spirituality instead of facing problems.

d

When Thomas has a tantrum and throws toys around the house, his mother tells him that because of his behavior he will have to forfeit his outside play privileges for the day. What type of behavioral strategy is she using?

a. Positive reinforcement

b. Negative reinforcement

c. Punishment, stimulus applied

d. Punishment, stimulus removed

c

According to Holland’s career theory, _____________ is an example of an investigative occupation.

a. Mechanic

b. Accountant

c. Biologist

d. Real estate agent

b

Adler believed that a person’s lifestyle is established by the age of

a. 2 years.

b. 5 years.

c. 16 years.

d. 25 years.

b

A _____________ is established with the overarching purpose of accomplishing a specified goal.

a. T-group

b. task group

c. psychoeducational group

d. psychotherapy group

c

In the classical test theory equation, X = T + e, e represents the

a. reliability of a test.

b. reliability of a person’s test score across several test administrations.

c. amount of error present during test administration.

d. observed test score.

a

Computing _____________ allows a researcher to examine if statistically significant relationships are practically meaningful.

a. effect size

b. power

c. p value

d. Cronbach’s alpha

d

An adult client is finally graduating from college after many years of hard work. This client plans to attend the commencement ceremony and tells his counselor, “I couldn’t have done it without you. Wish you could be there.” The counselor decides to attend the graduation ceremony. Ethically, what is the counselor NOT required to do?

a. Gain consent from the client to attend

b. Document in writing his reason for attending

c. Seek to repair any damages if they occur as a result of the nonprofessional interaction

d. Hold a meeting with the client and a supervisor to create a plan for attendance

c

Internalized oppression, or when minority members espouse the majority opinion, is also known as

a. primary oppression.

b. secondary oppression.

c. tertiary oppression.

d. double jeopardy.

a

A young child has a pet cat. One day the child sees a dog for the first time and exclaims, “Look, Dad, a cat!” Which Piagetian concept does this scenario best exemplify?

a. Assimilation

b. Cognitive dissonance

c. Accommodation

d. Symbolic representation

a

Jameel has an important decision to make about his relationship with Helen. He thinks back to their most recent arguments and to the earlier days of their relationship. After remembering the details and then considering the bigger picture, he realizes that they haven’t been getting along for months. Even though it is painful, he decides to break up with Helen. According to the Myers-Briggs type theory, Jameel uses the _____________ dimension of perceiving.

a. Sensing

b. Intuition

c. Thinking

d. Feeling

b

Which of the following is NOT a true statement about the shadow archetype in Jungian analytic psychology?

a. The shadow represents the parts of the self that people do not want to recognize or accept.

b. The shadow contains only negative aspects of people’s personalities.

c. The shadow may be projected onto others if it is not brought into awareness.

d. Archetypes are symbols used in literature

c

As a group enters the working stage, all of the following should occur EXCEPT

a. the leader should transfer more power to group members.

b. the leader should become less directive.

c. the leader should become more active.

d. group members should be given more responsibility.

b

If an individual’s mean score after multiple test administrations is 84 and the SEM is 5, what can be said about the distribution of his observed scores?

a. 95% of the time his observed scores will fall between 89 and 79.

b. 68% of the time his observed scores will fall between 89 and 79.

c. 68% of the time his observed scores will fall between 91 and 74.

d. There is not enough information provided to make a determination.

b

Randall’s statistics teacher gave a short report after their midterm. Most of the students’ scores were piled up at the lower end of the scale, with 40% earning 70–74, 30% earning 75–79, 19% earning 80–85, 7% earning 90–94, and 4% earning 95–100. This distribution is said to be

a. negatively skewed.

b. positively skewed.

c. leptokurtic.

d. platykurtic.

c

Bartering with a client may be reasonable under the following circumstances EXCEPT

a. if it is suggested by the client.

b. if it is an accepted convention in the community.

c. if the counselor thinks it is in the client’s best interest.

d. if the exchange is fair.

b

Donya has generally done well on her math homework. However, she is quite nervous about her upcoming final. The lesson before the midterm review, the class learned a new topic. The teacher decided not to test them on this topic for their midterm. Donya has trouble answering questions on her midterm exam because she remembers the new lesson. This student is experiencing

a. poor retrieval.

b. retroactive inhibition.

c. decay of memory traces.

d. proactive inhibition.

b

Super’s establishment stage involves

a. the process of moving from a tentative career plan to a more specific occupational choice.

b. moving into a position with added responsibilities and an increase in pay and status.

c. contributing to the progress of the field through new developments.

d. the clarification of different types of careers that are of interest to an individual.

c

_____________ is NOT one of the four functions of Jung’s personality typology.

a. Thinking

b. Feeling

c. Behaving

d. Intuition

d

The preferred group leadership style is

a. authoritarian.

b. democratic.

c. laissez-faire.

d. dependent on a variety of factors

a

The developer of a challenging test computes each item’s difficulty. He finds that the majority of his test items have an item difficulty score ranging from .90 to .95. What can be said about the test?

a. The test developer needs to make his test items more difficult.

b. The test developer needs to make his test items easier.

c. The test questions were not consistent.

d. The test developer does not need to make any corrections to the individual items.

c

Carlita would like to study domestic violence intervention in a community. She decides to interview survivors and their families, the mayor, local medical and mental health professionals, and a city council member. Most of the interviews take place in her office and are audio-recorded. Afterward, her research assistants transcribe the recordings. Which research tradition is most closely aligned with her design?

a. Grounded theory

b. Phenomenology

c. Ethnography

d. Biography

c

A records custodian is an individual appointed by a counselor to

a. maintain and organize the counselor’s records.

b. inform the counselor about the legal requirements for record keeping.

c. implement the counselor’s plan regarding transfer of records and client care in the event of the counselor’s death or impairment.

d. All of the above.

a

A year ago, Jan’s boss informed her that she would be promoted to senior analyst for her outstanding job performance; however, Jan was never promoted. According to Schlossberg, this is an example of a(n)

a. nonevent.

b. chronic hassle.

c. unanticipated transition.

d. anticipated transition

b

According to _____________, dreams have hidden symbolism.

a. Perls

b. Freud

c. Jung

d. All of the above.

b

_____________ should be used to protect a group from a member’s harmful behavior.

a. Interpreting

b. Blocking

c. Confronting

d. Providing feedback

b

An inventory that uses a Likert-type scale is likely to yield _____________ data.

a. interval

b. ordinal

c. nominal

d. ratio

b

Which of the following research paradigms references reliability and validity considerations?

a. Positivism

b. Post-positivism

c. Critical

d. Constructivism

d

_____________ involves removing a child so that he or she is no longer able to receive positive reinforcement.

a. Overcorrection

b. Extinction

c. Response cost

d. Time out

d

“My wedding reception would have been wonderful if the DJ hadn’t been late.” This example best represents what type of distorted thinking?

a. Overgeneralization

b. Dichotomous thinking

c. Magnification

d. Selective abstraction

a

Which of the following scenarios is considered ethical according to the ACA Code of Ethics?

a. Counselor educators who use their own textbooks in their classes

b. Counselors who urge their clients to buy their products

c. Counselors who solicit testimonials from current clients

d. All of the above.

b

A counselor is working with a teenage client who fears what would happen if her parents decided to get a divorce. Her friends have lost interest in spending time with her because they are tired of talking about the possibility of her parents divorcing. She says this only gives her even more time to worry about her parents’ relationship. She took a math test three days ago and said that she did poorly because she could not stop thinking of her parents. What cognitive technique might be most useful for this client to help her break out of these cycles when they occur?

a. Cognitive rehearsal

b. Thought stopping

c. Cognitive disputation

d. Shame attack exercises

a

Which career decision-making theory rests on the assumption that stress significantly contributes to the quality of the decision that is made—that is, high levels of stress can lead to a “defective” career decision?

a. Janis and Mann’s conflict model of decision making

b. Gelatt’s decision-making model

c. Tiedeman and O’Hara’s theory of career decision making

d. Social learning theory

c

A counselor uses an assessment tool to evaluate a client whose cultural background is not represented in the test’s norms. The counselor

a. should not have used that assessment to evaluate the client.

b. was justified in using the assessment if the client consented.

c. should use caution when reporting the results.

d. should not report the results of the assessment to the client.

d

Which of the following words, when found in a client statement, would most likely indicate an irrational thought or belief?

a. Want

b. Would like

c. Wish

d. Must

b

What percentage of a normally distributed population’s scores fall between ±3 standard deviations?

a. 95%

b. 99%

c. 68%

d. 2%

a

A fire alarm interrupts the administration of a standardized assessment. The counselor should do all of the following EXCEPT

a. immediately reschedule the assessment.

b. make a note of the disruption.

c. consider the disruption when interpreting the results of the assessment.

d. put the test results in the proper perspective when reporting them to the client.

a

The word gestalt can be defined as

a. a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

b. an adaptive pattern of behavior.

c. the individual parts that make up each individual.

d. All of the above.

d

One of the five stages of prejudice is _____________, which indicates a person shares harmful views of a group with persons who have similar views but has not taken action.

a. discrimination

b. avoidance

c. assimilation

d. antilocution

d

Internet counselors should NOT

a. inform clients about how they can be reached should a session end due to a technological error.

b. take steps to confirm the identity of their clients before sessions.

c. provide clients with information about local counseling services.

d. record the IP addresses of their clients for identification purposes.

d

Which of the following is NOT a cultural characteristic common within the African American community

a. harmony with nature.

b. respect for the family.

c. egalitarian gender roles.

d. avoiding eye contact with elders or other highly esteemed people.

b

Language acquisition device, surface structures, and deep structures are all concepts associated with which theory of language development?

a. Learning theory approach

b. Nativist approach

c. Interactionist approach

d. Epigenetic approach

b

Which career theory proposes that occupational selection is heavily influenced by the psychological needs that develop from interactions between children and their parents?

a. Personal construct psychology

b. Roe’s personality development and occupational classification

c. Social learning theory

d. Gottfredson’s theory of circumscription, compromise, and self-creation

b

_____________ is NOT one of the five basic human needs, as proposed by Glasser.

a. Survival

b. Spirituality

c. Freedom

d. Fun

a

Which quadrant of the Johari window increases as a result of self- disclosure?

a. Public/open quadrant

b. Private/hidden quadrant

c. Blind quadrant

d. Unknown/unconscious quadrant

a

If a student scored a 45 on an exam with a mean of 35 and a standard deviation of 5, what would be the student’s z-score?

a. +2

b. −1

c. 0

d. +1.5

c

_____________ research is most interested in baseline data.

a. Quantitative

b. Qualitative

c. Single subject

d. Longitudinal

b

The following is NOT a component that must be proved in a negligence or malpractice case.

a. There was a legal duty owed to the plaintiff by the defendant.

b. The plaintiff has or had a physical injury.

c. The defendant breached the legal duty owed to the plaintiff.

d. The defendant’s breach of duty caused the plaintiff’s injury.

c

Crises that arise due to unexpected situations, such as being fired, are considered to be

a. developmental crises.

b. existential crises.

c. situational crises.

d. environmental crises.

c

Most elementary school students are in Erikson’s ____________ stage of psychosocial development.

a. identity versus role confusion

b. initiative versus guilt

c. industry versus inferiority

d. autonomy versus shame and doubt

a

_____________ contains three instruments that measure interest, abilities, and values and can be administered individually or together.

a. The California Occupational Preference Survey (COPS)

b. Kuder Career Search

c. Keirsey Temperament Sorter II

d. Career Thoughts Inventory

a

_____________ is NOT one of the three core conditions of counseling.

a. Encouragement

b. Empathy

c. Congruence

d. Unconditional positive regard

a

When a group member uses sarcasm, it is usually an attempt to hide

a. anger.

b. neediness.

c. a desire for control.

d. a desire for attention.

d

What can we say about a fourth-grader who has completed 6 months of fourth grade and has a grade equivalent score of 6.1 in math?

a. The student scored average in math when compared to her classmates.

b. The student needs to be moved into sixth-grade math.

c. The student is performing at the sixth-grade level in math.

d. The student is performing higher in math than most students in the fourth grade.

a

A college counselor is interested in conducting a study on college administrators’ attitudes toward Greek organizations. He conducts focus groups with several administrators and asks other administrators to complete rating scales regarding their satisfaction with these organizations. This is an example of _____________ research.

a. concurrent

b. action

c. sequential exploratory

d. sequential explanatory

c

The legal case that established the counselor’s duty to warn or protect in California was

a. Poddar v. Regents of the University of California.

b. Tarasoff v. Poddar.

c. Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California.

d. Regents of the University of California v. Tarasoff.

c

A high school graduate said his family was placing considerable pressure on him to become a partner in the family business. During his last year of high school, the family had regular discussions with him about pursuing the same field of study that his father did. The fall after graduation, he decided to begin classes at his father’s alma mater. This student is displaying the _____________ status.

a. identity diffusion

b. identity moratorium

c. identity foreclosure

d. identity achievement

d

_____________ inventories identify personal factors that may impede an individual’s career development process.

a. Interest

b. Personality

c. Values

d. Career development

b

A man thinks something is wrong with him because he is more interested in spending time with his family and friends than excelling in his career. He says that he is embarrassed about his lack of ambition, because he knows men are supposed to be the family breadwinners. Narrative therapists would describe his self- narrative as

a. multilayered.

b. thin.

c. superficial.

d. thick.