Free ADC (IC&RC) Practice Test 2026
200 original questions on the four IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor domains: addiction science, screening and assessment, counseling and treatment, and ethics and confidentiality. Four 50-question practice tests. Tuned for mobile. Free to start, no account needed.
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Which brain circuit do drugs over-activate to produce the high?
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The ADC (IC&RC) exam at a glance
The IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam is the certification exam of the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium, used by many US state boards for their alcohol and drug counselor credential (called CADC, LADC, CAC or another name depending on the state). IC&RC's candidate guide (effective November 2022) lists 150 multiple-choice questions, 125 scored and 25 unscored pretest, in 3 hours, each with three or four choices and one best answer. It covers Scientific Principles of Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders (25%), Evidence-Based Screening and Assessment (20%), Evidence-Based Treatment, Counseling, and Referral (30%) and Professional, Ethical, and Legal Responsibilities (25%). Prometric delivers it on computer at a test center or by remote proctoring where the board allows it. Scores are scaled from 200 to 800 and 500 passes; a candidate who fails waits at least 90 days to retest.
Tigertest has 200 ADC (IC&RC) practice questions with explanations, free to start with no account required.
- Questions
- 150 (125 scored, 25 pretest), three or four choices each
- Time
- 3 hours
- Pass mark
- Scaled score of 500 (scale 200 to 800)
- Largest domain
- Treatment, Counseling, and Referral, 30%
- Where
- Prometric test centers, or remote proctoring if your board allows it
- Retakes
- At least 90 days after the previous attempt
- Run by
- IC&RC, through its member state boards
Updated by the Tigertest team. Practice questions follow IC&RC's ADC Exam Candidate Guide (effective November 2022) and the IC&RC General Candidate Guide (2025), checked November 2026. Exam rules change, so confirm current details with IC&RC: credentials and candidate guides.
How It Works
Train by Topic
Five training sets follow the ADC domains: the science of addiction and co-occurring disorders; screening and assessment; counseling, groups and treatment planning; crisis, referral and professional ethics; and confidentiality, records and client rights. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
Weighted Practice Tests
Four practice tests of 50 questions, each weighted like the four domains of the real exam. Aim for 70% or better. No question appears in more than one test, and every one comes with an explanation.
Built on the IC&RC ADC Domains
IC&RC publishes the weight of each domain, and every practice test here keeps that balance in 50 questions: 15 on treatment, counseling and referral, 13 on scientific principles, 12 on professional, ethical and legal responsibilities and 10 on screening and assessment. Addiction counseling program instructors can set Tigertest as ADC review at tigertest.io/teach and see which topics the class misses most.
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Share FeedbackHow to Pass the ADC Exam
1. Make treatment and counseling your core
Treatment, counseling and referral is the largest domain at 30%. Know the stages of change, motivational interviewing skills, group types and dynamics, treatment plan goals and objectives, relapse prevention, discharge planning and when to refer.
2. Know the drugs and the brain
Scientific principles are a quarter of the exam. Learn the drug classes, signs of intoxication, overdose and withdrawal, how addiction changes the reward, stress and self-control circuits, and the signs of common co-occurring mental and medical conditions.
3. Learn confidentiality cold
Ethics and law are another quarter. Learn 42 CFR Part 2 consent elements and its exceptions, documentation and record security, informed consent, boundaries and dual relationships, scope of practice and supervision. For assessment, know the DSM-5 criteria and severity levels and the ASAM dimensions.
4. Fix your misses, then retest
Tigertest tracks your accuracy by category. Aim for 70% or better on every practice test before your exam date. After each test, drill the questions you missed and retrain the weakest category.
ADC Exam Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IC&RC ADC exam?
The Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam is the certification exam of the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC). Many US state boards that belong to IC&RC use it for their alcohol and drug counselor credential, which may be called CADC, LADC, CAC or another name depending on the state. IC&RC describes the credential as recognizing the core competencies of counselors working with substance use and addiction, for entry-to-mid-level professionals.
How many questions are on the ADC exam?
IC&RC's ADC candidate guide lists 150 questions: 125 scored and 25 unscored pretest questions, in 3 hours. Questions are multiple choice with three or four choices and one correct or best answer, and there is no penalty for guessing. The exam is taken on a computer at a Prometric test center, or by remote proctoring where the candidate's board allows it.
What score do you need to pass the ADC exam?
IC&RC reports scores on a scale from 200 to 800, and the minimum passing score is 500 for all IC&RC exams. Scores are equated across exam forms, so 500 is not a fixed percentage of questions. The 70 percent line on these practice tests is a readiness target, not the official standard. A candidate who does not pass must wait at least 90 days before retesting.
What is on the ADC exam?
The candidate guide (effective November 2022) has four domains: Scientific Principles of Substance Use and Co-Occurring Disorders (25%), Evidence-Based Screening and Assessment (20%), Evidence-Based Treatment, Counseling, and Referral (30%), and Professional, Ethical, and Legal Responsibilities (25%). Each practice test here keeps that balance.
Are these the real ADC exam questions?
No. Every question is original, written by Tigertest from IC&RC's published domains and primary sources such as the federal confidentiality rule (42 CFR Part 2), NIDA, NIAAA, the CDC and SAMHSA. Rules that vary by state, such as education and supervised hours, are not asked. Tigertest is not affiliated with IC&RC or any state certification board.
I teach an addiction counseling program. Can my students use Tigertest?
Yes, for free. Make a class at tigertest.io/teach, post one link, and students join with just their name. You see who practiced, their test scores and the topics your class misses most.
ADC (IC&RC) sample questions and answers
6 of the 200 practice questions, one from each topic, with the answer explained.
1. Why does a good assessment include the client's strengths?
- A.They replace a drug screen
- B.They guide the plan
- C.They shorten the intake
- D.They set the diagnosis
Answer: B. Strengths such as supportive family, work or past periods of abstinence give the plan something to build on and help motivation.
2. A client in early recovery says nothing feels enjoyable anymore. NIDA explains this as:
- A.A sign of lying
- B.Proof of a recent relapse
- C.A fixed personality trait
- D.A blunted reward system
Answer: D. Because the reward circuit has adapted to drugs, natural rewards feel weaker for a time, so people often feel flat and unmotivated early in recovery.
3. A client keeps missing sessions because she has no ride. The counselor should:
- A.Explore transportation help
- B.Discharge her for absences
- C.Lecture her on commitment
- D.Wait for her to call
Answer: A. Identifying resources that remove a practical barrier, such as transit passes or rides, keeps a willing client in care.
4. "You kept your appointment even after a hard week." This response is an:
- A.Confrontation
- B.Open question
- C.Affirmation
- D.Interpretation
Answer: C. An affirmation recognizes a client's genuine effort or strength, which builds confidence and rapport.
5. A client who injects opioids has a fever and a new heart murmur. The counselor should urge prompt medical care for possible:
- A.Kidney stones
- B.A severe asthma flare
- C.Heart valve infection
- D.Lung cancer
Answer: C. Injection drug use can carry bacteria into the blood and infect the heart valves (endocarditis). Fever with a new murmur is a warning sign that needs urgent care.
6. A counselor strongly dislikes a client's political views. The best way to keep this from affecting care is to:
- A.Notice it and set it aside
- B.Debate the client
- C.Hint at her own views
- D.Shorten his sessions
Answer: A. Self-awareness lets a counselor recognize her reactions and keep them from shaping treatment. If she cannot, she seeks supervision.
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