NCE Professional Practice & Ethics Practice Questions
Professional Practice & Ethics makes up 6 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest NCE practice test. Here are 10 of the 24 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Based on the NBCC NCE content outline, the ACA Code of Ethics (2014) and the DSM-5-TR. Original questions; 50 per test, weighted like the real exam. Not affiliated with NBCC.
1. Under the ACA Code of Ethics (2014), how long must a counselor wait before a romantic relationship with a former client?
- A.Seven years
- B.Five years
- C.Two years
- D.One year
Answer: B. Standard A.5.c bars sexual or romantic relationships with former clients for five years after the last professional contact, and even then the counselor must show the relationship is not exploitative.
2. A client who cannot afford fees offers to repair the counselor's fence in exchange for sessions. Under the ACA Code, bartering is acceptable only if:
- A.It covers no more than half the fee
- B.The client's family approves of it
- C.The counselor alone sets the item's value
- D.The client asks and it is not exploitative
Answer: D. Standard A.10.e allows bartering when the relationship is not exploitative or harmful, the client requests it, and it is an accepted practice in the community. The arrangement is put in a written contract.
3. When deciding whether to accept a gift from a client, which factor does the ACA Code ask the counselor to weigh?
- A.The client's motive for giving
- B.The gift's later resale value
- C.The counselor's financial need
- D.The agency's yearly gift budget
Answer: A. Standard A.10.f asks counselors to consider the therapeutic relationship, the monetary value of the gift, the client's motivation for giving and the counselor's motivation for accepting or declining.
4. A counselor believes a diagnosis would harm a client and the client does not need one for services. Under the ACA Code, the counselor may:
- A.Ask the client to pick one
- B.Diagnose without telling the client
- C.Refrain from making a diagnosis
- D.Assign the mildest code
Answer: C. Standard E.5.d allows counselors to refrain from making or reporting a diagnosis if they believe it would cause harm to the client or others. They still keep honest records.
5. A counselor licensed in one state starts video sessions with a client who has moved to another state. What must the counselor check first?
- A.Only the client's insurer
- B.Only the video platform's rules
- C.The laws of both states
- D.Only her own state's law
Answer: C. Standard H.1.b says counselors providing distance counseling must follow the laws and regulations of both the counselor's practice location and the client's place of residence.
6. Under the ACA Code, how should a counselor handle social media?
- A.Separate professional and personal pages
- B.Post client successes with their names
- C.Use a single page for every contact
- D.Accept friend requests from clients
Answer: A. Standard H.6.a asks counselors who keep a professional online presence to separate it from their personal web pages and profiles, which limits dual relationships online.
7. During the first group session, what should the counselor tell members about confidentiality?
- A.It ends on the last group day
- B.It is fully protected by state law
- C.It binds only the group leader
- D.The leader cannot guarantee it
Answer: D. Standard B.4.a asks group leaders to explain the importance and limits of confidentiality for the group. The leader is bound by it, but other members are not bound the same way, so the leader cannot promise that everyone will keep it.
8. A client has met every counseling goal and is no longer benefiting from sessions. The ACA Code says the counselor should:
- A.Lower the fee to keep the client
- B.End services with pre-termination counseling
- C.Continue weekly sessions with no end date
- D.Stop sessions without discussion
Answer: B. Standard A.11.c directs counselors to end a relationship when the client no longer needs or benefits from it, offering pre-termination counseling and referrals as needed.
9. A counselor will be away on medical leave for three weeks. What does the ACA Code expect her to do for her clients?
- A.Close every case before she leaves
- B.Arrange coverage while she is away
- C.Pause care and tell no one
- D.Ask clients to wait for her return
Answer: B. Standard A.12 bars abandoning or neglecting clients and asks counselors to arrange for continued treatment during interruptions such as vacations and illness, for example by naming a covering colleague and telling clients how to reach help.
10. Which situation describes counselor impairment that calls for stepping back from practice?
- A.A full schedule of weekly clients
- B.Starting a new specialty training
- C.A disagreement with a colleague
- D.Grief that clouds her judgment
Answer: D. Standard C.2.g asks counselors to watch for signs of impairment from their own physical, mental or emotional problems and refrain from offering services when impaired, seeking help as needed.
Practice all 24 professional practice & ethics questions, and the rest of the 200-question bank, in the free NCE training sets. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
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