NCE Treatment Planning Practice Questions
Treatment Planning makes up 5 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest NCE practice test. Here are 10 of the 20 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. Which treatment goal is written in SMART form?
- A.Work on self-esteem issues
- B.Attend 3 meetings a week for 8 weeks
- C.Feel much better about life soon
- D.Stop being so anxious in daily life
Answer: B. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Feeling better or working on self-esteem cannot be measured as written.
2. How does an objective differ from a goal in a treatment plan?
- A.It is written only by the client
- B.It replaces the client's diagnosis
- C.It is broader than the goal
- D.It is a measurable step to the goal
Answer: D. Goals are broad outcomes, such as reduced depression. Objectives are the specific, measurable steps that show progress toward them.
3. Who should set the goals in a client's treatment plan?
- A.The client and counselor
- B.The client's family members
- C.The counselor on her own
- D.The client's insurance company
Answer: A. Collaborative goal setting increases the client's ownership and motivation. The counselor brings clinical knowledge and the client brings priorities.
4. A client has several problems: panic attacks, a job search and marital strain. What should guide which one is addressed first?
- A.The counselor's own favorite clinical area
- B.The order the client listed them
- C.Severity and the client's priorities
- D.The easiest problem to solve first
Answer: C. Treatment plans usually address safety and the most distressing or impairing problems first, weighed against what the client most wants to work on.
5. A court-ordered client says his drinking is not a problem and he has no plans to change. Which approach best fits his stage of change?
- A.Teach relapse prevention skills
- B.Assign a daily sobriety log
- C.Raise awareness without pushing change
- D.Set a firm quit date today
Answer: C. A client in precontemplation is not yet considering change. Stage-matched work builds rapport and raises awareness, for example with nonjudgmental feedback, rather than pushing action steps he has not chosen.
6. A client has set a quit date for next week and asks what to do next. Which counselor task best fits this stage of change?
- A.Build a specific change plan
- B.Wait until the urges have passed
- C.Review his gains from past years
- D.Debate whether he has a problem
Answer: A. In preparation the client intends to act soon, so the counselor helps turn intention into a concrete plan: steps, supports, likely obstacles and how to cope with them.
7. A client says, "Part of me wants to stop drinking, but it is the only way I relax." Which counselor response best fits this stage of change?
- A.Praise his long-term sobriety
- B.Hand him a detailed quit plan
- C.Tell him he is in denial
- D.Explore both sides of his ambivalence
Answer: D. This client is in contemplation: he sees reasons to change and reasons not to. Exploring the pros and cons of change, and reflecting his own reasons for it, helps resolve ambivalence before planning.
8. A client's depression is not improving after several months of weekly sessions. What should the counselor do?
- A.Double the length of sessions
- B.Review and revise the plan
- C.Keep the same plan unchanged
- D.End services without notice
Answer: B. Treatment plans are living documents. Lack of progress calls for reassessing the diagnosis, goals and interventions, consulting, and possibly referring.
9. Which level of care is the least restrictive for a client who is stable and attends work?
- A.Inpatient hospitalization
- B.Routine outpatient counseling
- C.Residential treatment
- D.Partial hospitalization
Answer: B. Clients are placed in the least restrictive level of care that keeps them safe and meets their needs. Routine outpatient care is the least intensive.
10. A client with severe depression is considering medication. What is the counselor's role?
- A.Advise against all medication
- B.Adjust the client's dose
- C.Recommend a specific medication
- D.Refer to a prescriber
Answer: D. Counselors do not prescribe. They refer to a psychiatrist or other prescriber and coordinate care with the client's written consent.
Practice all 20 treatment planning 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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