How much information do you need to answer exam questions correctly? In some cases -- not all, but some -- you can get a question correct just with your knowledge of the profession, without needing to know anything from the specific vignette in front of you.

These sample questions come from the 2023 version of the NCMHCE Candidate Handbook produced by NBCC.

[Detailed, 1,000-word case vignette describing the intake process with a new client.]

1. During the intake, how would you establish a therapeutic relationship with this client?

1. Challenge her irrational thoughts about her self-evaluations.
2. Advise her about how to manage painful experiences.
3. Summarize her emotional struggles and desire for change.
4. Explore areas in which she could improve interpersonal relationships.

2. What long-term goal would guide treatment of the client’s presenting problem?

1. Spend 1 hour each day focusing on what is going right in life.
2. Return to pre-marital levels, or better, for self-confidence and autonomy.
3. Decrease negative thoughts and feelings by half in 6 weeks.
4. Get out of bed before 8 am each morning.

For exam prep programs including exam strategy, full-length practice tests, video-based learning, anxiety management, and features no other program has, all at prices up to 50% less than major competitors, check us out at High Pass Education. highpass.com

Intro/outro music: "Swampy Lands" by Adam Saban, licensed via Soundstripe.

When you see exam questions based on models of therapy, knowing the model well can help you eliminate some wrong answer options. But it often can't get you all of the way to the correct answer. For that, you'll need to align your knowledge with your test-taking skills.

Today's sample question comes from a previous version of sample questions from the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

A 19-year-old college student is referred to therapy by her physician for symptoms of panic. Her physician declined to prescribe medication until the client has initiated therapy. The client, however, believes that only medication will control her symptoms and that therapy is a “waste of time.” Which of the following interventions would a cognitive-behavioral therapist use to address the client’s participation in therapy?

1. Interpret the client’s distorted cognitions and identify their connection to her current symptoms of panic
2. Explore the client’s disappointment with her physician and validate her automatic thoughts as a logical consequence
3. Examine the client’s assumptions regarding treatment and collaborate with her to promote a shift in personal conclusions
4. Role-play with the client to increase her assertiveness and encourage her to communicate her concerns directly with her physician

For exam prep programs including exam strategy, full-length practice tests, video-based learning, anxiety management, and features no other program has, all at prices up to 50% less than major competitors, check us out at High Pass Education. highpass.com

Intro/outro music: "Swampy Lands" by Adam Saban, licensed via Soundstripe.

What does it mean to think systemically? And how do you demonstrate systemic thought on an exam?

These questions come from a prior edition of the official handbook for the National MFT Exam. Both questions are derived from the same case vignette.

A couple has been married for 1 ½ years and have a newborn baby. They seek therapy to deal with behavioral problems involving the mother’s three children from a previous marriage. The father angrily says that the children, 9, 12, and 16, mouth back at him and do not respect their mother’s authority. The couple has started having serious fights.

The therapist decides to focus initially on the times when the father has thought that the children were respecting their mother’s authority. The purpose of this focus is to help the:

1. Parents unite the marital dyad.
2. Father accept his role as a stepparent.
3. Parents feel hopeful about the situation.
4. Mother perceive her part in the interaction.

Which of the following statements should the therapist make to help the family perceive their complaints from a systems perspective?

1. “It is difficult to be a stepfather.”
2. “The children are having difficulty adapting to the new baby.”
3. “The marital relationship is being affected by your wife’s children.”
4. “You are experiencing a normal adjustment to becoming a stepfamily.”

Ben Caldwell Labs is now High Pass Education. Ben Caldwell's license exam prep programs are available here.

Intro/outro music: "Swampy Lands" by Adam Saban, licensed via Soundstripe.