NCE Practice Exam Quiz: Master Your Counseling Skills

According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, satisfaction of higher level needs is dependent upon satisfaction of basic needs. Shelter and food constitute two basic needs that would need to be met before the counselee is able to maintain an interest in the higher order needs of friendship, love, and education. Response B (shelter and food) is the correct answer.

The correct response is C (psychosexual stages). Trait theory is more closely associated with career development, type theory with career or personality theory, and psychosocial theory with Erik Erikson. Freud evolved the basic "oral, anal, latent, and phallic stages which are known as the psychosexual stages.

Frequent changes of topic, verbal and non-verbal inconsistencies, and decreased eye contact could all be signs of client resistance. Self-disclosure, however, far from indicating resistance, indicates client readiness to reveal, and is a sign of healthy participation. The correct answer is B (increased self-disclosure).

C (unconditional positive regard) is the correct answer. A and D are behavioral approaches, whereas C is at the root of Rogerian theory. Rogers suggested that "congruence, or genuineness," "accurate empathic understanding," and "unconditional positive regard" were necessary and sufficient conditions to bring about client change.

The correct answer is B (avoid imposing personal values). C and D are incorrect because all group leaders and counselors have personal values and it would be impractical to attempt to hide them from the group. A is incorrect because it would be unethical to attempt to shape a client or group members' values. A group leader's most appropriate course of action is to be aware that his or her values will be evident and to attempt to avoid inappropriately influencing the client.

Although A, B, and C are or can be true, the distinguishable feature of a standardized test in the above answers is best described in item D (there is uniformity in the administration and scoring of the test). Standardized tests are given and scored in the same manner for all test takers. Test instructions are normally read aloud to ensure consistency.

Responses A and B occur in an improper time frame (counseling about present concerns) to bel inked to person-centered counseling. Responses C and D occur in the appropriate time frame, but only C (conception of self and the real self) accurately describes the etiology of maladjustment according to this theory. Rogers attributes psychological imbalance to discrepancies between a client's conception of self and actual experience.

Most elementary school children are in the "concrete" stage of cognitive development. Abstract concepts such s "career" have no real meaning: their reasoning is limited to the tangible. According to Piaget, children can reason across tasks once able to apply logic in a given context. Accordingly, the most appropriate exercise is to provide them with as much tangible evidence of work as possible. The most appropriate activity for these children would be to develop an awareness of work as a life activity, C (developing an awareness of work as a life activity) is the correct answer.

The most appropriate response is B (rational emotive). Albert Ellis' RET, as it is known, is cognitive-behavioral in its orientation and is considered to be the forerunner of today's cognitive-behavioral therapies. It is cognitive in that it deals primarily with cognition and behavioral because behavioral techniques are often used to bring about changes in cognitions through homework, assignments, etc. Key to RET are the ABC's of thought. A is the activating event (someone turning you down when you ask for a date), C is the emotional and behavioral consequence (you might feel rejected), and B is the belief that causes, or is at the root of the emotional and behavioral consequences (you may, as a result of childhood experiences, believe that rejection means that you are of no value). RET suggests that over time we forget B (the belief) and simply react without the knowledge of what is causing us to react. Ellis suggests that whereas the beliefs that cause our reactions may have seemed appropriate at one time, they are irrational at this time and that by understanding our belief system we can alter our behavior.

The correct answer is C (both criterion- and norm-referenced). Achievement tests may be referenced to an external criterion or to a norm group, or both. A score report from a criterion-referenced group would yield a mastery score in relation to the objectives being measured. Norm-referenced score reports compare the individual being tested to an identified norm group.

The correct answer is C (degree of accomplishment of counseling goals). Scaling is a technique for attempting to make a subjective qualitative concept more quantitative. An example of this is to ask how you feel on a scale of 1-10. Goal attainment scaling then is a method used to better quantify the attainment of agreed upon goals.

Response B (group cohesiveness) is the correct answer. Group cohesiveness may be defined as a feeling of belonging to the group. Yalom asserts not only that group cohesiveness is necessary, but that lack of it may actually lead to harmful outcomes for participants.

The most correct answer is C (open). Counselor response modes include: advising, informing, reflecting, interpreting, self-disclosing, and questioning (open and closed). The question above is an open question because it cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.

The correct answer is A (Piaget). Both Kohlberg and Piaget studies and published material on moral development. Piaget suggested that increased cognitive ability correlates with increased moral reasoning. Heteronomous morality is associated with Piaget's first stage of moral development, which he called the "morality of constraint" or "premoral stage." In this stage, typically found in younger children, morality is based on external factors such as rules, authority figures, and consequences. Children at this stage tend to see rules as fixed and unchangeable, and they often feel a sense of guilt when they break these rules.

Response B (understand clients' developmental concerns) is the correct answer. Many clients present concerns which have a basis in developmental issues. One of the hallmarks of counseling as a profession is the understanding of developmental needs. A broad knowledge of human development is necessary to the accomplished professional counselor in order for him or her to be of maximum assistance.

Counselling involves creating a safe and supportive space where clients can openly discuss their thoughts, feelings, and concerns without judgment. It focuses on facilitating self-discovery and personal growth rather than providing direct advice or imposing solutions.

The only correct answer is A (positive correlation). In the function Y=mx+b ( a simple linear regression equation), m is the slope. For a curve to rise from left to right m must be greater than 0 and must be positive. Accordingly, the resulting regression is termed a positive correlation. If m is less than 0, it is negative and results in a line which falls when moving from left to right. This is termed a negative correlation. A correlation is negative or positive depending on the sign of the slope (m) in a linear regression.

The correct answer is D (all of the above). Most children in elementary school are in the "concrete" stage of cognitive development. Actually experiencing work situations, seeing activities aimed at employment, and hearing about employment experiences from significant adults are all congruent with this stage of their cognitive development.

The correct answer is safeguarding client information, barring legal exceptions. This is the correct understanding of confidentiality. It includes the duty to protect client information and only disclose it when legally required, such as in situations where there is a threat to life, reports of abuse, or other legal stipulations.

The most appropriate answer is B (operant reinforcement). Classical conditioning is respondent conditioning and deals primarily with reflexive behavior; a person responds to a neutral stimulus as if it were the meaningful one (i.e., Pavlov's dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell without the presence of food). Operant reinforcement, in contrast, deals with voluntary responses rather than involuntary responses and is a learning process rather than a reactive process; in operant reinforcement, a particular behavior produces a specific response.

This is an illustration of A (optimization). Jerry was not involved in an organization, nor did he have to compromise his goal of managing his own business. The only viable answers are A, and C. A is more correct than C because Jerry optimized the use of already available resources to reach his goal. He augmented and expanded what he had. He did not remove constraints.

Response C ("You're uncertain why you came here today because you don't feel you've been helped in the past.") is one of reflective listening which is useful at any stage of counseling but might be especially employed in the initial stages of person-centered therapy. The response represents an accurate reflection of feeling and cognition and is most appropriate.

Masters and Johnson describe the sexual response as consisting of four phases. These are erotic desire, arousal, physical excitement, and orgasm. The only correct answer is B (excitement); excitement is closest to Masters and Johnsons' phase 3.

Interest inventories are useful for assisting clients in exploring possible careers but do not provide information regarding ability for a particular career. Response A (predicting achievement) is the correct answer.

The most correct answer is C (The major confrontation a group member experiences is with hi/her). Gestalt therapy often seeks to resolve present conflicts by bringing conflicts or situations which occurred in the past into the there and now. It is by reenacting these past situations that emotions that were overwhelming to the child can be identified and handled by the adult. The confrontation is with one's past and therefore with one's self. The therapist and group members act as catalysts in this conflict:; they do not invent or present the conflict. Gestalt therapy places a major emphasis on one's responsibility for oneself.

The most appropriate answer is B (reality therapy). All therapies view current behaviors as important, but reality therapy views it as central to the therapeutic process. Client-centered therapy places central importance on the counselor/client relationship and on self-exploration, Adlerian on encouragement and the development of socially useful goals, and Gestalt on awareness and on internal support. The reality, more than other orientations, challenges clients to look at and evaluate what they are now doing and assess whether or not is useful in obtaining their desired goals.

The correct answer is D (all of the above). In a normal distribution the greatest number of measurement (the mode), the average of the measurements (the mean), and the middle point of the measurements (the median) are equal.

An independent variable is one which causes, or influences, another variable, and a dependent variable is one that is caused or influenced by another. C (response) is the most appropriate answer. The term "response" is the most easily associated with the definition of dependent variable, or a variable that is caused or influenced by another; in this case, perhaps a question (the independent variable).

B (internal validity) is the correct answer. Internal validity deals with how well a test measures what it is intended to measure. A pre-employment test for auto mechanics is valid if scores achieved on the test correlate with subsequent job related success or failure. If pretesting somehow alters respondents' answers to the post test (the test which ultimately decides whether to hire or not to hire), then the test validity is altered: the correlation between pretest and job related performance is different and therefore invalidated.

The correct answer is C (5). The median is defined as the 50th percentile of distribution in the point below which half of the observations fall. Stanines are from 1 to 9 inclusively. The median is the middle score when scores are arranged in rank order. The point 5 has an equal number of observations below and above it.

A through D are correctly identified as the four stages of the group process. The correct answer is B (transition): Resistance is the major task of the second stage or the transition stage. The major tasks of the initial stage are orientation and exploration. The working stage is characterized by cohesion and productivity, and the final stage by consolidation and termination.

The correct answer is D (standard error of measurement). A norm table is used to normalize data to some common base. It is possible to normalize raw scores to standard scores, to percentiles, or to other norms, such as stanines. The standard error of measure most relates to the distribution of data rather than to normalization.

In the stages of change model, a client in the contemplation stage acknowledges the need for change within the next six months. During this stage, clients weigh the pros and cons, preparing for the forthcoming adjustments.

The correct answer is D (Research is lacking in regard to understanding of the relationship between cultural deprivation and career development). Although it might seem probable that cultural deprivation relates negatively to career development, there is a paucity of research dealing with the relationship between the two concepts. Accordingly, there is little current understanding of the relationship between cultural deprivation and career development.

The correct answer is A (0). By definition, the z-score is the area lying between the mean and successive standard deviation units under the normal curve. One standard deviation has a z score of .3413 or 34.13% of the area of the curve. A z score of 0 corresponds with the mean of the distribution and a point equal to 0.

"Congruence" is a classic Rogerian term and is most frequently defined as an "alignment of awareness and experience." C (awareness and experience) is the correct answer.

The correct response is A (preschool). Erikson's eight life stages, their corresponding crisis, and the values associated with a positive experience are as follows Infancy - Trust vs. Mistrust - Hope Toddler - Autonomy vs. Shame - Will Power Preschool - Initiative vs. Guilt - Purpose Elementary - Industry vs. Inferiority - Competence Adolescence - Identity vs. Role Confusion - Fidelity Young Adult - Intimacy vs. Isolation - Love Middle Adult - Generativity vs. Stagnation - Care Later Adult - Ego Integrity vs. Despair - Wisdom

The correct answer is A (role-playing and group discussions). Life-styling groups are viewing and evaluating members' lifestyles in the context of the individual's objectives or goals. Social well-being is a secondary goal. Although this could be construed to have some existential parameters, the structure is not intended to sensitize individuals to their freedom, responsibility, or choices.

T groups are characterized by democratic leadership and effective client feedback. Encounter groups feature confrontation as an avenue of client growth. Developmental counseling focuses on the mastery of developmental tasks in the interest of avoiding future difficulties. Sensitivity groups utilize the provision of support along with feedback to enhance learning. Response B (sensitivity) is the correct answer.

The correct answer is A (intervening). An intervening variable is one which might be suspected, and can be allowed for, but which cannot be directly controlled and alters the relationship between the dependent and independent variable. An example would be level of frustration acting as an intervening variable, and affecting scores on an examination.