1. The primary purpose of the ACA Code of Ethics is to:
A. Enforce legal statutes
B. Promote high professional standards and protect the public
C. Ensure client diagnosis is accurate
D. Help counselors increase billing practices
2. Informed consent should be:
A. Obtained once at intake
B. Verbally communicated only
C. Ongoing and documented
D. Skipped for minors
3. Dual relationships are:
A. Always unethical
B. Sometimes unavoidable and must be managed ethically
C. Acceptable if the client initiates them
D. Encouraged in small communities
4. A counselor is subpoenaed for a client’s records. What should the counselor do first?
A. Immediately turn over the records
B. Ignore the subpoena
C. Consult with legal counsel or supervisor
D. Notify the media
5. Privileged communication is:
A. A legal right granted to clients in all states
B. An ethical concept only
C. A guarantee that no one can access client information
D. A legal right that varies by state and context
6. If a client threatens serious harm to self or others, the counselor:
A. Must maintain confidentiality
B. Is ethically and legally obligated to break confidentiality
C. Should consult with another client
D. Should end services immediately
7. The term “scope of practice” refers to:
A. What a counselor is trained and legally allowed to do
B. The counselor’s personal interests
C. The types of insurance accepted
D. The counselor’s years of experience
8. When working with a client from a different culture, ethical practice requires the counselor to:
A. Focus only on universal counseling methods
B. Refer the client to someone of the same ethnicity
C. Develop cultural competence and respect the client’s worldview
D. Use Western psychological standards exclusively
9. The best way to resolve an ethical dilemma is to:
A. Make a quick decision to protect the client
B. Follow personal values
C. Use an ethical decision-making model
D. Ask the client what they prefer
10. The most appropriate action when a counselor is unsure how to handle an ethical issue is to:
A. Make an immediate judgment call
B. Consult with a supervisor or ethics committee
C. Avoid dealing with the issue
D. Terminate the client
11. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects:
A. Medical records
B. School counseling records
C. Financial aid documents
D. All public documents
12. According to the ACA Code of Ethics, bartering is:
A. Always unethical
B. Allowed only in rural communities
C. Permissible if it is not exploitative and is culturally appropriate
D. Encouraged for clients with low income
13. The concept of "impaired professional" refers to a counselor who:
A. Lacks appropriate academic credentials
B. Is experiencing personal issues that affect their ability to help clients
C. Works with clients in recovery
D. Violates the law outside of counseling
14. Counselors are ethically required to:
A. Disclose personal experiences to all clients
B. Maintain professional boundaries
C. Provide services to everyone regardless of competence
D. Share client information with family
15. When a counselor moves to a new state, they must:
A. Automatically be licensed
B. Retake graduate coursework
C. Research and comply with the licensure laws of that state
D. Only contact their past supervisor
16. A counselor working with a suicidal client should:
A. Never breach confidentiality
B. Document the situation, assess risk, and take reasonable steps to ensure safety
C. Avoid liability by referring them out
D. Only recommend hospitalization
17. A professional disclosure statement typically includes:
A. The counselor’s political views
B. Fees, qualifications, and the nature of services
C. Diagnosis of the client
D. Emergency contacts only
18. Malpractice is best defined as:
A. Ethical but unpopular counseling
B. Intentional harm to a client
C. Negligence or failure to provide reasonable care
D. Professional disagreement
19. The ACA ethics code mandates that counselors avoid discrimination based on:
A. Age and race only
B. Gender only
C. Age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion, and more
D. Socioeconomic status only
20. When terminating with a client, the counselor should:
A. Simply stop sessions
B. Refer to ethical guidelines for appropriate closure
C. Leave termination to the client
D. Terminate only by email
21. The difference between confidentiality and privileged communication is:
A. There is no difference
B. Confidentiality is legal, and privileged communication is ethical
C. Confidentiality is ethical; privileged communication is legal
D. Both are optional
22. In group counseling, confidentiality:
A. Is guaranteed
B. Does not apply
C. Cannot be promised, but should be strongly encouraged
D. Is optional
23. The “duty to warn” originated from which court case?
A. Roe v. Wade
B. Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California
C. Brown v. Board of Education
D. Gideon v. Wainwright
24. Counselors who use technology are ethically required to:
A. Avoid using email altogether
B. Ensure client confidentiality and obtain informed consent for electronic communication
C. Only meet with clients in person
D. Ignore emergency situations
25. If a counselor has a personal bias that might affect the therapeutic relationship, they should:
A. Ignore it
B. Confront the client
C. Seek supervision and address the bias before continuing
D. Hide the bias from the client
B
C
B
C
D
B
A
C
C
B
B
C
B
B
C
B
B
C
C
B
C
C
B
B
C