CFTC Practice Test

The CFTC (Certified Forensic Trauma Clinician) is a National Association of Forensic Counselors credential for clinicians who work with trauma victims. This page gives candidates free practice sets by topic, worked example questions, a study plan, and a plain summary of the exam rules, fees and renewal terms published by the NAFC.

CFTC Exam at a Glance

What the CFTC is and how it works

According to National Association of Forensic Counselors, “A minimum score of seventy-percent (70%) is considered as successful completion of the certification examination.”^[1]

The CFTC is a certification from the National Association of Forensic Counselors (NAFC). It is aimed at the clinical level: professionals who provide trauma counseling or other trauma services to trauma victims and who have formal trauma training. Read the eligibility wording in the NAFC application before you apply, because the NAFC decides who qualifies.

The application fee is $375, which covers the application, processing and first-year certification. The exam is on demand, so you schedule it when it suits you. You can take it at a Prometric test center or online with ProProctor from a location of your choice, as long as you provide a computer with a camera. Your score is shown immediately at the end of the exam, and 70% is the minimum for successful completion.

If you do not reach that score, the NAFC allows one retake within 6 months of the first exam. The NAFC adds no charge of its own, so the extra cost is only the proctored exam fee.

To keep the credential, renewal is $135 and requires 20 CE hours annually. A late renewal made 16-45 days after expiration carries a $35 late fee. The NAFC offers annual and bi-annual renewal options.

We could not verify an official list of content areas, so our topic sets are general practice for forensic trauma work. Use the NAFC candidate handbook and FAQs for the exact scope and any detail that may change.

Worked examples: how to reason through CFTC questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: Which therapy is commonly used for trauma intervention?

1. Physical therapy.
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
3. Only medication.
4. Unstructured talk therapy.

Answer: B. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Explanation:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is correct. Trauma-focused CBT is a widely recognized, evidence-supported approach that helps a client identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors tied to the trauma, and it builds coping skills for anxiety, depression and flashbacks.

Physical therapy treats the body, not trauma symptoms, so it is not an intervention for trauma. Medication alone may ease some symptoms but gives no skills for changing thoughts and behaviors. Unstructured talk therapy lacks the defined goals and techniques that make an intervention evidence-based.

Rule to remember: when a question asks for a trauma intervention, prefer a structured, evidence-based therapy over a single tool or an open-ended conversation.

Example 2

Question: Why are ethical standards critical in forensic practice?

1. They are optional.
2. Guide integrity and protect rights
3. Only for legal professionals.
4. To delay case processing.

Answer: B. Guide integrity and protect rights

Explanation:

The correct answer is that ethical standards guide integrity and protect rights. They give the clinician a framework for conduct, support objectivity and accountability, and protect the well-being of clients, legal parties and the public. They also keep the clinician's work credible in the justice system.

Calling them optional is wrong because ethical practice is an expectation, not a choice. Saying they apply only to legal professionals is wrong because forensic clinicians are bound by them too. Saying they delay case processing is wrong because they exist to make the work sound and fair, not slow.

Rule to remember: in forensic practice, ethics come before convenience and apply to everyone involved in the work.

Example 3

Question: When applying core principles in practice, what should be the first consideration?

1. Safety and compliance with established standards
2. Cost reduction opportunities
3. Timeline acceleration
4. Client entertainment preferences

Answer: A. Safety and compliance with established standards

Explanation:

Safety and compliance with established standards is correct. When you apply any core principle, the people involved must be protected, and recognized standards define what safe and acceptable practice looks like. Everything else is built on that.

Cost reduction is wrong because savings never justify unsafe or non-compliant care. Timeline acceleration is wrong because speed that skips required steps creates risk. Client entertainment preferences are wrong because a client's comfort matters, but entertainment is not a professional priority.

Rule to remember: when options compete, choose the one that protects safety and follows established standards, and treat cost and speed as secondary.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the NAFC candidate handbook and FAQs so you know the format, the scoring rule and the retake policy. Then take one practice set from each topic below as a baseline, without notes, and record which topics feel weakest.

• Work through your weakest sets, such as Forensic Trauma Theory and Clinical Assessment or Legal Issues and Ethical Standards, and read every explanation, including those for questions you got right.
• Write a short note for each miss: what the question tested and the rule that gives the right answer.
• Repeat the sets on Forensic Documentation and Evidence Collection and Trauma-Informed Care until your answers are steady.
• Finish with mixed review across all sets, and check your notes against the official material.

Because the exam is on demand, book it once your practice scores are consistently comfortable, not before. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so use them to find gaps rather than to predict your result.

Sources & last verified

1. National Association of Forensic Counselors — passing score, retake fee, retake policy (official source). “A minimum score of seventy-percent (70%) is considered as successful completion of the certification examination.” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
2. National Association of Forensic Counselors — exam fee, eligibility (official source). “Full fee of $375 must accompany the application by check, money order, or credit card information.” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
3. National Association of Forensic Counselors — validity (official source). “NAFC offers annual and bi-annual NAFC Membership renewal options. All NAFC Memberships require, minimally, for renewal: Current Annual NAFC Membership Fee Obtain twenty (20) Continuing…” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
4. National Association of Forensic Counselors — renewal, late registration deadline (official source). “NAFC Certification Renewal Fee $135” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
5. prometric.com — delivery (official source). “As a candidate, you have the option to take your exam either in a Prometric Testing Center or through a remotely proctored internet enabled location…” Verified Oct 22, 2026.
6. National Association of Forensic Counselors — score release, testing window (official source). “You will also be notified immediately at the end of the examination of your score.” Verified Oct 22, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.