CT Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the CT exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

CT exam key facts

The ADEC CT exam contains 150 multiple-choice questions, 70% knowledge/recall and 30% applied knowledge. Source
Once logged in, ADEC CT candidates must complete the exam within 3 hours. Source
The ADEC CT pass score percentage is determined by the overall difficulty of the exam compared with previous exams. Source
Candidates who fail the ADEC CT exam may retest two times without reapplying, within two consecutive years after the initial attempt. Source
The ADEC CT credential is valid for three years once awarded. Source

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📋 CT Exam Format at a Glance

125

Questions

180 min

Time Limit

70%

Passing Score

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📚 CT Topics to Study (29)

Counseling Techniques & Interventions · 9 cards End-of-Life Care & Support · 9 cards Ethical & Professional Standards · 9 cards Grief & Bereavement Theory · 9 cards Grief & Bereavement Theory · 7 cards Grief & Bereavement Theory · 7 cards Grief & Bereavement Theory · 7 cards Grief & Bereavement Theory · 7 cards Spiritual & Religious Dimensions of Dying & Grief · 7 cards Bereavement Group Facilitation · 6 cards Bioethics & End-of-Life Decisions · 6 cards Children & Adolescent Loss · 6 cards Complicated Grief & Trauma · 6 cards Cross-Cultural Death Rituals · 6 cards CT Legacy & Meaning-Making · 6 cards CT Legacy & Meaning-Making · 6 cards CT Legacy & Meaning-Making · 6 cards CT Legal & Financial Aspects of Death · 6 cards CT Legal & Financial Aspects of Death · 6 cards CT Legal & Financial Aspects of Death · 6 cards CT Self-Care & Compassion Fatigue · 6 cards CT Self-Care & Compassion Fatigue · 6 cards CT Self-Care & Compassion Fatigue · 6 cards CT Suicide & Traumatic Death · 6 cards CT Suicide & Traumatic Death · 6 cards CT Suicide & Traumatic Death · 6 cards Death Anxiety & Psychology · 6 cards Funeral Planning & Disposition Options · 6 cards Hospice & Palliative Principles · 6 cards

✍️ Sample CT Questions & Answers

1. Which of the following is a fundamental principle of death anxiety & psychology as it applies to Certified Thanatologist?

✓ Systematic evaluation and adherence to established industry standards

A fundamental principle of death anxiety & psychology in Certified Thanatologist is the systematic evaluation and adherence to established industry standards, which ensures consistency, quality, and regulatory compliance across all professional activities.

2. In the context of spiritual care for bereaved individuals, a 'theophany' refers to:

✓ A direct manifestation or experience of the divine

Theophany refers to a manifestation or appearance of the divine, which some bereaved individuals report as powerful spiritual experiences that carry profound meaning in their grief.

3. What is the primary purpose of comprehensive estate planning in end-of-life contexts?

✓ To ensure a person's wishes for both asset distribution and healthcare decisions are honored

Estate planning encompasses both financial asset distribution and healthcare directives to ensure the full range of a person's end-of-life wishes are honored.

4. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in hospice & palliative principles to verify that CT professional standards are being met?

✓ Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks

Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks are the most effective quality assurance methods in hospice & palliative principles, providing objective, measurable evidence that CT standards are consistently met.

5. When a bereaved person oscillates between confronting grief and taking respite from it, this is best explained by:

✓ The Dual Process Model

The Dual Process Model by Stroebe and Schut specifically describes oscillation between loss-oriented and restoration-oriented coping as the healthy adaptive mechanism in bereavement.

6. Which of the following is an example of a continuing bond with the deceased?

✓ Talking to the deceased or keeping meaningful objects as inner connections

Continuing bonds include practices like talking to the deceased, keeping meaningful possessions, or feeling an ongoing sense of their presence.

🎯 Free CT Practice Tests

Counseling Techniques & Interventions · 9 questions Grief & Bereavement Theory · 9 questions End-of-Life Care & Support · 9 questions Ethical & Professional Standards · 9 questions Grief & Bereavement Theory · 7 questions Spiritual & Religious Dimensions of Dying & Grief · 7 questions Grief & Bereavement Theory · 7 questions Grief & Bereavement Theory · 7 questions Grief & Bereavement Theory · 7 questions CT Legacy & Meaning-Making · 6 questions

📖 CT Guides & Articles

Your CT Study Path

1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation

🃏 CT Flashcards (191)🏆 CT Exam Simulation

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for CT

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length CT mock exam — 125 questions in 180 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed CT question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable CT cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
CT flashcards built from the same question bank.
Free CT practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.

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How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

adec.org — Score validity, fees, registration deadline, registration, test delivery, exam format, passing score, retake fee, retake policy, score release · verified Oct 2026