PTSD Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the PTSD 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.
📋 PTSD Exam Format at a Glance
📚 PTSD Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample PTSD Questions & Answers
1. Which element is considered a contraindication for beginning trauma-focused PTSD treatment?
Active psychosis impairs reality testing and the ability to engage with exposure-based or cognitive interventions safely, making stabilization a prerequisite.
2. Which self-regulation skill is commonly taught in PTSD recovery programs to manage acute distress?
Diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system to reduce acute hyperarousal, while grounding techniques interrupt flashbacks and dissociation.
3. A PTSD clinician who is experiencing burnout and secondary traumatic stress should FIRST:
Clinicians experiencing burnout or secondary traumatic stress have an ethical obligation to seek appropriate support to maintain their own wellness and competence.
4. Which action by a PTSD clinician would most likely constitute insurance fraud?
Billing a payer for a service that was not provided (individual therapy when group was delivered) constitutes insurance fraud.
5. When trauma-informed care principles are applied to group therapy with culturally diverse trauma survivors, the facilitator should prioritize:
Establishing explicit group norms that honor cultural variation in trauma response and healing promotes safety and prevents cultural invalidation in group settings.
6. A PTSD client who is a military veteran requests that their therapy notes never be shared with the VA. The clinician should:
Informed consent includes explaining the legal and ethical limits of confidentiality so clients can make autonomous decisions about treatment.