How to use these practice questions
The National Psychology Exam is a computer-based multiple-choice exam. It tests how you apply foundational professional psychology knowledge to practice scenarios in the Australian regulatory context. The task is to choose the single best option, not merely one that sounds plausible.
Work through each question on the page: select your answer, then read the explanation immediately below it. Notice which option deals with the main obligation or risk first. These questions are original practice scenarios, not official exam questions. Laws and reporting requirements can depend on the circumstances and jurisdiction, so check current guidance from the Psychology Board of Australia and AHPRA when a legal detail matters.
MySummaries can build practice questions from a candidate’s own revision board. The first question here tests how to respond to a request for confidential information.
A 28-year-old client has capacity to make decisions and has not consented to information being shared. Their parent phones, asks whether the client attends therapy, and says they are worried. There is no indication of an immediate safety emergency. What is the best response?
Do not confirm the therapeutic relationship or disclose information without an appropriate basis. You can receive information from the parent without promising to share anything in return. The client’s capacity and the absence of an immediate safety concern make the family relationship alone insufficient reason to disclose.
The best answer protects confidentiality without shutting off information that might be relevant to care. Confirming attendance, even without discussing therapy, is itself a disclosure. A family member’s concern can be heard and considered, but it does not automatically provide authority to receive an update.
Questions: safety, judgement and professional practice
This question tests whether the response to possible self-harm risk starts with assessment rather than reassurance or an automatic referral.
During a session, a client says, ‘I don’t think I can keep myself safe tonight.’ What is the best immediate response?
A direct, focused risk assessment is needed to understand urgency and guide proportionate action. Discuss safety planning and appropriate escalation with the client, while explaining that confidentiality may have limits if serious safety concerns arise. The vignette does not establish that ending the session or contacting family without assessment is the best first step.
The strongest distractors either promise absolute confidentiality or jump to an action before establishing the level of risk. A sound response gathers enough information to prioritise immediate safety, considers supports and escalation, and documents the reasoning. The appropriate next steps depend on the assessed circumstances.
Here the key skill is recognising a limit of competence and responding without abandoning the client or overstating your expertise.
A client asks you to complete a specialist forensic assessment. You have not been trained in that assessment and have no supervised experience in forensic work. What is the best response?
The psychologist should work within competence, be transparent about limitations, and seek suitable supervision, consultation or referral. A general clinical assessment cannot simply be presented as a specialist forensic opinion. The response should also consider continuity of care rather than ending assistance abruptly.
The best option combines scope awareness with practical support. Accepting and learning as you go risks producing work beyond your competence; relabelling a different assessment does not solve that problem. Explain the limitation clearly and help identify an appropriate next step.
This scenario tests culturally responsive practice: curiosity about the client’s needs should come before assumptions about what a group or individual prefers.
An Aboriginal client seems hesitant to discuss family and community supports. What is the best next step?
Ask the individual client about their preferences and what would make the work feel safe and appropriate. Do not assume that one approach applies to all Aboriginal clients. Any involvement of family or community should be guided by the client’s wishes and handled with appropriate consent.
A culturally responsive answer neither avoids the topic nor presumes a preferred form of care. It asks the client, takes their answer seriously, and considers whether cultural consultation or support would be useful—with the client’s agreement where appropriate.
This question examines whether assessment choices account for language, suitability and the limits of the information collected.
A client has limited English proficiency. You are considering a psychological measure developed and validated for English-speaking adults. What is the best approach?
Assessment must be appropriate to the client and the purpose. Language differences and informal translation can affect the validity and interpretation of results. Consider a qualified interpreter and suitable assessment methods, and be clear about limitations; do not treat scores as directly comparable to norms if the conditions make that interpretation unsound.
The strongest distractor is using the measure unchanged on the assumption that standardisation guarantees fairness. A measure’s usefulness depends on whether it is suitable for this person and how it is administered. If limitations remain, state them rather than presenting a score as more certain than it is.
The next item tests role clarity when a client asks for advice about medication. The psychologist’s response should address safety without stepping outside scope.
A client says they plan to stop prescribed medication today because they feel better. What is the best response?
The psychologist should not direct the client to start, stop or change prescribed medication. Acknowledge and explore the concern, consider any immediate safety issues, and encourage discussion with the prescriber. With appropriate consent, coordination can support safe care. Avoiding the subject entirely misses an opportunity to respond to risk.
The best option respects the prescriber’s role while still taking the client’s plan seriously. Scope boundaries do not require silence: explore what is driving the decision, assess relevant safety concerns and facilitate appropriate communication with consent.
This question tests consent and role clarity when another person or organisation has initiated contact.
A school refers a student for an assessment and asks you to send the school your findings. Before beginning, what should you do?
Before assessment, clarify the client and the roles of the people involved, the purpose and limits of the work, and how information may be used or shared. Obtain appropriate informed consent and explain matters in a way the client can understand. A referral alone does not settle these questions.
The strongest distractor is treating the referral as sufficient authority to assess and report. The people involved need to understand the purpose, boundaries and likely information-sharing arrangements before work begins. Be especially clear where the interests or expectations of the student, family and referring organisation may differ.
This item focuses on keeping records accurate and defensible when you notice an error after completing a note.
After signing a clinical note, you notice that you entered the wrong appointment date. What is the best response?
Correct the record transparently using the applicable record-keeping process. A dated addendum or correction should preserve the original entry and make the change and its author clear. Silent deletion or an untracked edit can undermine the accuracy and defensibility of the record.
A record should make it possible to understand what was documented and what was later corrected. Follow the organisation’s record-keeping procedure, preserve the audit trail and avoid silently replacing a signed entry.
The final question in this set tests how to respond to an accidental disclosure. The immediate task is to contain the incident and follow the relevant process, not to minimise it.
You realise that an email containing identifiable client information was sent to the wrong recipient. What should you do first?
Take prompt steps to contain the incident, notify the appropriate person or privacy contact, and follow the organisation’s response process. The process should assess the circumstances, any applicable notification requirements and appropriate communication with the client. Do not assume that deleting your copy resolves the disclosure.
The strongest distractor is waiting to see whether the email is opened: containment and assessment should not depend on that. Follow the relevant privacy and incident-response procedures, record what happened and the steps taken, and avoid promising an outcome before the incident has been assessed.
A question set is useful only if missed marks lead to targeted review. MySummaries can group practice results by topic and turn a repeated error into a revision prompt.
Use the lowest-scoring area to choose your next revision task, then check the underlying ethical, legal and Board guidance rather than memorising a one-line rule detached from context.
You lost this mark twice: before sharing assessment results with a referring organisation, what must you clarify with the client about purpose, consent and information use?
How MySummaries helps
Build a revision board from your own notes and use it to generate scenario questions, review missed concepts and practise applying your material. Start at MySummaries.