PMHNP-C Sample Questions & Answers
Free Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certification Examination practice questions with worked answers and explanations. See how the ExamJungle simulator prepares you — then jump into the full test.
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- Question 1Intermediate
Assess · Perform mental status exam and a comprehensive risk assessment
A 34-year-old patient with major depressive disorder reports feeling "hopeless" and states, "Everyone would be better off if I weren't around." When the PMHNP conducts a comprehensive risk assessment, which finding indicates the highest imminent risk of suicide requiring immediate acute crisis intervention?
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Correct answer: C
Imminent suicide risk is defined by explicit intent, a concrete lethal plan, and available means, mandating immediate emergency containment.
- Question 2AdvancedSelect 2
Assess · Perform mental status exam and a comprehensive risk assessment
A PMHNP in an outpatient community behavioral clinic conducts a violence risk assessment on a 42-year-old client diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Which TWO clinical features represent the strongest dynamic risk factors for imminent violence toward others? (Select TWO)
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Correct answers: B, D
Active command hallucinations directed at an identified target and concurrent substance intoxication are potent dynamic risk factors for imminent violence.
- Question 3Beginner
Assess · Order and/or administer evidence-based instruments (e.g., scales, screening tools, and diagnostic and laboratory tests)
Which validated, evidence-based instrument is specifically designed as a 9-item self-administered scale to evaluate the presence and severity of depressive symptoms and monitor clinical response over time?
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Correct answer: B
The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) specifically measures the presence and severity of major depressive disorder episodes.
- Question 4Intermediate
Assess · Order and/or administer evidence-based instruments (e.g., scales, screening tools, and diagnostic and laboratory tests)
Prior to initiating lithium carbonate maintenance therapy for an adult female presenting with acute mania in bipolar I disorder, which baseline laboratory tests must the PMHNP order to assess organ function and safety?
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Correct answer: D
Lithium is cleared renally and can cause renal impairment and hypothyroidism; baseline renal function, thyroid panels, and pregnancy testing are mandatory.
- Question 5Beginner
Assess · Assess readiness for change and barriers to learning and/or care
A 48-year-old patient with severe alcohol use disorder tells the PMHNP during an assessment, "I realize my drinking is damaging my liver and ruining my marriage. I have been researching local recovery groups and seriously want to stop drinking within the next thirty days, but I haven't actually quit yet." According to the Transtheoretical Model of Change, which stage of readiness is the patient exhibiting?
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Correct answer: C
Contemplation involves recognizing the problem and intending to change behavior within the next six months, while weighing the pros and cons of quitting.
- Question 6Beginner
Assess · Assess readiness for change and barriers to learning and/or care
True or False: In conducting a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and assessing readiness for care, identifying a patient's limited health literacy, lack of reliable transportation, and food insecurity represents an evaluation of social determinants of health and structural barriers to care.
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Correct answer: A
Health literacy and transportation access are recognized social determinants of health that directly impact clinical adherence and health equity.
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