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Quizzes > Health & Medicine

Cognitive behavioural therapy test: check your CBT knowledge

Quick CBT therapy test to check your understanding. Instant results and tips.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Wyatt ArndtUpdated Aug 24, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art style illustration for CBT therapy quiz on teal background with abstract shapes question marks and therapy icons.

Use this CBT quiz to check your understanding of cognitive behavioral therapy and practice matching thoughts, feelings, and actions. For more practice with thinking errors, try our cognitive distortion quiz and the TF-CBT thoughts quiz. If you want a broader theory refresher, explore the cognitive psychology quiz.

What does the abbreviation 'CBT' stand for?
Cognitive Behavioral Technique
Cognitive Biological Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Treatment
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, originally developed by Aaron T. Beck, and focuses on the interaction between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is a structured, time-limited psychotherapy widely used for treating a variety of mental health conditions. The model emphasizes identifying and modifying distorted thinking patterns to alleviate emotional distress.
In the ABC model of CBT, what does 'B' represent?
Biology
Beliefs
Behavior
Baseline mood
The ABC model conceptualizes how an Activating event (A) leads to Beliefs (B), which then result in emotional and behavioral Consequences (C). In this framework, 'Beliefs' refer to the client's interpretations and thought patterns about the event. Identifying and challenging these beliefs is central to CBT practice.
Which cognitive distortion involves predicting negative outcomes without sufficient evidence?
Personalization
Overgeneralization
All-or-nothing thinking
Fortune telling
Fortune telling is a cognitive distortion where individuals make negative predictions about the future without supporting evidence. It often leads to increased anxiety and avoidance behaviors. Challenging this distortion involves examining the evidence and considering alternative outcomes.
What is the primary goal of behavioral activation in CBT?
To explore past trauma
To increase engagement in valued activities
To challenge automatic thoughts
To practice relaxation techniques
Behavioral activation focuses on helping clients identify and engage in activities that are meaningful and aligned with their values. This approach aims to counteract patterns of avoidance and withdrawal often seen in depression and anxiety. By increasing positive experiences, mood and motivation generally improve.
Core beliefs in CBT are best described as:
Surface automatic thoughts
Deeply held assumptions about oneself or the world
Short-term strategies to cope with distress
Behavioral responses to events
Core beliefs are fundamental, deeply held assumptions that shape how individuals perceive themselves, others, and the world. These beliefs often operate outside conscious awareness but influence automatic thoughts and emotional reactions. Identifying and modifying negative core beliefs is a key aspect of cognitive restructuring.
Which CBT technique involves conducting experiments to test the accuracy of negative predictions?
Role playing
Behavioral experiment
Dysfunctional thought record
Socratic questioning
Behavioral experiments are experiential activities designed to test and gather evidence about the validity of a client's negative predictions. They help clients see real-world outcomes and challenge unhelpful beliefs. This technique strengthens adaptive learning and supports cognitive change.
What is the primary purpose of Socratic questioning in CBT?
Reinforce existing beliefs
Encourage clients to discover alternative viewpoints
Provide direct advice and solutions
Distract clients from negative emotions
Socratic questioning involves guided and structured inquiry to help clients examine and challenge their thoughts. It encourages active participation and helps clients arrive at their own conclusions about the validity of their beliefs. This method fosters deeper insight and promotes lasting cognitive change.
In CBT, the downward arrow technique is primarily used to uncover which level of cognition?
Automatic thoughts
Core beliefs
Coping strategies
Safety behaviors
The downward arrow technique involves asking a series of 'If that's true, what does it mean?' questions to explore deeper cognitive layers. It helps clients move from surface-level automatic thoughts to the underlying core beliefs that drive their emotional responses. Identifying these core beliefs is crucial for effective cognitive restructuring.
Collaborative empiricism in CBT refers to:
Therapist providing interpretations without client input
Therapist and client working together to test beliefs
Therapist prescribing homework without discussion
Therapist solely observing the client's behaviors
Collaborative empiricism is the principle where therapist and client act as co-investigators to evaluate the accuracy of the client's thoughts and beliefs. They work together to gather evidence, conduct experiments, and draw conclusions. This collaborative stance enhances engagement and empowers clients in the therapeutic process.
In stress inoculation training within CBT, which phase focuses on teaching and rehearsing coping skills?
Termination phase
Application phase
Conceptualization phase
Skills acquisition phase
Stress inoculation training typically includes conceptualization, skills acquisition, and application phases. The skills acquisition phase is dedicated to teaching clients specific coping strategies, such as relaxation, cognitive restructuring, and problem-solving. These skills are rehearsed in session before being applied to real-life stressors.
Which of the following approaches is considered a third-wave CBT therapy?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Humanistic therapy
Psychoanalysis
Third-wave CBT therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), integrate mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based interventions alongside traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies. They emphasize changing the function and context of thoughts rather than their content. ACT focuses on psychological flexibility and committed action.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Core CBT Principles -

    Recognize key elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, including the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to grasp foundational CBT concepts.

  2. Differentiate Denial and Repression -

    Distinguish between these defense mechanisms by examining examples in quiz scenarios and learn how they manifest in cognitive processes.

  3. Analyze Cognitive Distortions -

    Identify common thought patterns such as overgeneralization and catastrophizing, and assess their influence on emotional well-being.

  4. Apply Cognitive Restructuring Techniques -

    Use targeted questions to challenge unhelpful beliefs and practice reframing thoughts to promote healthier cognitive responses.

  5. Evaluate Behavioral Activation Strategies -

    Assess behavioral interventions presented in the quiz to determine appropriate activation techniques for reducing avoidance and enhancing engagement.

  6. Identify Targeted Learning Needs via the CBT Therapy Test -

    Utilize immediate feedback from cognitive behavioral therapy questions to pinpoint strengths and areas for further study, guiding your ongoing education.

Cheat Sheet

  1. The ABC Model -

    The ABC model (Activating event, Belief, Consequence) helps you trace how situations trigger thoughts and feelings. For example, failing a test (A) might lead to "I'm a failure" (B) and then sadness or withdrawal (C). This structured approach, pioneered by Aaron Beck (Beck Institute), is the foundation of many cognitive behavioral therapy questions.

  2. Common Cognitive Distortions -

    Recognizing distortions - like all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, and catastrophizing - empowers you to challenge them. A handy mnemonic is "AACE" (All-or-nothing, All-encompassing, Catastrophic, Emotional reasoning). Studies published in the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy emphasize that spotting these errors is key to reshaping unhelpful thoughts.

  3. Thought Records for Restructuring -

    Thought records guide you to document situations, emotions, automatic thoughts, and evidence-based alternatives. Using the SARA method (Situation, Affect, Response, Alternative) keeps entries concise and action-oriented. Research from the University of Pennsylvania shows regular thought logging boosts insight and helps answer complex cognitive behavioral therapy quiz items with confidence.

  4. Behavioral Activation Strategies -

    Behavioral activation involves scheduling meaningful activities to counteract low mood and inertia. Try an activity tracker to rate enjoyment and mastery after each task; this data-driven approach is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health. Consistent practice directly addresses questions on linking behavior to mood in CBT therapy tests.

  5. Socratic Questioning & Guided Discovery -

    Socratic questioning uses open-ended prompts ("What's the evidence for this thought?") to gently challenge distorted beliefs. This interactive technique, grounded in clinical trials from Oxford University's Department of Psychiatry, fosters self-discovery and deepens understanding - ideal for acing cognitive behavioural therapy test scenarios.

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