Counseling Ethics

ACA Code of Ethics quizzes

Eight self-tests covering the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics end to end — 108 questions, every one citing the specific standard it tests. Click to reveal answers and rationales. Not scored; for review, not assessment.

Revision in progress: ACA is revising the 2014 Code. Public comment ran spring 2026 and Board adoption is expected September 2026. Per ACA, “the 2014 Code of Ethics remains the current version” until the new one is formally endorsed — so this material is current. Expect the revision to produce a shorter core Code paired with separately maintained supplemental guidelines (AI, record keeping, gatekeeping, emerging technology). ACA has stated the core professional values and ethical principles will not change, so the Foundations quiz should survive intact; the lettered standards are the part likely to move.
Note: Questions and rationales are original and were written against the official Code text, not a secondary summary. Where a standard turns on a specific number or list (the 5-year rule in A.5.c, the three duties in F.9.b), the rationale states it exactly. The Code itself is the authority — read it at counseling.org/resources/ethics.

Quizzes by section

Foundations — Preamble, Values & Principles

The five core professional values, the six ethical principles, and what the Code says about decision-making models.

12 questions

Section A — The Counseling Relationship

Informed consent, imposing values, prohibited and managed boundaries, fees and bartering, termination and referral.

18 questions

Section B — Confidentiality and Privacy

Exceptions, interdisciplinary teams, couples and families, minors, and records.

15 questions

Section C — Professional Responsibility

Competence boundaries, impairment, advertising, nondiscrimination, and the scientific basis for treatment.

13 questions

Sections D & E — Colleagues, Evaluation & Assessment

Working with other professionals; instrument selection, diagnosis, reporting, test security, forensic evaluation.

14 questions

Section F — Supervision, Training, and Teaching

Supervisor duties and competence, supervisee impairment, gatekeeping, endorsement, student evaluation.

13 questions

Sections G & H — Research and Technology

Research consent and authorship; distance counseling, electronic records, social media boundaries.

13 questions

Section I — Resolving Ethical Issues

Ethics vs. law conflicts, informal and formal resolution, consultation, unwarranted complaints.

10 questions