Health Coach Certification Practice Questions

Which of the following is included in the scope of practice of an ACE Certified Health Coach?

Ask open-ended questions

What are phases of the ACE cycle of change? A. Acceptance, confidence, explanation B. Acceptance, choice, explanation C. Awareness, choice, execution D. Awareness, confidence, execution

Awareness, choice, execution

Which process of motivational interviewing (MI) is also known as agenda mapping? A. Focusing B. Evoking C. Engaging D. Planning

Focusing

Which of the following BEST describes the field of Coaching? -Functions somewhere within the present and desired future -Comes from a place of healing -Concerned with the past -Often leads to a diagnosis and treatment of dysfunction

Functions somewhere within the present and desired future

Which BEST describes the "assessment trap"? A. Asking open-ended questions about the results recorded on the assessment forms B. Utilizing too many assessment forms during the initial session C. Failing to review the assessment forms before the next scheduled session D. Spending too much time reviewing assessment forms and asking one-directional questions

Spending too much time reviewing assessment forms and asking one-directional questions

What is the first step in agenda mapping? A. Structuring B. Zooming in C. Commitment D. Considering options

Structuring

After a recent physician visit, a client is warned of making lifestyle changes to avoid developing type 2 diabetes. This client is motivated to begin making changes and enjoys social learning environments. What is the BEST option for this client. A.Suggest participation in a local Diabetes Prevention Program class B.Offer to video change twice a week to review lifestyle choices and progress C.Encourage use of a phone-based app that tracks food intake and provides feeback D.Recommend the client to read through the American Dietic Association (ADA) website

Suggestion participation in a local Diabetes Prevention Program class

What does the "A" stand for in the A-B-C-D-E mnemonic used for identifying unproductive thinking? A. Asking for help B. Accepting the behavior C. Activating event D. Acknowledging the problem

Activating event

Which OARS skill is appropriate to use to reframe a client's "deficit mentality?" A. open-ended questions B. Summarizing C. Reflective listening D. Affirmation

Affirmation

According to the five-factor model, which personality trait involves being humble, patient, and sensitive? A.Conscientiousness B.Agreableness C.Openness to experience D.Extraversion

Agreeableness

Based on the International Coaching Federation's (ICF) care competencies, which example is MOST relevant to setting the foundation of a health coaching relationship? A.A verbal agreement from the client to avoid unhealthy behaviors B.Providing the client with the structured outline of the program C.Agreement on the coaching process and relationship D.Requiring the release of the client's medical records

Agreement on the coaching process and relationship

The statement, "I ate way too much on vacation, so I might as well give up on my weight-loss goal," is an example of which cognitive distortion? A. Magnification B. Overgeneralizing C. All-or-none thinking D. Jumping to conclusions

All-or-none thinking

What does the mnemonic DARN represent? A. Decision, ability, reason, need B. Desire, awareness, reason, need C. Decision, awareness, reality, need D. Desire, ability, reasons, need

Desire, ability, reasons, need

How should an ACE Certified Health Coach address a client who has experienced a setback? A.Guide the client through acknowledging and understanding why it occurred B.Ask the client if his or her goal was unrealistic C.Provide the client with strategies to overcome similar situations D.Allow the client to express his or her feelings and affirm it is only a mild roadblock

Guide the client through acknowledging and understanding why it occurred

Which BEST defines the role of an ACE Certified Health Coach? A. Discovering the root of the client's problem inhibiting change B. Drawing out the client's emotional barriers C. Guiding a client along his or her path of change D. Identifying the client's true motivation for change

Guiding a client along his or her path of change

Which term MOST accurately reflects the approach to medicine that takes into account all evidence informed therapies that support physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of individuals? -Complimentary medicine -Alternative medicine -Western medicine -Integrative medicine

Integrative medicine

Engaging in activities that stimulate and challenge mental facilities to enhance one's mental fitness BEST describes which SAMHSA dimension of health?

Intellectual

Incorporating creative and thought-provoking activities into one's daily life address which dimensions wellness? -Financial -Occupational -Intellectual -Social

Intellectual

Which of the following questions might help challenge this client's assumption that he doesn't have time to exercise? A."When do you think you could add some physical activity into your workday?" B."Why do you think exercise is important in controlling hypertension?" C."How late is your gym open?" D."Do you think your workplace might be interested in building an on-site exercise facility?"

When do you think you could add some physical activity into your workday?

Which of the following asked by an ACE Certified Health Coach would help explore a client's values? A. "Is it ok if I ask you about your racing days?" B."Why don't you run anymore?" C."Will you tell me more about when you ran half-marathons?" D."Do you still enjoy running?"

Will you tell me more about when you ran half-marathons?

A client says, "Last month I started taking short meditation breaks during work as a stress management technique. It really helped! Lately, I can't get away from my desk even for one break. "Which of the following is the BEST example of a double-sided reflection? A.You feel stressed at work B.You are choosing to do nothing about the stress you are feeling at work. C.Work must be very stressful right now. D.You are feeling stressed at work and you know the meditation breaks help.

You are feeling stressed at work and you know the meditation break help.

Which of the following is BEST categorized as a simple reflection? A."You feel you do not have time to exercise." B."Exercise is very important in controlling hypertension, especially 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week." C."Can you tell me more about why you feel you are a failure." D."You feel that you are never going to improve your hypertension because you are not exercising."

You feel you do not have time to exercise

Which of the following statements BEST reflects a double-sided reflection response? A."You are here because your doctor has told you to change your behavior." B."You have some food restrictions that were on the dietician's food list." C."You are ready to make food changed in order to lose weight, but you are not happy about your dietician visit." D."You know the importance of increasing vegetable consumption for weight loss but have some religious food restrictions that need to be considered."

You know the importance of increasing vegetable consumption for weight loss but have some religious food restrictions that need to be considered.

Which state BEST reflects the health coach showing respect and establishing rapport? A. I understand that you are unhappy w/ many of the veggies & support you in avoiding them for religious reason. Can you tell me about the food suggestions you were happy with and how you think you could use them in your diet? B.I don't really understand why you are unhappy with many of the veggies listed. Can you explain? You know that the dietician is the food expert and that not following her advice might deter your weight loss. C.I understand that you are unhappy w/ many of the veggies listed and I would be unhappy as well. I can provide you w/ some dietary info from some of my clients who also have metabolic syndrome. D.I don't really understand why you are unhappy w/ many of the veggies listed, but I respect your restrictions. Would you be willing to see a Dif dietician?

"I understand that you are unhappy with many of the vegetables and support you in avoiding them for religious reason. Can you tell me about the food suggestions you were happy with and how you think you could use them in your diet?"

Which is the BEST example of completely reflection after the following client statement: "I feel better when I pack healthy snacks to bring to work, but I just don't have time in the morning"? A. "You feel rushed in the morning, so it is not a good time to pack snacks for the day" B. "Nodding and smiling while listening" C. "You seem upset about that" D. "Have you thought about packing snacks the night before to save time?"

"You feel rushed in the morning, so it is not a good time to pack snacks for the day"

For what percentage of global death is chronic disease responsible?

70%

Which must a client establish before deciding on an accountability method? A.Access to a tracking app B.A support network C.A reward D.A SMART goal

A SMART goal

Taj is a consistent health coach client who has made good progress in improving his sleeping habits since his diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea more than six months ago. At a recent coaching session, Taj explains that his physician has directed him to see a pulmonologist for continued monitoring of his condition, but he is apprehensive since he has never seen any other physicians and states he believes his PCP can take care of him. Which of the following suggestions would BEST improve Taj's health literacy? A.Provide him w/ the name of a well-respected local pulmonolgist B.Ask him what he knows about a pulmonologist's role in managing patients w/ obstructive sleep apnea, then provide education as necessary. C.Tell him that a PCP does not have the education to treat obstructive sleep apnea, then provide a list of reasons. D.Ask him for permission to allow you to speak with his PCP about your apprehension

As him what he knows about a pulmonologist's role in managing patients with obstructive sleep apnea, them provide education as necessary.

What is the MOST effective approach to dealing with a setback? A. Explain to the client that setbacks are necessary in the early stages of behavior change B. Redirect the conversation to focus on the successes the client has had in the process C. Ask the client what he or she learned from the experience that will help in the future D. Ask the client to spend time reflecting on how the setback could have been prevented

Ask the client what he or she learned from the experience that will help in the future

What is the BEST next step for the health coach? A.Provide a list of resources & education to improve her health literacy B.Provide a copy of the Mediterranean eating plan, which can improve her hyperlipidemia C.Ask what she knows about hyperlipidemia and what she would like to learn D.Ask for her permission to provide info about hyperlipidemia

Ask what she knows about hyperlipidemia and what she would like to learn

What is one way an ACE Certified Health Coach could hinder the development of the client-coach relationship? A. Asking too many assessment questions B. Engaging in active listening throughout the session C. Beginning with open-ended questions D. Asking closed-ended questions

Asking too many assessment questions

How might an ACE Certified Health Coach begin building rapport with a client during the initial interview? A. Open the conversation up for the client to ask the questions B. Begin asking questions about the client C. Provide the client with a verbal outline of academic achievements D. Begin with a few short success stories from previous clients

Begin asking questions about the client

Which of the following accountability statements is MOST accurate? A. Clients should not be help accountable in the first few initial sessions B. Clients are accountable to the coach C. Coaches should determine the level of accountability needed for a client D. Clients are accountable to themselves

Clients are accountable to themselves

Which of the following is MOST accurate when working with a new client? -Clients are the experts in their own lives -Health coaches should identify clients' strengths for them -Health coaches should provide solutions for clients -Clients use health coaches to fix problems

Clients are the experts in their own lives.

Cassandra has just begun her health coaching sessions and states that even though she knows exercise will be helpful with achieving her weight-loss goal, she knows she is not going to be consistent with it because she is always sore after she exercises and is in pain for day. Which of the following coaching techniques would be BEST to use with Cassandra? A.Motivational Interview Coaching B.Cognitive Behavioral Coaching C.Positive Psychology Coaching D.Self-empowerment Coaching

Cognitive Behavioral Coaching

Which of the following BEST describes an effective ACE Certified Health Coach? A.Supplies nutritional plans to the client B.Determines specific goals for the client C.Directs the clients actions D.Collaborates with client

Collaborates with the client

What should be the primary goal for the client at the end of a client-coach relationship? A. Limited need for external motivation B. Recognizing the need to make additional behavior changes C. Established trust with the health coach D. Enhanced self-reliance

Enhanced self-reliance

Which type of coach is BEST suited for developing a client's capacity to deal with change in their organization or career? -Wellness Coach -Executive Coach -Health Coach -Life Coach

Executive Coach

A client communicates the desire to begin eating healthier. He has many ideas about how to begin adopting this behavior. What is the BEST course of action of an ACE Certified Health Coach? A.Choose the best one for the client to implement B.Offer proven successful options C.Explore all the suggestions with the client D.Ask the client to choose two strategies

Explore all the suggestions with the client

Which BEST reflects the World Health Organization's (WHO) belief on person-centered care? -Focusing on what is wrong with the client -Focusing on what matters to the client -Creating a plan based on past successful clients -Creating achievable goals for the client

Focusing on what matters to the client.

Which of the following questions is open-ended? A. "Do you think you will be able to use the other food items in dietitian recommended?" B."How will you use the other food items in your daily menu planning?" C."Would you consider seeing a dietitian who is more understanding of your religious food restrictions?" D."Have you incorporated any of the food recommendations into your menu planing?"

How will you use the other food items in your daily menu planning?

When hosting a virtual session, what is a top priority? A. The session is well organized B. Minimize background noise C. It is conducted in a private setting D. The background is serene

It is conducted in a private setting

Which of the following is MOST accurate regarding a coaching agreement? A. It should be a separate document from the payment policy B. It should be jointly developed by the client and health coach C. It outlines only the health coach's responsibility D. A client should be able to review it prior to an initial meeting

It should be jointly developed by the client and health coach

Chinwa has been working with a health coach for less than a month and reports not having much success eating a more healthful diet. During a recent session, he explains that although he values the health coaching sessions, he has never been good at sticking to a healthy diet and always reverts back to his old unhealthy eating habits because he simply lacks the energy and focus to preplan his meals and snacks. Chinwa states that he believes he is just destined to be unhealthy and knows this attempt will result in failure. Which of the following health behavior theories is BEST represented by Chinwa's statements? A. Locus of control B. Self-perception C. Learned helplessness D. Self-determination

Learned helplessness

Which of the following is the BEST assessment tool used by an ACE Certified Health Coach? A. Lifestyle and health-history questionnaire B. Readiness to change questionnaire C. PAR-Q+ D. Listening

Listening

Which professional in a referral network would be MOST appropriate to aid in designing a fitness program for a client with osteoporosis? -Physician assistant -Psychologist -Group fitness instructor -Medical exercise specialist

Medical exercise specialist

Which of the following action plans BEST supports the principles of adult learning? A.Meet her at the grocery store for a tour and learning activities B.Provide her with handouts and adult educational resource materials C.Connect her with other adult clients w/ hyperlipidemia for support D.Suggest she watch more cooking channel shows to get idea

Meet her at the grocery store for a tour and learning activities

During an initial consultation, Miguel states that at his last physical exam, his blood pressure was categorized as "elevated" and that he has recently been experiencing shortness of breath while at rest. In addition, Miguel says that his 55-year-old father had a heart attack. According to the health belief model, which is variable is BEST described in this scenario? A. Perceived susceptibility B. Perceived benefits C. Perceived seriousness D. Perceived barriers

Perceived susceptibility

How can an ACE Certified Health Coach BEST support a clients pursuit of a health goal? A. Provide feedback on progress at defined intervals B. Determine the strategies best suited for the client to achieve the goal C. Set more long-term goals to allow time for success D. Encourage the complexity of the goal requiring increased persistence

Provide feedback on progress at defined intervals

When working with a client as he or she evaluates self-talk, what is the role of an ACE Certified Health Coach? A. Provide ways clients could deal with the conflicts B. ID the negative statements that need to be restructured C. Express genuine concern and desire to help D. Refrain from judgement and show empathy

Refrain from judgement and show empathy

What is the first step in using the elicit-provide-elicit model when responding to a request for information? A. Clarify that supplying the info is not equivalent to professional advice B. Gently ask the client if he or she is "ready" to hear the info requested C.Politely agree and supply the amount of information necessary at the moment D.Respectfully and curiously ask the client what he or she already knows about the topic

Respectfully and curiously ask the client what he or she already knows about the topic.

How can an ACE Certified Health Coach BEST help prepare a client for dealing with potential setbacks? A. Supply the client with a list of alternative behavior choices to implement B. Revist the client's strengths and past experiences C. Support the client in identifying possible coping strategies D. Revist the client's values and motivation for change

Support the client in identifying possible coping strategies

Which of the following is a key aspect of motivational interviewing (MI)? A. Attempts to direct the client towards the pros of behavior change B. Includes advising the client on the best course of action C. Supports clients in self-directed learning D. Only used when clients are highly ambivalent

Supports clients in self-directed learning

What is important for an ACE Certified Health Coach to determine by the end of an initial interview? A. The validity of identified barriers B. Successful coping strategies for each barrier C. The client's overall readiness to change D. The client's readiness to change for each goal

The client's readiness to change for each goal

Which element must be present in a successful client-coach relationship? A.The coach must believe the client is capable change B.The client must have had past behavior-change success C.The client must have a problem that needs to be fixed D.The coach must instruct the client on appropriate strategies.

The coach must believe the client is capable of change.

Which of the following BEST describes the health coach using active listening skills? A.The health coach is taking notes during the conversation, nodding her head, and looking at the clock to ensure the client receives the allotted time for the session. B.The health coach is standing up throughout the session in order to provide education from a food label wall chart. C.The health coach places his silenced cell phone in his desk drawer and sits near the client, nodding his head and listening intently. D.The health coach sets his cell phone's timer to ensure adequate time is allotted and places it on his desk while listening intently.

The health coach places his silenced cell phone in his drawer and sits near the client, nodding his head and listening intently.

What is the primary purpose of a values interview? A. To ID if the client and coach have the same beliefs B. To create awareness of what is most important to the client C. To ID a client's character strengths D. To determine a client's readiness to change

To create awareness of what is most important to the client

Which is an example of client cognitive processes? A.Rewarding oneself with a new outfit when a weight-loss goal is achieved B.Understanding that buying junk food at the grocery provides one's children with unhealthy food as well. C.Setting our workout gear the night before a workout D.Talking to coworkers about taking walks during breaks instead of sitting in the break room.

Understanding that buying junk food at the grocery provides one's children with unhealthy food as well.

When a client asks for advice, what is the MOST appropriate response from an ACE Certified Health Coach? A. Use factual statements to share the most up-to-date information B. Use open-ended questions to find out what the client already knows C. Ask the client to confirm if he or she is ready to follow the advise given. D. Paraphrase the question asked to be clear on what the client is asking

Use open-ended questions to find out what the client already knows.

Which action should be AVOIDED when interacting with a client? A.Maintaining eye contact throughout the conversation B.Sitting with a slight lean forward towards the client C.Displaying a calm and confident demeanor D.Walking around the room while the client is sitting

Walking around the room while client is sitting

A health coach who is able to correctly identify emotions in clients demonstrates which component of emotional intelligence. A.Social awareness B.Relationship-management C.Self-management D.Self-awareness

Self-awareness

Setting up a role-play scenario of a break room potluck for a coworker's birthday aligns BEST with which coaching objective? A.Elicit a client's prior experiences and knowledge before providing "education". B.Appyling all information and insight shared to relevant problem-centered scenario C.Helping a client identify the gap between current reality and the info needed to achieve a goal D.Link learning to a successful pursuit of a client's vision, goals, and/or action plans

Applying all information and insight shared to relevant problem-centered scenario.

Which party or parties carries the responsibility of upholding a behavior-change plan? A. Client and support system B. Client is solely responsible C. Client and coach D. Coach and support system

Client and coach

What is the MOST appropriate response time to a potential client's email inquiry? A. One week B. One day C. Within the week D. Three days

One day

When a client determines a change is needed, what skill can an ACE Certified Health Coach use to cultivate a positive mindset? A.Invite the client to reflect on his or her true motivation to change B.Paraphrase what the client perceives as the barriers to change C.Provide the client a list of meditation exercises D.Ask probing questions to identify the client's strengths

Paraphrase what the client perceived as the barriers to change

Which principle of appreciative inquiry is defined by people choosing what they work on and develop in their lives? A. Postive principle B. Poetic principle C. Constructionist principle D. Narrative principle

Poetic principle

Which body language indicator is MOST likely displayed by a client who feels her personal space is being invaded? A. Sitting angles toward the door B. Standing with crossed arms C. Begin biting her lip D. Pulling her purse to the front of her chest

Pulling her purse to the front of her chest

Which of the following MOST accurately represents the philosophy of the Tiny Habits method? A. New habits can be simple or complex B. New habits need continuous motivation C. The new habit should take place after an anchor moment D. New habits require a large amount of willpower

The new habit should take place after an anchor moment

A client has identified the following goal: "I would like to quit smoking to decrease my risk of developing cancer." Which element of a SMART goal is missing? A. Attainable B. Measurable C. Time-bound D. Specific

Time-bound