If you need help studying for the Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free ADC practice test!
What’s on the Exam?
How to Register
Exam Scores
Retaking the Exam
Online ADC Prep Course
FAQs
Exam Eligibility
Before you can register to take the Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam, you’ll need to contact your local IC&RC Member Board. They’ll tell you exactly what eligibility requirements you need to meet before taking the exam.
Once you meet the requirements, you’re set to begin the registration process!
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 150 multiple-choice questions total, but only 125 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 25 unscored questions on the exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 3 hours. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed.
Let’s take a closer look at the different sections of the ADC exam.
1. Scientific Principles of Substance Use and Co-occurring Disorders
25% of the exam
- Recognize how addiction effects the brain
- Identify risk factors for developing substance use disorders
- Identify behavior, patterns, and progressive stages of substance use disorders
- Differentiate among common substances of abuse and their characteristics
- Identify signs and symptoms of co-occurring medical and mental health conditions
2. Evidence-Based Screening and Assessment
20% of the exam
- Utilize established interviewing techniques
- Utilize established screening and assessment methods and instruments
- Identify methods and interpret results from drug and alcohol testing
- Utilize established diagnostic criteria for evaluating substance use
- Assemble a comprehensive client biopsychosocial history
- Determine the course of action to meet the individual’s immediate and ongoing needs
- Determine level of care based on placement criteria
3. Evidence-Based Treatment, Counseling, and Referral
30% of the exam
- Demonstrate practicing and responding to verbal and non-verbal communication skills
- Recognize methods and opportunities to build rapport with clients
- Review client’s patterns and methods of use
- Recognize and respond to emergency/crisis events
- Recognize when to utilize and how to facilitate referrals for clients
- Identify and respond to concerns related to specific populations
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary team, other professionals, and client supports to determine and provide care
- Recognize the relationship between substance use and trauma
- Utilize methods to address client ambivalence or resistance to change
- Utilize best practices in developing and updating a treatment plan
- Identify available resources to meet client needs
- Utilize counseling approaches specific to group sessions
- Recognize elements of discharge planning
- Explore multiple pathways of recovery
- Utilize methods and techniques for providing feedback
- Recognize when to terminate the counseling process
4. Professional, Ethical, and Legal Responsibilities
25% of the exam
- Demonstrate professional boundaries and practice self-awareness
- Develop and utilize multi-cultural perspectives throughout the counseling process
- Recognize and respond to issues that are outside the practitioner’s scope of practice
- Demonstrate best practices in documentation
- Demonstrate compliance with confidentiality and privacy laws
- Identify and address potential conflicts of interest
- Demonstrate compliance with informed consent guidelines
- Identify and utilize sources of supervision and consultation
- Recognize the grievance process and respond to client grievances
- Identify, respond, and advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity in care
- Demonstrate adherence to established client/patient rights
How to Register
To get started, you’ll need to submit an application via your local IC&RC Member Board. The application will ask you for your contact information and any documentation to prove your eligibility (among other things).
When you submit the application, you’ll also need to submit the testing fee, which varies from state to state. The testing fee can range anywhere from $100 to $300.
Alcohol and Drug Counselor Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
Exam Scores
The test is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
For every question you answer correctly, you get one point added to your raw score. At the end of the test, your final raw score will be converted to a scaled score. This scaled score will range somewhere between 200 and 800.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the test is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Retaking the Exam
If you didn’t get a passing score on your first try, that’s okay! You can retake the test after a 90-day waiting period.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full testing fee every time you retake the test.
Online ADC Prep Course
If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online Alcohol and Drug Counselor prep course. The course is designed to provide you with any and every resource you might want while studying. The ADC course includes:
- 60+ Review Lessons Covering Every Topic
- 600 ADC Practice Questions
- More than 400 Digital Flashcards
- Money-back Guarantee
- Free Mobile Access
- and More!
The ADC prep course is designed to help any learner get everything they need to prepare for their Alcohol and Drug Counselor exam. Click below to check it out!
FAQs
How many questions are on the ADC exam?
The exam contains 150 questions.
What is the time limit for the ADC exam?
The exam is timed at 3 hours.
What is the passing score for the ADC exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 500 to pass.
How much does the ADC exam cost?
The testing fee varies from state to state.
