10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The PS exam has 150 questions and runs 3 hours.
These 10 free PS questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Prevention Specialist (PS) blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A county's assessment identifies inconsistent caregiver supervision as a major contributor to early alcohol use. Youth already recognize alcohol-related harms, and retail compliance is high. The coalition can afford and deliver any of four proposed approaches. Which has the strongest conceptual fit with the identified contributor?
Correct answer: C - A family-skills program that practices monitoring, communication, and clear expectations.
An after-school coping program enrolls children ages 10 to 13 solely because a parent is receiving treatment for a substance use disorder. Enrollment does not depend on a child's own substance use or early symptoms. How is this prevention approach classified on the behavioral-health continuum?
Correct answer: D - Selective prevention
An evaluator follows the same 400 seventh-grade students for an entire school year. At baseline, 80 had ever vaped. During the year, 32 other students vape for the first time. At year's end, 60 students report vaping in the past 30 days. No one is lost to follow-up. What is the cumulative incidence of vaping initiation among students at risk?
Correct answer: B - 10%; first-time users divided by baseline never-users.
An evidence-based family program permits locally relevant examples but requires paired skills practice, a set session sequence, and full contact time. A bilingual facilitation team proposes new names and scenarios reviewed by participating families; all required practice and timing will remain. How should the coordinator handle this proposal?
Correct answer: B - Approve and document the changes while checking that core content, practice, and dose remain intact.
Eighth graders accurately describe refusal techniques on a written exercise but struggle when a peer repeatedly pressures them during role-play. To address this learning gap, the facilitator should:
Correct answer: D - Model a response, then use repeated paired practice with specific feedback.
During a prevention visit, a parent says, 'I know leaving alcohol unlocked is risky, but locking it up will make my teenager think I don't trust her.' Which reply reflects the parent's concern rather than moving immediately into advice or persuasion?
Correct answer: D - You want to protect her without damaging the trust between you.
Two youth representatives serve on a prevention coalition. They may describe concerns but cannot place items on the agenda or vote, and their suggestions rarely influence decisions. Which revision would turn their participation into shared leadership?
Correct answer: C - Give youth agenda-setting and voting authority, with preparation to participate effectively.
Alcohol retailers in a town have completed age-verification training, yet authorized purchase attempts still identify illegal sales to minors. The coalition wants to change retailer behavior, not simply increase knowledge. Which strategy is supported by the Community Preventive Services Task Force for this purpose?
Correct answer: A - Repeat compliance checks through the enforcement agency and apply authorized sanctions.
At a community outreach event, an adult cannot be awakened and has pinpoint pupils and very slow, irregular breathing. A friend reports cocaine use but knows of no opioid use. Emergency services have been called, and a trained responder is supporting breathing. The prevention specialist is trained to use the available intranasal naloxone. Which additional action is indicated?
Correct answer: A - Administer naloxone now despite the reported cocaine use.
At a medication-safety workshop, an older adult describes a prescriber-supervised reduction of an opioid taken as directed for several months. The clinician identified withdrawal symptoms but found no craving, impaired control, or continued use despite harm. Which explanation should the prevention specialist reinforce?
Correct answer: B - Withdrawal can reflect physical dependence; it does not by itself establish addiction.
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