IC&RC ADC (IC&RC Addiction Professional Exams) study plan

Map the Domain 1 task list into a checklist and rate your current confidence (1-5) on each task before studying

Distinguish screening from comprehensive assessment by writing a one-page comparison of purpose, timing, setting, and who may perform each

Build a comparison table of at least eight standardized instruments (e.g., AUDIT, DAST-10, CAGE, PHQ-9, GAD-7, ASI, TCU Drug Screen) listing purpose, administration time, scoring, and cutoff interpretation

Write 15 original screening/assessment questions and justify each correct answer in one sentence

Conduct a mock biopsychosocial intake interview with a peer or self-scripted client and write it up in full narrative form

Apply the six ASAM dimensions to that mock case and record a dimensional severity rating for each

Identify at least five engagement barriers (ambivalence, shame, transport, stigma, coerced status) and script a motivational interviewing response for each

Differentiate mandated, voluntary, and self-referred clients by listing the legal and clinical implications of each

Answer 25 mixed Domain 1 items and log every missed item by task-list category

Build a microskills self-check rubric covering open questions, reflections, summaries, affirmations, and confrontation alternatives

Write ten pairs of client statements with a reflectively paraphrased counselor response for each, labeling the skill used

Compare motivational interviewing, CBT, and 12-step facilitation by indicating the client stage and presentation each best fits

Match at least five stage-of-change scenarios to stage-appropriate counselor tasks

Complete 20 original counseling-technique items and explain why each distractor is wrong

Draft three session plans (individual, group, and family) that each name a target behavior, an intervention, and an outcome indicator

Outline a relapse prevention plan including triggers, warning signs, coping strategies, and a written response plan

Describe how to adapt counseling for co-occurring mental health conditions and trauma histories

Identify three strategies for managing resistance, denial, and hostility without arguing

Answer 25 mixed Domain 3 items and re-teach the two lowest-scoring subtopics aloud or in writing

Write two treatment plans with client-centered, measurable, time-bound goals and objectives that a reviewer could audit

Match client needs to levels of care using ASAM criteria and justify each placement in two sentences

Compile a referral resource list of at least ten community services with eligibility criteria and contact pathway

Outline the elements of a compliant case record, including progress notes, treatment plan reviews, and documentation of collaboration

Draft a case consultation scenario showing coordination among counselor, medical, and legal parties

Summarize the core obligations of the applicable ethics code and certification board rules in your own words

Apply confidentiality limits, including 42 CFR Part 2 protections, by resolving at least six written scenarios

Distinguish boundary crossings from boundary violations and dual relationships with a written decision rule

List mandated reporting triggers and the correct reporting sequence for your jurisdiction

Write and answer 15 ethics vignettes, each with a rationale naming the governing principle

Take a 100-question mixed practice exam under timed conditions and record the score

Sort every missed item into a domain and subtopic and rank the five biggest gaps

Re-study the top three gaps using primary source material and rewrite the missed items in your own words

Rehearse exam-day pacing by completing 25 items in 30 minutes without references

Take a full-length 150-question timed practice exam and score at least 80 percent

Review the error log from weeks 1-7 and confirm each previously missed concept can be explained without notes

Condense all four domains into a one-page rapid-review sheet of key terms, cutoffs, and decision rules

Schedule the exam date and confirm testing logistics, identification, and any accommodations