This CADC cheat sheet compresses the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam into a printable rundown of the facts examiners lean on most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Reinforce it with the rest of your free CADC toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
CADC exam at a glance
- Credential: Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (awarded by IC&RC member/state boards)
- Exam used: IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC)
- Questions: 150 multiple-choice (125 scored + 25 pretest)
- Time: 3 hours
- Passing score: Scaled 500 on a 200-to-800 range
- Cost: Set by your certifying board — commonly around $200-$275
What’s on the CADC cheat sheet
- Evidence-Based Treatment, Counseling & Referral (30%) — motivational interviewing and OARS, the stages of change, CBT and contingency management, SMART treatment plans, referral, and continuing care — the largest domain.
- Scientific Principles of Substance Use & Co-Occurring Disorders (25%) — the reward pathway and dopamine, drug classes and withdrawal danger, MAT medications, and integrated care for dual diagnosis.
- Professional, Ethical & Legal Responsibilities (25%) — informed consent, scope of competence and dual relationships, the bioethical principles, and 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality.
- Evidence-Based Screening & Assessment (20%) — CAGE, AUDIT, DAST-10, the biopsychosocial assessment, DSM-5-TR criteria and severity, and the ASAM six dimensions and levels of care.
How to use it in your final week
- Lead with Treatment, Counseling & Referral (30%) — it is the single largest domain, so lock in motivational interviewing, the stages of change, and matching interventions to the client's stage first.
- Drill the safety facts until automatic: CNS-depressant withdrawal (alcohol, benzos, barbiturates) can be fatal, and naloxone reverses an opioid overdose while methadone and buprenorphine are maintenance.
- Rehearse the sequence the exam rewards — screen, assess, diagnose and place (ASAM), plan, counsel, then refer — with safety and ethics overriding everything.
- Read the sheet the morning of the test for a last pass on the memory anchors: 500 to pass, DSM-5-TR severity (2-3 mild, 4-5 moderate, 6+ severe), and 42 CFR Part 2 protecting even attendance.
The cheat sheet is your review layer — your CADC practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.
CADC cheat sheet FAQ
Yes — the CADC cheat sheet downloads as a PDF at no cost, with no account or email required. It sits alongside Career Employer's free CADC practice test, study guide, and flashcards, so your whole review kit is free.
It condenses the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam into a quick reference: the four scored domains and their weights, the ASAM six dimensions and levels of care, MAT medications, DSM-5-TR severity thresholds, screening tools, and 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality rules.
The ADC exam is reported as a scaled score on a 200-to-800 range, and you need a 500 to pass. Only the 125 scored questions count; the 25 pretest items do not. The cheat sheet keeps that standard front and center so you know the target.
No — it is a final-week condensing and recall tool, not a substitute for working scenario questions. The ADC is application-heavy, so pair the sheet with timed practice tests and read every rationale to build clinical judgment.
Click the download button (or the preview card) at the top of this page and the PDF opens instantly. Bookmark the page so you can pull it up again for a final pass the morning of your exam.
References
- 1.IC&RC. “Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) Exam Candidate Guide (2022).” internationalcredentialing.org, 2022. ↑
- 2.IC&RC. “Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) Credential & Content Domains.” internationalcredentialing.org. ↑
- 3.American Society of Addiction Medicine. “About the ASAM Criteria.” asam.org. ↑
- 4.U.S. Government (eCFR). “42 CFR Part 2 — Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records.” ecfr.gov. ↑
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