1.1 CASAC Credential and Exam Map

CASAC Credential and Exam Map

Quick answer: CASAC is New York State's credential for alcoholism and substance abuse counselors. Candidates sit for the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam — 150 multiple-choice items, 3 hours, scaled passing score of 500/800.

The Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) title is issued by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). Although CASAC is a New York credential, the examination itself is the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) test. That alignment matters clinically and on the exam: IC&RC standards define counselor scope, ethics, and the 12 Core Functions that frame nearly every scenario item.

Credential Path and Reciprocity

CASAC is required to practice as a substance use counselor in New York. Because the exam follows IC&RC ADC standards, a passing score can support reciprocity with most other U.S. states and several international jurisdictions — a common exam distractor contrasts "state-only" rules with IC&RC portability. OASAS oversees education and experience requirements; IC&RC sets the examination blueprint.

Exam Logistics You Must Know Cold

The ADC exam presents 150 multiple-choice questions in random order. Only 125 are scored; 25 are pretest items that do not count toward your result. You have 3 hours to complete the full battery. Scoring is scaled: you need 500 out of 800 to pass (historically equivalent to roughly 70% correct on scored items). First-time pass rates hover around 70–75%, so the exam rewards applied clinical judgment, not isolated vocabulary.

Five Domains and Study Priority

IC&RC organizes the ADC blueprint into five domains. Weights tell you where to invest review hours:

Chapter 1 covers the first domain — screening tools, biopsychosocial assessment, motivational engagement, and co-occurring risk. Counseling is the single largest domain and gets its own chapter, but assessment questions often preview counseling decisions (for example, matching MI technique to stage of change).

The 12 Core Functions

IC&RC and OASAS training both reference the 12 Core Functions of substance abuse counseling. Memorize them in order; exam items often ask which function a counselor is performing:

1. Screening — brief process to determine whether a problem may exist and whether the person fits program admission criteria.
2. Intake — administrative and clinical gathering of identifying information to open services.
3. Orientation — describing program rules, confidentiality limits, and client rights.
4. Assessment — in-depth evaluation to establish diagnosis, severity, and treatment needs.
5. Treatment planning — collaborative goals, objectives, and interventions.
6. Counseling — individual, group, and family therapeutic work.
7. Case management — linking clients to community resources.
8. Crisis intervention — immediate response to acute safety or clinical emergencies.
9. Client education — teaching about substance use, recovery, and health.
10. Referral — connecting clients to services outside your scope.
11. Reports and record keeping — accurate, timely, confidential documentation.
12. Consultation — coordinating with other professionals.

Prescribing medication is not a Core Function. Medication for opioid use disorder (buprenorphine, naltrexone) or psychiatric conditions is managed by licensed prescribers. A CASAC may educate about medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and support adherence but does not write prescriptions.

How Domain 1 Items Are Written

Screening, Assessment, and Engagement items usually present a brief vignette: a walk-in client, a phone screen, or the first counseling session. Your task is to name the correct step (screen versus assess), the appropriate tool, or the engagement response that builds alliance without jumping ahead to treatment planning. Trap answers often skip steps — diagnosing during screening, or writing SMART goals before assessment is complete.

Worked Scenario

A counselor at an outpatient clinic receives a referral from an emergency department. The client reports daily alcohol use but has not agreed to treatment. The counselor administers a brief screen, schedules a full assessment, and uses reflective listening to explore ambivalence. Which functions appear?

• Screening — initial yes/no determination that alcohol use warrants further evaluation.
• Assessment — scheduled comprehensive evaluation (not yet completed in the vignette, but correctly planned next).
• Counseling — MI-style engagement during the first contact.

The wrong answer would jump to treatment planning before assessment data exist, or confuse intake paperwork with clinical screening.

Study Routine

• Recite all 12 Core Functions from memory and attach one example action to each.
• Convert domain percentages into approximate item counts so you feel the weight of Domain 1 and Domain 3.
• Drill scope-of-practice boundaries: what CASAC counselors do versus prescribers, physicians, and psychiatrists.
• Mix one logistics item (time, scoring, fee) with one clinical vignette per practice set so you do not over-focus on either type.