21 Observation, Ethics & Professionalism Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. Which of these entries in a child's observation record is written objectively?

   • A.Ari felt proud of himself after cleaning up the water he spilled.
   • B.Ari is finally becoming more confident at the water table.
   • C.Ari poured water from the pitcher into three cups, spilled some on the tray, and then wiped the tray with a sponge.✓ Answer
   • D.Ari was careless with the water again this morning.

   An objective record contains only what the observer actually saw or heard, described as behavior. Words such as "careless," "confident," and "felt proud" assign motives or feelings to the child; those are the adult's interpretation and must be written separately from the description so that colleagues and families can weigh the evidence themselves.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — Program Management: the candidate objectively observes and records children's behaviorReport a problem with this question

2. 2. A teacher's note reads, "Devon was angry and refused to share during center time." Which rewrite turns this note into an objective record?

   • A.Devon was upset during center time, probably because he did not sleep well last night.
   • B.Devon was uncooperative at first but had a better attitude by the end of center time.
   • C.Devon has trouble sharing and needs to learn to control his temper.
   • D.Devon held the dump truck against his chest and said "no" twice when Sam reached for it, then carried the truck to the block area.✓ Answer

   An objective rewrite describes only observable behavior — what the child did, said, and where he moved — with no labels, motives, or emotions supplied by the adult. "Angry," "refused," "uncooperative," and a guess about sleep are interpretations that belong in a clearly separate interpretation section, not in the description of the event.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — objective observation and recording (Subject Area: observing and recording children's behavior)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. A caregiver sees a child do something noteworthy for the first time and, a few minutes later, writes a short factual paragraph describing exactly what happened, then dates and signs it. Which recording method is she using?

   • A.An anecdotal record✓ Answer
   • B.A running record
   • C.A frequency count
   • D.A rating scale

   An anecdotal record is a brief, factual narrative of one significant incident, written soon after it happens and dated and signed. A running record is written continuously as events unfold, a rating scale judges degree or quality, and a frequency count only tallies how often a behavior occurs without describing it.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — observing and recording children's behavior (observation methods)Report a problem with this question

4. 4. A teacher wants a continuous, detailed picture of everything one child does and says throughout the entire 45-minute free-choice period, written down as it happens. Which method fits this purpose best?

   • A.A running record✓ Answer
   • B.A checklist of developmental skills
   • C.An anecdotal record written at the end of the day
   • D.A rating scale completed from memory after the children leave

   A running record is a continuous, real-time narrative kept for a set period, so it captures sequence, context, and language in detail. A checklist records only whether a skill is present, and anything written later from memory loses detail and is shaped by what the adult happened to remember.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — observing and recording children's behavior (observation methods)Report a problem with this question

5. 5. A teaching team wants to learn what tends to happen immediately before and immediately after one child's outbursts so they can change the conditions that set them off. Which recording method is best suited to this purpose?

   • A.Event sampling, noting what came before the behavior, the behavior itself, and what followed, each time it occurs✓ Answer
   • B.A rating scale of how cooperative the child is overall
   • C.One anecdotal record describing the most serious outburst
   • D.A developmental checklist completed once a month

   Event sampling records every occurrence of one targeted behavior along with its antecedent and what followed, so repeated patterns and triggers become visible and the team can change the setting, the routine, or the adult response. A monthly checklist, a global rating, or a single anecdote cannot reveal the conditions surrounding a recurring behavior.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — observing and recording children's behavior (observation methods)Report a problem with this question

6. 6. At the start of the year a caregiver needs a quick, uniform way to confirm which specific self-help skills — pouring a drink, fastening a coat, washing hands independently — each child in the group can already do. Which method is most efficient for this purpose?

   • A.A skills checklist on which each skill is marked as observed or not yet observed✓ Answer
   • B.A running record for each child in the group
   • C.A rating scale of how cooperative each child is
   • D.A time sample taken every fifteen minutes

   A checklist is designed to document the presence or absence of specific, clearly defined skills for many children quickly. Because it captures no context or detail, it supplements rather than replaces narrative methods; a time sample answers how often something happens, and a rating scale of a trait is the method most open to observer bias.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — observing and recording children's behavior (observation methods)Report a problem with this question

7. 7. A caregiver plans to photograph children as they build, print the photos, and place them in each child's portfolio to share with families at conferences. What must happen before she takes and uses the photographs?

   • A.Written permission from each child's parent or guardian must be on file, as required by program policy.✓ Answer
   • B.No permission is needed as long as children's names are left off the photos.
   • C.Permission is needed only if the photos are posted online.
   • D.A verbal agreement from a parent at drop-off is enough, since the photos stay inside the program.

   Photographs and video are part of a child's confidential record, so programs obtain written parental consent before children are photographed and before images are used, displayed, or shared. Verbal consent leaves no verifiable record, and removing a name does not make a recognizable image of a child anonymous.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — protecting the confidentiality of information about children and families; program policy on written parental permissionReport a problem with this question

8. 8. During one morning meeting, a child who is new to the group sits at the edge of the circle and does not sing or answer when her name is called. The caregiver is tempted to write in her file that she is shy and not interested in group activities. What is the best professional practice?

   • A.Write that the child is shy so the rest of the staff will know what to expect from her.
   • B.Tell the family at pickup that their daughter does not like group time.
   • C.Record only what the child did and said, and keep observing her at different times of day, in different areas, over several days before drawing any conclusion.✓ Answer
   • D.Seat the child in the middle of the circle every day until she joins in.

   A single observation in one setting is weak evidence and invites observer bias, so conclusions rest on repeated, dated, factual observations gathered across settings, routines, and times of day. A label written into a file tends to follow the child and to shape how every adult afterward interprets her behavior.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — objective observation over time (observing and recording children's behavior)Report a problem with this question

9. 9. How should the information a caregiver gathers by observing children mainly be used?

   • A.To plan materials, activities, and individual goals that match what each child can do and is interested in✓ Answer
   • B.It should be gathered only for the children staff suspect have a delay
   • C.To rank children by ability so the group can be sorted before kindergarten
   • D.To keep a staff-only file documenting problems in case a family complains later

   Observation is one step in an ongoing cycle — observe, document, interpret, plan, share with the family, observe again — whose purpose is to individualize curriculum and set appropriate developmental goals. Assessment information is used to support each child's learning, never to label, rank, sort, or exclude, and every child is observed, not only those of concern.

   Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — analyzing multiple sources of evidence to set developmental goals and plan curriculumReport a problem with this question

10. 10. A developmental screening indicates that a child should be looked at more closely. What does that result mean?

    • A.It replaces ongoing observation, because a screening tool is more accurate than a caregiver's notes.
    • B.It means only that a fuller evaluation is needed; a screening does not diagnose, and the caregiver never diagnoses a child.✓ Answer
    • C.It confirms that the child has a developmental delay, which should now be recorded in his file.
    • D.It shows the child is not ready for the next age group and should repeat the year.

    A screening is a brief look that only sorts children into those with no concern at this time and those who need a complete evaluation. A diagnosis is made by qualified specialists after that evaluation; the caregiver's role is to observe, document, share concerns with the family, and refer, never to name a condition or predict readiness.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — developmental screening and referral; screening is not a diagnosisReport a problem with this question

11. 11. Over two months a caregiver has collected dated, factual notes showing that a child seldom responds when his name is called and now uses far fewer words than he did in the fall. What should she do next?

    • A.Tell the family she believes the child has a hearing problem and a speech disorder.
    • B.Wait until the next program year to see whether he grows out of it.
    • C.Send her notes straight to an evaluation agency so that no time is lost.
    • D.Ask the family for a private meeting, share the dated observations in plain, non-diagnostic language, listen to what they notice at home, and with their written consent make a referral for evaluation.✓ Answer

    Families are partners and the decision makers: the caregiver presents objective evidence rather than a diagnosis, and both an evaluation and the release of a child's records require the parent's written consent. Waiting forfeits the benefit of early intervention, and going around the family breaches confidentiality and destroys trust.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — referral with parental consent; early intervention referral process under federal special education lawReport a problem with this question

12. 12. A parent hands a caregiver an over-the-counter ointment at drop-off and asks her to put it on her son's rash after lunch. What must the caregiver do?

    • A.Apply it as asked, because written permission is required only for prescription medicine.
    • B.Apply it after telling the director, who then documents the request.
    • C.Apply it and note the parent's verbal request in the child's daily report.
    • D.Obtain the parent's written permission, as program policy and licensing require for any medication, and record each application in a medication log.✓ Answer

    Written parental authorization is required for all medications, prescription and non-prescription alike, together with a dated log of every dose given. The written record is what documents what was authorized, how much, and when, protects the child, and can be verified later; a verbal request leaves no such authorization.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — maintaining current health records and written parental permission for medication; state child care licensing rulesReport a problem with this question

13. 13. At the end of the day an adult the caregiver has never seen arrives and says the child's mother sent him to pick the child up. The child does not seem alarmed. What should the caregiver do?

    • A.Release the child, since the child shows no sign of being afraid of the man.
    • B.Ask another parent in the room whether she recognizes the man.
    • C.Keep the child in her care, check the authorized pickup list in the child's file, verify identification, and contact the parent before releasing the child.✓ Answer
    • D.Release the child once the man shows identification matching the name he gave.

    A child may be released only to a parent or to a person the parent has authorized in writing in the child's record, with identity verified. The child's comfort, an identification card by itself, or another family's opinion does not establish authorization, so when there is any doubt the caregiver keeps the child safely in care and calls the parent.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — supervision and release of children only to authorized adults; state child care licensing rulesReport a problem with this question

14. 14. It is time for a caregiver's scheduled break, but the staff member assigned to relieve her has not arrived. What should she do?

    • A.Move the children in with the next classroom, whose teacher agrees to keep an eye on them.
    • B.Ask a parent who is visiting the classroom to watch the children for a few minutes.
    • C.Stay with the children and keep them supervised until a qualified, authorized adult takes over, and let the director know that coverage is needed.✓ Answer
    • D.Step just outside the door where she can still hear the children.

    Children must be supervised at all times by an authorized, qualified staff member, so supervision cannot be handed to a visiting parent, satisfied by listening from outside the room, or created by pushing another group beyond the staffing its licensing allows. The caregiver maintains coverage herself and reports the gap through the program's chain of command.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — continuous supervision of children by qualified staff; state child care licensing rulesReport a problem with this question

15. 15. A caregiver disagrees with the way her co-teacher has changed the afternoon schedule. What is the most professional way to handle it?

    • A.Say nothing, because the schedule is not her responsibility.
    • B.Mention her concerns to several families so they will support her position.
    • C.Say what she thinks in the moment in front of the children so the change stops right away.
    • D.Raise it directly and privately with the co-teacher when children are not present, describing what she has observed and how it affects the children, and take it to their supervisor only if they cannot resolve it together.✓ Answer

    Professional ethics require that a concern about a colleague be brought first to that colleague, privately, respectfully, and based on observed facts rather than opinion, with the program's chain of command used if it stays unresolved. Recruiting families or arguing in front of children undermines the children's sense of security and the program's trustworthiness.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — cooperative relationships with coworkers and supervisors; NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, responsibilities to colleaguesReport a problem with this question

16. 16. A caregiver notices a pattern of bruises on a child's upper arms, and the child says quietly that someone at home grabbed him hard. She is not certain what happened. What should she do?

    • A.Ask the parents at pickup to explain the bruises before she decides anything.
    • B.Report her reasonable suspicion promptly and directly to the designated authority, as the law and program procedure require, and write down exactly what she saw and heard.✓ Answer
    • C.Ask the child a series of questions to find out who did it and what happened.
    • D.Tell the director about it and consider her own responsibility met.

    Early childhood educators are mandated reporters, and the standard is reasonable suspicion rather than proof, so the caregiver does not investigate, interview, or confront anyone. The duty is personal, which means telling a supervisor does not discharge it; good-faith reporting is protected, and suspected abuse is the recognized exception to family confidentiality.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — mandated reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect; NAEYC Code of Ethical ConductReport a problem with this question

17. 17. Who may see a child's file and a caregiver's observation notes about that child?

    • A.A parent who volunteers regularly in the room and asks how the child is doing.
    • B.Members of a private online group for staff, as long as the child's last name is left out.
    • C.The child's parents or guardians and the program staff who have a legitimate need to know; anyone else requires written parental consent, except where the law requires disclosure, as in a report of suspected abuse.✓ Answer
    • D.Any staff member of the program, because everyone there works with children.

    Confidential information about a child and family is limited to those with a legitimate need to know and is released beyond them only with written parental consent, the exceptions being legally required reporting and situations in which a child's welfare is at risk. A volunteer, the whole staff roster, or a private online group does not meet that standard, and leaving off a last name does not make a recognizable child anonymous.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — protecting the confidentiality of information about children, families and the program; NAEYC Code of Ethical ConductReport a problem with this question

18. 18. A family the caregiver enjoys asks to follow her personal social media account and offers to pay her to babysit their child on weekends. What is the most professional response?

    • A.Follow the program's written policy on personal contact with families and outside employment, keep the relationship professional, and talk with the director if she is unsure.✓ Answer
    • B.Accept the social media request but decline the babysitting, because personal posts cannot affect the program.
    • C.Agree to babysit privately without mentioning it to the program, since it happens outside working hours.
    • D.Accept both, since a close friendship with the family will benefit the child.

    Professional boundaries protect confidentiality and the impartiality a caregiver owes every family in the group, so outside contact, gifts, private employment, and personal social media connections are governed by program policy rather than personal preference. Concealing such an arrangement from the program is itself a breach of professional conduct.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — conducting oneself in a professional manner; NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, professional boundaries with familiesReport a problem with this question

19. 19. When a caregiver's obligations to a child, a family, a colleague, an employer, and herself come into conflict, which obligation comes first under the profession's code of ethics?

    • A.Whatever the majority of the teaching team prefers
    • B.The obligation not to harm children, which takes precedence over every other obligation✓ Answer
    • C.The family's wishes, because parents are the child's primary decision makers
    • D.The employer's instructions, because the caregiver is accountable to the program

    The profession's code states above all that we shall not harm children, and that principle overrides every other provision in it. Practices that are physically or emotionally harmful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating are never acceptable, no matter who requests them or how convenient they would be for adults.

    Source: NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct — ethical responsibilities to children: above all, we shall not harm childrenReport a problem with this question

20. 20. A caregiver has just finished a training course on supporting children who are learning a new language. Which action best demonstrates ongoing professional growth?

    • A.Keeping to her usual routine, since it has worked for her for many years
    • B.Trying specific strategies from the course with her group, observing what changes for the children, and reflecting with her team on what to adjust✓ Answer
    • C.Filing the certificate of attendance with her professional records
    • D.Telling her co-teacher that the way he has been doing it is wrong

    Professional development becomes growth only when it is applied and then evaluated: the standards ask a caregiver to base practice on current, research-based knowledge, to self-assess reflectively, and to adjust her own work according to what she observes. A filed certificate documents attendance, and long habit is not evidence that a practice serves children well.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — continuing professional development and use of current, research-based practiceReport a problem with this question

21. 21. Which action is the best example of advocacy for children and families?

    • A.Telling a family that their child's needs are not her concern because she has no authority over policy
    • B.Speaking at a public meeting in support of funding for early childhood programs, drawing on general knowledge of child development and naming no individual child✓ Answer
    • C.Explaining privately to a co-teacher what she would do differently in his classroom
    • D.Posting a photograph of a child from her class online with a caption about how badly the program needs money

    Advocacy means working with families and colleagues to bring the needs of children to the people who make decisions — for one child, for the program, or for public policy — using child development knowledge and objective evidence. It must respect confidentiality, so an identifiable child is never used to make a public point.

    Source: CDA Competency Standards, Council for Professional Recognition — advocating for the needs of children and families; NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, responsibilities to community and societyReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the CDA Competency Standards published by the Council for Professional Recognition, the NAEYC position statement on developmentally appropriate practice and its Code of Ethical Conduct, and the national health and safety performance standards for early care and education (Caring for Our Children). CDA and Child Development Associate are marks of the Council for Professional Recognition; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Council. Child care licensing — ratios, group sizes, training hours, and background checks — is set by each state and differs everywhere, so confirm your own state's regulations and the current credentialing requirements before you apply. About the CDA credential →