Section 8.A – The CTA Written Examination Pragmatic Research Case Study

Contents

• Introduction and Overview
• 8.A.1.1 The purpose of the Written Examination
• 8.A.1.2 Overview of the Written Examination
• 8.A.1.3 Field of specialization
• 8.A.1.4 Language and translation
• 8.A.1.5 Anonymity
• 8.A.1.6 Total length
• 8.A.1.7 Presentation
• 8.A.1.8 Scoring for each section and final assessment and evaluation
• 8.A.2 The Psychotherapy Written Examination
• 8.A.2.1 Section A: Professional self‑portrayal
• 8.A.2.2 Section B: Learning experiences gained during TA training and personal development
• 8.A.2.3 Section C: The Pragmatic Research Case Study
• 8.A.2.4 Section D: Questions on theory and literature
• 8.A.3 Evaluating and Scoring the Written Examination
• 8.A.4 Appeals procedures for the Written Examination
• 8.A.5 The dyslexia policy

Introduction and Overview

Important

As part of PTSC’s commitment to fostering inclusive and psychologically safe learning and assessment environments, we invite all those involved in training and examinations to give careful consideration to any accessibility or support needs—whether their own or those of the candidate. These needs may relate to neurodiversity, disability, mental or physical health, cultural or linguistic background, or other aspects of lived experience. To facilitate this process, the Expression of Accessibility Requirements Form (13.4.7) is available as a structured means of identifying and communicating any adjustments or support that may enhance participation and performance. This form can be completed or updated at any time and shared, as appropriate, with trainers, supervisors, examiners, or other relevant individuals. Engaging with this process actively supports equitable access to learning and assessment, and promotes dignity, respect, and understanding for all.

8.A.1.1 The purpose of the Written Examination

The purpose of the written examination is to demonstrate that the candidate has integrated the core competences of his/her/their chosen field of application and how he/she/they work effectively and ethically as a theoretically based Transactional Analyst.

8.A.1.2 Overview of the Written Examination

The Written Examination consists of four sections:
A. Self‑portrayal of the candidate and of his/her/their work as a Transactional Analyst
B. Report on the learning experiences gained during TA training
C. The client case or project study
D. Theory and literature. The candidate is required to answer six questions on TA theory and practical application of it.

8.A.1.3 Field of specialization

The written examination must be within the candidate’s declared field of specialization. The written examination evaluator will decide if this is the case. If the evaluator is unsure about the field, he/she/they will refer the written examination back to the candidate’s language coordinator (LC) for a decision. In case of dispute, the EATA supervising examiner will make the final decision (SE).

8.A.1.4 Language and translation

The written examination can be written in any language, for which there are examiners available. There is no requirement to translate it for the oral examination.

8.A.1.5 Anonymity

The written examination must be anonymous. This is the candidate’s responsibility. There must be no indication in the text that might allow the candidate, principal supervisor (PS) or trainers to be identified. This requirement is to protect the candidate. If the candidate explicitly identifies his/her/their training institute or trainer in his/her/their written exam, the exam will automatically be returned to the candidate.

The identity of a psychotherapy or counselling case study client must be disguised. Anonymity must be preserved in all areas. It is the responsibility of both the candidate and the PS to make sure that permission has been obtained to use the clinical or case material used for the written exam.

8.A.1.6 Total length

English and German language written examinations have a maximum word limit of 24,000. French and Italian language written examination have a maximum word limit of 26,500. Other language equivalents cannot exceed the maximum word limit of 26,000.

Changes can be suggested by LCs and will be decided by the Professional Training Standards Committee (PTSC). The candidate, on sending the LC his/her/their written examination, has to also send a signed statement of the number of words in their written exam.

Diagrams and the bibliography may be included in the written examination in addition to the word limit. In special cases the LC may give permission also for an appendix to be included; such an appendix may only be, for example, clarification of a work context or project. It must not contain information that would normally be included in the exam itself and would form part of the formal evaluation.

8.A.1.7 Presentation

The written examination must be:

• Word processed using font type: Arial or other accessible font, size 12.
• A complete reference list of all concepts and authors cited in the exam must be included. A bibliography to indicate other reading and research that has informed the case study and other theories and approaches, that have influenced the candidate, may also be given separately.
• Either the Harvard or APA style of referencing should be used.
• Written double‑spaced throughout, the bibliography and any transcripts may be single‑spaced.
• Professionally presented.
• The word count has to be declared on the front page of the exam.
• The field of the candidate has to be clearly identified on the front page.

Candidate must ensure that there is a consistency between the way he/she/they uses and comments on TA theory, literature and the processes described throughout.

Each page should:

• Have good margins.
• Be numbered consecutively throughout the examination document.

8.A.1.8 Scoring for each section and final evaluation

All parts of the written examination must be answered. The sections are weighted as follows: A = 20%; B = 10%; C = 35% and D = 35%. An overall percentage score of 100% would indicate a faultless pass. The written examination will be deferred if the total score is less than 65% or if it does not meet the requirements set out in 8.6.2.

8.A.2 The Psychotherapy Written Examination

Candidates need to refer to the core competences (see Section 2) on which the exam will be assessed, they also need to make sure to include evidence of them throughout the exam, as well as ensure that the presentation is coherent and has a clear structure.

The answers to the following questions should be as concise as possible.

8.A.2.1 Section A. Professional self‑portrayal

This part of the Written Examination is worth 20% of the total marks.

1. What is your professional title?
   • Describe the place where you work or your work setting.
   • What is your job description?
   • Who are your colleagues?
   • What is your place within the organization?
   • Who are your patients or clients?
   • Who refers them?
   • What different categories of diagnosis you work with?
2. Describe the main focus of your professional practice and what contribution TA makes to your work.
3. Describe your legal status and say how far you fulfil conditions for work as psychotherapist, as they are laid down in your country’s/state’s laws, statutes and regulations.
   • How do you protect yourself and your clients?
   • Describe the clients with whom you would refuse to work and say why
   • What arrangements do you have for referral of these clients to other professionals?
   • If you are not a medical doctor, what consultation arrangements do you have to provide medical evidence and back‑up?
   • What are the criteria by which you determine if such a medical consultation is necessary?

8.A.2.2 Section B. Candidate’s Learning experience gained during TA training and personal development

This part of the written examination is worth 10% of the total marks.

1. Describe the importance of TA in your professional development and how it has influenced you professionally.
2. When and why did you choose to undertake TA training, and with what purpose in mind?
3. How has this impacted your career pathway, if at all?
4. What challenging experiences have you had while learning/using TA? How have they impacted your personal development?
5. How have these experiences influenced the development of your professional identity as a psychotherapist and as a TA practitioner in your chosen field?

8.A.2.3 Section C. The Pragmatic Research Case Study

This part of the written examination is worth 35% of the total marks.

Candidates may choose as an option to present their case study as a Pragmatic Research Case Study using the pragmatic case study research method (Fishman see 8.A.2.3.10) Candidates choosing this option are invited to use the guidelines for writing a pragmatic research case study, as reported in the Journal PCSP at the following link: https://pcsp.nationalregister.org/index.php/pcsp/how-to-write-case-study

The information on the client does not necessarily have to be presented in the order given below, but it is important that the candidate ensures that the case study is coherent. Provide information under each heading only if it is relevant, e.g. give information on developmental history only if this is important in your case study.

In your description of the psychotherapy it is of paramount importance to clearly show your process and your role as a psychotherapist. The description should concentrate not only on the client in the course of psychotherapy but on the relationship between you and the client and on your response to the client. Show clearly how your interventions and the client’s process are related.

8.A.2.3.1 Include the following:

1. Relevant personal details of the client, including:
   a. Age.
   b. Gender.
   c. Marital status.
   d. Current family members.
   e. Job status.
   f. Social relationships
2. Context of referral:
   a. Referral agency.
   b. Reason for referral.
3. At your initial meeting:
   a. What problems did the client present to you?
   b. What was the mental and physical condition of the client?
   c. What was his\her professional situation?
   d. What was your initial or assumed diagnosis?
4. Give historical information about your client in the following areas:
   a. Family.
   b. Development.
   c. Medical.
   d. Sexual relationships.
   e. Significant relationships.
   f. Education.
   g. Work and employment.
5. What was the initial agreement or contract between you and the client?
6. Your diagnosis:
   a. Give a diagnosis based on transactional analysis, analysing the client’s present situation using two or three TA concepts.
   b. Give a diagnosis on the basis of a non‑TA system that is familiar to you, for example from the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or The International Classification of Diseases.
   c. Describe how you arrived at this diagnosis, and show how you made differential diagnoses to exclude other options.
7. Define the presenting problem, making a clear distinction between your understanding and your client’s point of view.
8. What was the final treatment contract between you and your client?
9. Treatment plan:
   a. Describe your overall treatment plan, referring to your diagnosis of the client.
   b. What did you envisage to be the stages and final goal of your treatment?

10. The Research Process

Please include the answers to the following questions in the description of your Pragmatic Research case study:

• What made you decide to carry out a Research Case Study?
• How did you apply the research protocol to your personal style?
• Why did you decide to include that client in the research protocol? (What are the client’s characteristics, the problem evidenced, the previous literature you considered).
• Discuss the contract you made with your client, considering his/her/their inclusion in the research protocol.
• Provide examples of your interaction with the client, verbatim transcripts included, focusing in particular on your significant interventions and on his/her/their reactions.
• Describe the difficulties you experienced with transference and counter transference phenomena in the relationship with your client.
• Provide a description of your use of supervision.
• Your client needs to consent to the case study and may have an opportunity to read it or read the analysis. The case study would be publishable. In relation to the above discuss and comment the ethical issues involved in considering the EATA Code of Ethics, the Personal Data Regulation (GDPR) and the laws of your country. Ethical approval from the relevant institution should be provided where needed.
• Do you think you can apply again the protocol you chose in the future, or not? Explain the reasons in both cases.
• There are many types of research: discuss which different methodologies you could have applied to your case and specify reasons why you could choose one of them.
• Besides the chosen approach (PRCS) are there other methodologies and/or strategies that could have contributed to the outcome?
• How was therapy adequate for the client?
• How many times did you have to reconsider the therapy plan, the contract and why?
• What were the outcomes of the research?
• What strategies and methods contributed to the outcome?
• Could you have followed a different path than the one you chose? If so, which one would you have chosen?
• What are the principles of good practice that can be deducted from that case?
• How did you monitor your research, what feedback, if any did you receive from your supervisor and how did you use it?
• Regarding your client, briefly discuss the concept of cure. Connect the chosen interventions with your research protocol and your ideas about cure. Use TA theory and previous literature on your research to evaluate your outcomes.
• Comment on the negative results of your Case Study Research. If you don’t have any, explain what strategies you have adopted to avoid them.
• Attach the research protocol to this CTA written exam (it won’t be counted in the maximum number of words permitted).
• Use Fishman Pragmatic Case Research approach in collecting data related to your client. “The pragmatic case study method for creating rigorous and systematic, practitioner‑friendly research”. Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy, 9(4), Article 2, 403‑425 (2013).

11. Prognosis

• How do you evaluate the changes for your client?
• What is your prognosis?

12. Concluding remarks
Describe your learning experience during your work with this client.

8.A.2.4 Section D. Questions on theory and literature

This part of the written examination is worth 35% of the total marks.

Guidelines

The purpose of this section is to demonstrate your theoretical understanding of TA concepts and models. It is also for you to demonstrate as well your ability to conceptualise a case study according to the Pragmatic Case Study Research methodology. You are required to answer six questions from the list provided below. Theoretical presentation means providing a definition and description of the general concept leading to an analysis and explanation of its use, and showing connections, where appropriate, to other TA concepts. It is also expected that examples illustrating specific concepts will be provided to extend your explanation.

Candidates have the option to choose the clients they wish to discuss in their Section D. This can be the Section C case study client or any other client they have worked with. Where necessary additional illustrative material can be used and must be taken from within the psychotherapy field. All examples are to be set out briefly and concisely.

There are two ways in which you can present your responses to the six questions, all of which are designed to integrate coherently with the project study in Section C. The important point is to be clear at the outset of your study where and how the six theoretical questions will be answered. Here are the two options:

1. The responses can be set out as a separate section.
2. The responses can be set out separately within Section C as an extended commentary on a specific theme.

A combination of these is possible, for example two responses provided as an extended commentary and four responses as an appendix. Regarding option 2 it is important to alert the reader exactly where the response begins and ends in Section C.

Finally, it is important that there is coherence and consistency in your treatment of the theory questions, example material used and where appropriate, the Section C narrative.

The Questions

1. Describe your personal style of transactional analysis psychotherapy, referring, comparing, contrasting and critiquing the major approaches and those concepts you emphasize.
2. Describe an aspect of recent developments (within the last 10‑15 years) in transactional analysis theory. How do you evaluate it and how has it influenced your thinking and practice?
3. What does psychotherapeutic change mean to you? What TA concepts do you use to facilitate this?
4. Discuss the benefits of formulating an overall treatment plan of the psychotherapeutic process? What do you take into account when you are planning stages?
5. What TA concepts do you use to diagnose or assess your clients, and how does this influence the way you work with different types of client’s presentation?
6. What TA concepts do you use to understand the origin of psychological problems? Show how this relates to your ideas on psychological wellbeing or cure
7. Describe how you understand the psychotherapeutic relationship Show how this relates to TA concepts, and how it influences the way you work.
8. What model(s) or concepts do you use to understand intrapsychic process, and how does this influence the way you work?
9. What model(s) or concepts do you use to understand interpersonal relationships and communication and how does this influence the way you work?
10. How do you use contracting to enhance the psychotherapeutic process?
11. What concepts do you use to work with couples, families or groups and how do they inform the way you work?
12. Choose a topic or issue in psychotherapy you would like to deal with theoretically using TA concepts and show how this influences your work.
13. Describe a research project you are aware of or have been involved in and discuss the implications for transactional analysis theory and/or practice.
14. Describe the advantages of using the pragmatic research case study approach in psychotherapy

8.A.3 Evaluating and Scoring the Written Examination

See Section 8.6 Evaluating and Scoring the Written Examination (including guidelines, assessment and procedures).

8.A.4 Appeals procedures for the Written Examination

See Section 8.7 Appeals procedures for the Written Examination.

8.A.5 The dyslexia policy

See Section 8.8 The dyslexia policy, including:
8.A.5.1 The Effects of Dyslexia
8.A.5.2 Guidelines for evaluators