IRCEP's purpose includes approving international counseling programs and what else?

• A. Creating standards
• B. Providing licensure
• C. Hiring counselors
• D. Accrediting universities

Answer: (A)

This question tests how accreditation bodies work in education. Accrediting organizations like IRCEP establish benchmarks that define what a quality counseling education should look like. They don’t just evaluate programs; they set the standards programs must meet, covering aspects like curriculum content, faculty qualifications, and expected student outcomes. When IRCEP approves international counseling programs, it’s because those programs align with the standards they’ve created, ensuring a consistent level of quality across different countries.

Licensure, by contrast, is a separate legal process that allows a person to practice in a specific jurisdiction. It’s not about approving or setting standards for education programs. Hiring counselors is an organizational staffing decision and not a function of an accrediting body. Accrediting a university is a broader institutional accreditation task, whereas IRCEP’s focus is on program-level approval and the standards that define program quality.