People coping with death often experience certain identifiable stages of emotions. In which of the following orders do these emotional stages generally occur?

• A. Neither I nor II
• B. I only
• C. Both I and II
• D. II only

Answer: (A)

Grief stages aren’t a fixed script. Although a five-stage model (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) is often taught, people don’t experience these in a strict order. They can move through several stages simultaneously, revisit earlier feelings, skip some stages, or experience them in a different sequence altogether. Because of this variability, there isn’t a single universally correct order that applies to everyone. That’s why the best choice is to recognize that neither of the proposed sequences can be considered generally accurate.