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Certified Medical Assistant — Practice Exam

Patient preparation and examinations: practice questions

Our Medical Assistant bank has 37 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.

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Question 1

When is a tuberculin skin test read?

  1. 1 week after it is placed
  2. 48 to 72 hours after it is placed
  3. 15 to 30 minutes after it is placed
  4. Immediately after the injection
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B. 48 to 72 hours after it is placed — The induration (raised area) is measured in millimetres, not the redness.

Question 2

What is the purpose of a tuberculin skin test (Mantoux)?

  1. To test immunity to measles, mumps and rubella
  2. To check for an allergy to penicillin
  3. To diagnose an active flu infection
  4. To screen for exposure to tuberculosis
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D. To screen for exposure to tuberculosis — PPD is injected intradermally.

Question 3

What is the medical assistant's role in a physical examination?

  1. Prescribe medication after the provider leaves the room
  2. Interpret the test results and tell the patient the diagnosis before the provider arrives
  3. Prepare the room and patient, take vitals, and assist the provider
  4. Diagnose the patient's condition and order the tests
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C. Prepare the room and patient, take vitals, and assist the provider — Diagnosis and prescribing are outside the MA's scope.

Question 4

Which information belongs in the 'subjective' part of a SOAP note?

  1. The treatment plan and follow-up orders
  2. What the patient reports, such as symptoms and history
  3. Measured vital signs and the provider's physical examination findings
  4. The provider's diagnosis and assessment
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B. What the patient reports, such as symptoms and history — Objective data are measured or observed.

Question 5

Which instrument is used to examine the interior of the eye?

  1. Otoscope
  2. Sphygmomanometer
  3. Ophthalmoscope
  4. Laryngoscope
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C. Ophthalmoscope — It shows the retina and optic disc.

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