1
EMT FINAL EXAM JBLEARNING ACTUAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
VERSIONS A, B AND C
Version A (Questions 1–50)
1. When assessing a conscious patient who overdosed on a drug, you should FIRST determine:
A) the patient’s weight in kg.
B) the type of medication ingested.
C) when the medication was ingested.
D) if there is a history of prior overdose.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Identifying the substance guides treatment and toxicity management.
2. While triaging patients at a mass-casualty incident, you encounter a 4-year-old child who is breathing
at a rate of 54 breaths/min. What should you do?
A) Apply high-flow oxygen
B) Tag the child as immediate
C) Assess for distal pulses
D) Ventilate with a bag-mask device
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – For a child, a respiratory rate >45/min is an abnormal finding and
indicates an immediate (red) triage category.
3. A prolapsed umbilical cord is dangerous because the:
A) cord might pull the placenta from the uterine wall during delivery.
B) mother may die of hypoxia due to compromised placental blood flow.
C) cord may be wrapped around the baby’s neck, causing strangulation.
D) baby’s head may compress the cord, cutting off its supply of oxygen.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ D – The presenting part compresses the cord, causing fetal hypoxia.
4. Your assessment of the newborn reveals a patent airway, adequate breathing, a heart rate of 130
beats/min. Her face and trunk are pink, but her hands and feet are cyanotic. You have clamped and cut
the cord, but the placenta has not yet delivered. You should:
A) massage the lower part of the mother’s uterus.
,2
B) give the newborn high-flow oxygen.
C) reassess the newborn every 5 minutes and transport after the placenta delivers.
D) keep the newborn warm, give oxygen to the mother if needed, and transport.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ D – Acrocyanosis is normal; do not delay transport for placental delivery.
5. A patient overdosed on several drugs and is unresponsive with shallow breathing and facial cyanosis.
As you continue your assessment, the patient suddenly vomits. You should:
A) suction his oropharynx at once.
B) turn the patient onto his side.
C) insert an oropharyngeal airway.
D) begin assisting his ventilations.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Turning to a lateral recumbent position allows vomit to drain and
prevents aspiration.
6. A known diabetic female is found unresponsive. Her respirations are rapid and shallow; her skin is
cool, clammy, and pale; and her pulse is rapid and weak. Which BEST explains the likely cause?
A) Insulin overdose
B) Excessive eating
C) High blood sugar
D) Failure to take insulin
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ A – Cool, clammy skin and unresponsiveness are classic for hypoglycemia
(insulin overdose).
7. A 29-year-old pregnant female complains of a severe headache, blurred vision, and swelling of her
hands and feet. Which additional finding would the EMT MOST likely encounter?
A) Hypertension
B) Hyperglycemia
C) Abdominal pain
D) Vaginal bleeding
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ A – These are signs of preeclampsia, which includes hypertension.
8. In which position would you expect a patient with severe dyspnea to be found?
A) Prone
B) Supine
C) Fowler’s
D) Lateral recumbent
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ C – Fowler’s position (sitting upright) eases breathing.
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9. You are caring for a man with terminal cancer when his caretaker presents you with a Physician Order
for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. The purpose of this form is to:
A) advise that resuscitation is not to be attempted.
B) describe acceptable patient interventions in the form of medical orders.
C) enable the caretaker to make healthcare decisions.
D) limit the treatment provided to basic life support.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – A POLST translates the patient’s wishes into actionable medical
orders.
10. A 73-year-old male presents with confusion; cool, pale, clammy skin; absent radial pulses; and a
blood pressure of 70/40 mm Hg. His wife states he has had abdominal pain for a week and began
vomiting coffee-ground material. What is the priority?
A) Rapidly transport.
B) Obtain a full set of vital signs.
C) Perform a secondary exam.
D) Obtain a SAMPLE history.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ A – The patient is in decompensated shock; rapid transport is critical.
11. Assessment of an injured man reveals he opens his eyes when you speak, pulls his arm away when
you palpate it, knows his name, but cannot remember what happened and does not know the day. His
GCS score is:
A) 9
B) 10
C) 11
D) 12
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ C – Eye 3 (to voice) + Motor 5 (localizes to pain) + Verbal 3 (inappropriate
words) = 11.
12. You are performing abdominal thrusts on a 19-year-old male with a severe airway obstruction when
he becomes unresponsive. After lowering him to the ground, you should:
A) open his airway and look inside his mouth.
B) begin CPR, starting with chest compressions.
C) continue abdominal thrusts.
D) assess for a carotid pulse for up to 10 seconds.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Begin CPR; chest compressions can help dislodge the object.
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13. A 31-year-old man presents with uncontrolled twitching of his left arm that began shortly after he
experienced an odd taste in his mouth. He denies loss of consciousness. What should you suspect?
A) Absence seizure
B) Generalized seizure
C) Simple partial seizure
D) Complex partial seizure
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ C – Focal motor activity with no loss of consciousness is a simple partial
seizure.
14. Which of the following is the MOST reliable indicator of a fractured spinal vertebra?
A) Lack of pain at the injury site
B) Palpable pain at the site of the injury
C) Decreased movement on one side of the body
D) Decreased grip strength
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Tenderness on palpation over a vertebra is a key finding for possible
fracture.
15. When treating a patient with chest pain, you should FIRST:
A) administer supplemental oxygen.
B) place the patient in a position of comfort.
C) request an ALS ambulance.
D) assess the blood pressure and give nitroglycerin.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Positioning for comfort reduces anxiety and cardiac workload.
16. Upon assessing a newborn, you note the infant is breathing spontaneously and has a heart rate of 80
beats/min. What should you do?
A) Initiate positive-pressure ventilations
B) Provide blow-by oxygen
C) Assess the newborn’s skin condition
D) Start chest compressions
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ A – A newborn heart rate <100 bpm requires positive-pressure
ventilation.
17. Which structure is the primary pacemaker of the heart?
A) Bundle of His
B) Purkinje fibers
EMT FINAL EXAM JBLEARNING ACTUAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS
VERSIONS A, B AND C
Version A (Questions 1–50)
1. When assessing a conscious patient who overdosed on a drug, you should FIRST determine:
A) the patient’s weight in kg.
B) the type of medication ingested.
C) when the medication was ingested.
D) if there is a history of prior overdose.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Identifying the substance guides treatment and toxicity management.
2. While triaging patients at a mass-casualty incident, you encounter a 4-year-old child who is breathing
at a rate of 54 breaths/min. What should you do?
A) Apply high-flow oxygen
B) Tag the child as immediate
C) Assess for distal pulses
D) Ventilate with a bag-mask device
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – For a child, a respiratory rate >45/min is an abnormal finding and
indicates an immediate (red) triage category.
3. A prolapsed umbilical cord is dangerous because the:
A) cord might pull the placenta from the uterine wall during delivery.
B) mother may die of hypoxia due to compromised placental blood flow.
C) cord may be wrapped around the baby’s neck, causing strangulation.
D) baby’s head may compress the cord, cutting off its supply of oxygen.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ D – The presenting part compresses the cord, causing fetal hypoxia.
4. Your assessment of the newborn reveals a patent airway, adequate breathing, a heart rate of 130
beats/min. Her face and trunk are pink, but her hands and feet are cyanotic. You have clamped and cut
the cord, but the placenta has not yet delivered. You should:
A) massage the lower part of the mother’s uterus.
,2
B) give the newborn high-flow oxygen.
C) reassess the newborn every 5 minutes and transport after the placenta delivers.
D) keep the newborn warm, give oxygen to the mother if needed, and transport.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ D – Acrocyanosis is normal; do not delay transport for placental delivery.
5. A patient overdosed on several drugs and is unresponsive with shallow breathing and facial cyanosis.
As you continue your assessment, the patient suddenly vomits. You should:
A) suction his oropharynx at once.
B) turn the patient onto his side.
C) insert an oropharyngeal airway.
D) begin assisting his ventilations.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Turning to a lateral recumbent position allows vomit to drain and
prevents aspiration.
6. A known diabetic female is found unresponsive. Her respirations are rapid and shallow; her skin is
cool, clammy, and pale; and her pulse is rapid and weak. Which BEST explains the likely cause?
A) Insulin overdose
B) Excessive eating
C) High blood sugar
D) Failure to take insulin
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ A – Cool, clammy skin and unresponsiveness are classic for hypoglycemia
(insulin overdose).
7. A 29-year-old pregnant female complains of a severe headache, blurred vision, and swelling of her
hands and feet. Which additional finding would the EMT MOST likely encounter?
A) Hypertension
B) Hyperglycemia
C) Abdominal pain
D) Vaginal bleeding
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ A – These are signs of preeclampsia, which includes hypertension.
8. In which position would you expect a patient with severe dyspnea to be found?
A) Prone
B) Supine
C) Fowler’s
D) Lateral recumbent
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ C – Fowler’s position (sitting upright) eases breathing.
,3
9. You are caring for a man with terminal cancer when his caretaker presents you with a Physician Order
for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form. The purpose of this form is to:
A) advise that resuscitation is not to be attempted.
B) describe acceptable patient interventions in the form of medical orders.
C) enable the caretaker to make healthcare decisions.
D) limit the treatment provided to basic life support.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – A POLST translates the patient’s wishes into actionable medical
orders.
10. A 73-year-old male presents with confusion; cool, pale, clammy skin; absent radial pulses; and a
blood pressure of 70/40 mm Hg. His wife states he has had abdominal pain for a week and began
vomiting coffee-ground material. What is the priority?
A) Rapidly transport.
B) Obtain a full set of vital signs.
C) Perform a secondary exam.
D) Obtain a SAMPLE history.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ A – The patient is in decompensated shock; rapid transport is critical.
11. Assessment of an injured man reveals he opens his eyes when you speak, pulls his arm away when
you palpate it, knows his name, but cannot remember what happened and does not know the day. His
GCS score is:
A) 9
B) 10
C) 11
D) 12
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ C – Eye 3 (to voice) + Motor 5 (localizes to pain) + Verbal 3 (inappropriate
words) = 11.
12. You are performing abdominal thrusts on a 19-year-old male with a severe airway obstruction when
he becomes unresponsive. After lowering him to the ground, you should:
A) open his airway and look inside his mouth.
B) begin CPR, starting with chest compressions.
C) continue abdominal thrusts.
D) assess for a carotid pulse for up to 10 seconds.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Begin CPR; chest compressions can help dislodge the object.
, 4
13. A 31-year-old man presents with uncontrolled twitching of his left arm that began shortly after he
experienced an odd taste in his mouth. He denies loss of consciousness. What should you suspect?
A) Absence seizure
B) Generalized seizure
C) Simple partial seizure
D) Complex partial seizure
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ C – Focal motor activity with no loss of consciousness is a simple partial
seizure.
14. Which of the following is the MOST reliable indicator of a fractured spinal vertebra?
A) Lack of pain at the injury site
B) Palpable pain at the site of the injury
C) Decreased movement on one side of the body
D) Decreased grip strength
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Tenderness on palpation over a vertebra is a key finding for possible
fracture.
15. When treating a patient with chest pain, you should FIRST:
A) administer supplemental oxygen.
B) place the patient in a position of comfort.
C) request an ALS ambulance.
D) assess the blood pressure and give nitroglycerin.
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ B – Positioning for comfort reduces anxiety and cardiac workload.
16. Upon assessing a newborn, you note the infant is breathing spontaneously and has a heart rate of 80
beats/min. What should you do?
A) Initiate positive-pressure ventilations
B) Provide blow-by oxygen
C) Assess the newborn’s skin condition
D) Start chest compressions
✔✔ Correct Answer ✔✔ A – A newborn heart rate <100 bpm requires positive-pressure
ventilation.
17. Which structure is the primary pacemaker of the heart?
A) Bundle of His
B) Purkinje fibers
