NCC Electronic Fetal Monitoring
Certification Exam Questions and
Answers Updated 2026/2027 Version |
Verified Answers
1. The expected response of the fetal heart rate to active fetal movement of a
31-week gestational age fetus is:
a. Suppression of normal short term variability for 15 seconds
b. Acceleration of at least 15 beats per minute for 15 seconds
c. Acceleration followed by a 15-second deceleration of the heart rate
d. Acceleration of at least 10 beats per minute for 10 seconds -
ANSWER ✅ d. Acceleration of at least 10 beats per minute for 10
seconds
2. The nurse notes a pattern of variable decelerations to 75 bpm on the fetal
monitor. The initial nursing action is to:
a. Reposition the woman
b. Administer oxygen
c. Increase the intravenous fluid infusion
d. Stimulate the fetal scalp - ANSWER ✅ a. Reposition the woman
3. The tocotransducer should be placed:
a. In the suprapubic area
b. In the fundal area
c. Over the xiphoid process
d. Within the uterus - ANSWER ✅ b. In the fundal area
,4. The nurse notes a pattern of decelerations on the fetal monitor that begins
shortly after the contraction and returns to baseline just before the
contraction is over. The correct nursing response is to:
a. Give the woman oxygen by facemask at 8-10 L/min
b. Position the woman on her opposite side
c. Increase the rate of the woman's intravenous fluid
d. Continue to observe and record the normal pattern - ANSWER ✅ d.
Continue to observe and record the normal pattern
5. Determining the FHR baseline requires the nurse to approximate the mean
FHR rounded to increments of 5 bpm during a ___-minute window
(excluding accelerations and decelerations).
A. 2
B. 5
C. 10
D. 20 - ANSWER ✅ C. 10
6. Uterine tachysystole is observed when there are
A. 5 or more contractions in 10 min
B. 6 or more contractions in 10 min
C. 10 or more contractions in 10 min
D. 7 or more contractions in 10 min - ANSWER ✅ B. 6 or more
contractions in 10 min
7. Which of the following interventions would best stimulate an acceleration in
the FHR?
A. Provide juice to patient
B. Perform vaginal exam
C. Turn patient on left side
D. Vibroacoustic stimulation - ANSWER ✅ B. Perform vaginal
exam
8. Assessment of the _____ is an indirect measurement of fetal oxygenation.
, A. Fetal heart rate
B. Fetal scalp sampling
C. Uterine activity
D. Direct Coombs - ANSWER ✅ A. Fetal heart rate
9. T/F: Intrauterine pressure catheters (IUPCs) do not increase risk for
infection when placed on patients with intact membranes. - ANSWER ✅
False
Membranes must be ruptured for use; infection is a risk
10.What are abnormal fetal heart rate tracings predictive of?
A. Likelihood of spontaneous vaginal delivery
B. Newborn condition at time of delivery
C. Fetal acid-base abnormalities
D. Fetal intrauterine growth - ANSWER ✅ C. Fetal acid-base
abnormalities
11.Which of the following is not an intervention that should be implemented in
a patient with uterine tachysystole?
A. Administer terbutaline
B. Increase IV fluid rate
C. Decrease or discontinue IV oxytocin
D. Prepare patient for cesarean section - ANSWER ✅ D. Prepare
patient for cesarean section
12.Which of the following is most effective in determining the strength of a
patient's contractions?
A. Patient report
B. Tocodynanamometer tracing
C. RN palpation
D. Sterile vaginal exam during a contraction - ANSWER ✅ C.
RN palpation
, 13.The FHR is controlled by the
A. Sympathetic nervous system
B. Sinoatrial node
C. Atrioventricular node
D. Parasympathetic nervous system - ANSWER ✅ B. Sinoatrial
node
14.How do baseline heart rates differ in premature fetuses?
A. They are often lower
B. They are often higher
C. They are less likely to have decelerations
D. They experience longer accelerations - ANSWER ✅ B. They
are often higher
15.T/F: If etiology of fetal tachycardia is secondary to extrauterine infection,
FHR will return to normal as maternal fever resolves. - ANSWER ✅ True
16.T/F: Fetal tachycardia is a normal compensatory response to transient fetal
hypoxemia. - ANSWER ✅ True
17.Fetal heart rate bradycardia is defined as
A. FHR <110bpm lasting 10 min or greater
B. FHR <110bpm lasting 2 min or greater
C. FHR <110bpm lasting 20 min or greater - ANSWER ✅ A.
FHR <110bpm lasting 10 min or greater
18._______ variability warrants cesarean section delivery.
A. Minimal
B. Moderate
C. Marked
Certification Exam Questions and
Answers Updated 2026/2027 Version |
Verified Answers
1. The expected response of the fetal heart rate to active fetal movement of a
31-week gestational age fetus is:
a. Suppression of normal short term variability for 15 seconds
b. Acceleration of at least 15 beats per minute for 15 seconds
c. Acceleration followed by a 15-second deceleration of the heart rate
d. Acceleration of at least 10 beats per minute for 10 seconds -
ANSWER ✅ d. Acceleration of at least 10 beats per minute for 10
seconds
2. The nurse notes a pattern of variable decelerations to 75 bpm on the fetal
monitor. The initial nursing action is to:
a. Reposition the woman
b. Administer oxygen
c. Increase the intravenous fluid infusion
d. Stimulate the fetal scalp - ANSWER ✅ a. Reposition the woman
3. The tocotransducer should be placed:
a. In the suprapubic area
b. In the fundal area
c. Over the xiphoid process
d. Within the uterus - ANSWER ✅ b. In the fundal area
,4. The nurse notes a pattern of decelerations on the fetal monitor that begins
shortly after the contraction and returns to baseline just before the
contraction is over. The correct nursing response is to:
a. Give the woman oxygen by facemask at 8-10 L/min
b. Position the woman on her opposite side
c. Increase the rate of the woman's intravenous fluid
d. Continue to observe and record the normal pattern - ANSWER ✅ d.
Continue to observe and record the normal pattern
5. Determining the FHR baseline requires the nurse to approximate the mean
FHR rounded to increments of 5 bpm during a ___-minute window
(excluding accelerations and decelerations).
A. 2
B. 5
C. 10
D. 20 - ANSWER ✅ C. 10
6. Uterine tachysystole is observed when there are
A. 5 or more contractions in 10 min
B. 6 or more contractions in 10 min
C. 10 or more contractions in 10 min
D. 7 or more contractions in 10 min - ANSWER ✅ B. 6 or more
contractions in 10 min
7. Which of the following interventions would best stimulate an acceleration in
the FHR?
A. Provide juice to patient
B. Perform vaginal exam
C. Turn patient on left side
D. Vibroacoustic stimulation - ANSWER ✅ B. Perform vaginal
exam
8. Assessment of the _____ is an indirect measurement of fetal oxygenation.
, A. Fetal heart rate
B. Fetal scalp sampling
C. Uterine activity
D. Direct Coombs - ANSWER ✅ A. Fetal heart rate
9. T/F: Intrauterine pressure catheters (IUPCs) do not increase risk for
infection when placed on patients with intact membranes. - ANSWER ✅
False
Membranes must be ruptured for use; infection is a risk
10.What are abnormal fetal heart rate tracings predictive of?
A. Likelihood of spontaneous vaginal delivery
B. Newborn condition at time of delivery
C. Fetal acid-base abnormalities
D. Fetal intrauterine growth - ANSWER ✅ C. Fetal acid-base
abnormalities
11.Which of the following is not an intervention that should be implemented in
a patient with uterine tachysystole?
A. Administer terbutaline
B. Increase IV fluid rate
C. Decrease or discontinue IV oxytocin
D. Prepare patient for cesarean section - ANSWER ✅ D. Prepare
patient for cesarean section
12.Which of the following is most effective in determining the strength of a
patient's contractions?
A. Patient report
B. Tocodynanamometer tracing
C. RN palpation
D. Sterile vaginal exam during a contraction - ANSWER ✅ C.
RN palpation
, 13.The FHR is controlled by the
A. Sympathetic nervous system
B. Sinoatrial node
C. Atrioventricular node
D. Parasympathetic nervous system - ANSWER ✅ B. Sinoatrial
node
14.How do baseline heart rates differ in premature fetuses?
A. They are often lower
B. They are often higher
C. They are less likely to have decelerations
D. They experience longer accelerations - ANSWER ✅ B. They
are often higher
15.T/F: If etiology of fetal tachycardia is secondary to extrauterine infection,
FHR will return to normal as maternal fever resolves. - ANSWER ✅ True
16.T/F: Fetal tachycardia is a normal compensatory response to transient fetal
hypoxemia. - ANSWER ✅ True
17.Fetal heart rate bradycardia is defined as
A. FHR <110bpm lasting 10 min or greater
B. FHR <110bpm lasting 2 min or greater
C. FHR <110bpm lasting 20 min or greater - ANSWER ✅ A.
FHR <110bpm lasting 10 min or greater
18._______ variability warrants cesarean section delivery.
A. Minimal
B. Moderate
C. Marked
