NR 511 CEA Exam Prep 2026: High-Scoring Practice Questions with
Simplified Explanations
Your 22 year old male patient states during his review of systems thathis scrotum is very enlarged and
feels like it is full a powerlifter and works as a trash collector. You suspect the patient likely has which of
the following diagnoses?
A -Varicocele
B -Meningocele
C -Rectocele
D -Hydrocele - (ANSWER)A -Varicocele
The point of maximum impulse (PMI) is MOST often palpable in healthy adults when positioned in the
supine or left lateral decubitus position. Which one of the following locations is most commonly
described as the PMI in a healthy adult?
A -Left 2nd intercostal space, midaxillary line
B -Left 5th intercostal space, midclavicular line
C -Right 4th intercostal space, midaxillary line
D -Right 2nd intercostal space, midclavicular line - (ANSWER)B -Left 5th intercostal space, midclavicular
line
A40 year old, female, African American patient presents for history and physical. Upon your initial
assessment, you notice she has severe exophthalmos as pictured below. Which one of the following
diagnoses below would be the highest on your differential diagnose of this physical examination finding?
A -Bilateral conjunctivitis
B -Hyperthyroidism
C -hypothyroidism
D -Myexedma - (ANSWER)B -Hyperthyroidism
Your patient with a suspected diagnosis of COPD has been seen by pulmonology and has underwent a
pulmonary function test (PFT) with spirometry. As the patient's primary healthcare provider, you have
been asked to explain the findings of the PFT to the patient in afollow-up visit at which time the patient
asks what the study was evaluating. To describe the PFT to the patient in more useful terms, you state
that the large inspiration of air to the furthest extent they could reasonably accomplish followed by a full
exhalation is referred to as which of the following measurements during the PFT?
,NR 511 CEA Exam Prep 2026: High-Scoring Practice Questions with
Simplified Explanations
A -Forced Expiratory Volume over 1 second (FEV1)
B -Functional Reserve Capacity
C -Inspiratory Reserve
D -Forced Vital Capacity - (ANSWER)D -Forced vital capacity
Your patient has a diagnosis of Addison's disease. Which of the following might you expect to find during
examination?
A -Abdominal striae
B -Dowager hump
C -Low body temperature
D -Moon face - (ANSWER)B -Dowager hump
The nurse practitioner's evaluation of a patient with Diabetes Mellitus type 2 should include which of the
following while evaluating for end organ dysfunction of the disease?
A -Renal function panel
B -Urinalysis
C -Non-dilated eye exam
D -All of these are appropriate options - (ANSWER)D -All of these are appropriate options
During your visit with a 19 year old patient for a college health physical, your health history includes a
diagnosis of angioedema. What of the following parts of the body are were likely involved?
A -Isolated to the colon
B -Anywhere in the enteral tract
C -Chest
D -Face and Lips - (ANSWER)D -Face and Lips
Which of the following dermatologic lesions is precancerous and likely due to prolonged exposure to UV-
B?
,NR 511 CEA Exam Prep 2026: High-Scoring Practice Questions with
Simplified Explanations
A -Actinic Keratosis
B -Basal cell carcinoma
C -Verucca
D -Seborrheic dermatitis - (ANSWER)A -Actinic Keratosis
Based on your evaluation of ABCDE for melanoma, which of the following represents a suspicous
finding?
A -Irregular borders
B -Symmetrical nature
C -Brown color
D -Diameter of 0.4 cm - (ANSWER)A -Irregular borders
Your patient is complaining of hypersomnia, lack of motivation, weight gain, and anhedonia. Suspecting a
diagnosis of clinical depression, you anticipate the patient will benefit from treating their underlying
deficit of which of the following neurotransmitters?
A -GABA
B -Serotonin
C -Dobutamine
D -Glutamate - (ANSWER)B -Serotonin
As a prudent nurse practitioner, the diabetic, hypertensive patient you are seeing should be evaluated
for early evidence of renal damage from both diabetes and hypertension. Which of the following
assessment tools should the nurse practitioner order first for the evaluation of early renal dysfunction
secondary to diabetes or hypertension?
A -BUN/creatinine ratio
B -Urinalysis with micro/macro albumin
C -Renal biopsy
D -Urine sodium - (ANSWER)B -Urinalysis with micro/macro albumin
, NR 511 CEA Exam Prep 2026: High-Scoring Practice Questions with
Simplified Explanations
While evaluating a patient in your clinic for a routine health visit, you auscultate crackles in the poster
left lower lobe, have the patient cough, with follow-up auscultation revealing clear breath sounds. Which
one of the following would you suspect?
A -Congestive heart failure
B -Atelectasis
C -Laryngospasm
D -Bronchiactasis. - (ANSWER)B -Atelectasis
Your 39 year old patient who has recently been hospitalized for an appendectomy and is being seen in
your clinic for post-operative follow-up with primary care. On assessment, the patient complains of some
incisional pain and otherwise examination is normal, with the exception of dull percussion sounds noted
on the thorax over lung tissue. Which of the following diagnoses would be explained by this finding in
post-operative patient?
A -Left-sided heart failure
B -Chronic bronchitis
C -Atelectasis
D -Healthy patient with no coexising disease - (ANSWER)C -Atelectasis
You are evaluating a 41 year old female patient in your clinic with symptoms of right upper quadrant
pain which worsens with deep breathing. The patient exhibits a positive Murphy sign. These findings are
most consistent which one of the following?
A -Appendicitis
B -Cholecystitis
C -Crohn's flare
D -Pancreatitis - (ANSWER)B -Cholecystitis
In educating your patient about the non-pharmacologic management of gastroesophageal reflux disease,
you include teaching to the patient that their heartburn is aggravated by al of the following except which
one?
A -Activities including lifting or bending over
Simplified Explanations
Your 22 year old male patient states during his review of systems thathis scrotum is very enlarged and
feels like it is full a powerlifter and works as a trash collector. You suspect the patient likely has which of
the following diagnoses?
A -Varicocele
B -Meningocele
C -Rectocele
D -Hydrocele - (ANSWER)A -Varicocele
The point of maximum impulse (PMI) is MOST often palpable in healthy adults when positioned in the
supine or left lateral decubitus position. Which one of the following locations is most commonly
described as the PMI in a healthy adult?
A -Left 2nd intercostal space, midaxillary line
B -Left 5th intercostal space, midclavicular line
C -Right 4th intercostal space, midaxillary line
D -Right 2nd intercostal space, midclavicular line - (ANSWER)B -Left 5th intercostal space, midclavicular
line
A40 year old, female, African American patient presents for history and physical. Upon your initial
assessment, you notice she has severe exophthalmos as pictured below. Which one of the following
diagnoses below would be the highest on your differential diagnose of this physical examination finding?
A -Bilateral conjunctivitis
B -Hyperthyroidism
C -hypothyroidism
D -Myexedma - (ANSWER)B -Hyperthyroidism
Your patient with a suspected diagnosis of COPD has been seen by pulmonology and has underwent a
pulmonary function test (PFT) with spirometry. As the patient's primary healthcare provider, you have
been asked to explain the findings of the PFT to the patient in afollow-up visit at which time the patient
asks what the study was evaluating. To describe the PFT to the patient in more useful terms, you state
that the large inspiration of air to the furthest extent they could reasonably accomplish followed by a full
exhalation is referred to as which of the following measurements during the PFT?
,NR 511 CEA Exam Prep 2026: High-Scoring Practice Questions with
Simplified Explanations
A -Forced Expiratory Volume over 1 second (FEV1)
B -Functional Reserve Capacity
C -Inspiratory Reserve
D -Forced Vital Capacity - (ANSWER)D -Forced vital capacity
Your patient has a diagnosis of Addison's disease. Which of the following might you expect to find during
examination?
A -Abdominal striae
B -Dowager hump
C -Low body temperature
D -Moon face - (ANSWER)B -Dowager hump
The nurse practitioner's evaluation of a patient with Diabetes Mellitus type 2 should include which of the
following while evaluating for end organ dysfunction of the disease?
A -Renal function panel
B -Urinalysis
C -Non-dilated eye exam
D -All of these are appropriate options - (ANSWER)D -All of these are appropriate options
During your visit with a 19 year old patient for a college health physical, your health history includes a
diagnosis of angioedema. What of the following parts of the body are were likely involved?
A -Isolated to the colon
B -Anywhere in the enteral tract
C -Chest
D -Face and Lips - (ANSWER)D -Face and Lips
Which of the following dermatologic lesions is precancerous and likely due to prolonged exposure to UV-
B?
,NR 511 CEA Exam Prep 2026: High-Scoring Practice Questions with
Simplified Explanations
A -Actinic Keratosis
B -Basal cell carcinoma
C -Verucca
D -Seborrheic dermatitis - (ANSWER)A -Actinic Keratosis
Based on your evaluation of ABCDE for melanoma, which of the following represents a suspicous
finding?
A -Irregular borders
B -Symmetrical nature
C -Brown color
D -Diameter of 0.4 cm - (ANSWER)A -Irregular borders
Your patient is complaining of hypersomnia, lack of motivation, weight gain, and anhedonia. Suspecting a
diagnosis of clinical depression, you anticipate the patient will benefit from treating their underlying
deficit of which of the following neurotransmitters?
A -GABA
B -Serotonin
C -Dobutamine
D -Glutamate - (ANSWER)B -Serotonin
As a prudent nurse practitioner, the diabetic, hypertensive patient you are seeing should be evaluated
for early evidence of renal damage from both diabetes and hypertension. Which of the following
assessment tools should the nurse practitioner order first for the evaluation of early renal dysfunction
secondary to diabetes or hypertension?
A -BUN/creatinine ratio
B -Urinalysis with micro/macro albumin
C -Renal biopsy
D -Urine sodium - (ANSWER)B -Urinalysis with micro/macro albumin
, NR 511 CEA Exam Prep 2026: High-Scoring Practice Questions with
Simplified Explanations
While evaluating a patient in your clinic for a routine health visit, you auscultate crackles in the poster
left lower lobe, have the patient cough, with follow-up auscultation revealing clear breath sounds. Which
one of the following would you suspect?
A -Congestive heart failure
B -Atelectasis
C -Laryngospasm
D -Bronchiactasis. - (ANSWER)B -Atelectasis
Your 39 year old patient who has recently been hospitalized for an appendectomy and is being seen in
your clinic for post-operative follow-up with primary care. On assessment, the patient complains of some
incisional pain and otherwise examination is normal, with the exception of dull percussion sounds noted
on the thorax over lung tissue. Which of the following diagnoses would be explained by this finding in
post-operative patient?
A -Left-sided heart failure
B -Chronic bronchitis
C -Atelectasis
D -Healthy patient with no coexising disease - (ANSWER)C -Atelectasis
You are evaluating a 41 year old female patient in your clinic with symptoms of right upper quadrant
pain which worsens with deep breathing. The patient exhibits a positive Murphy sign. These findings are
most consistent which one of the following?
A -Appendicitis
B -Cholecystitis
C -Crohn's flare
D -Pancreatitis - (ANSWER)B -Cholecystitis
In educating your patient about the non-pharmacologic management of gastroesophageal reflux disease,
you include teaching to the patient that their heartburn is aggravated by al of the following except which
one?
A -Activities including lifting or bending over
