CBIS SAMPLE TEST SECTION ONE (CHAPTER 1 & 4)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | CBIS PRACTICE EXAM 2026
- 219 Questions and Answers Already Graded A+ Premium
Exam Tested And Verified
Subject Area Brain Injury Rehabilitation (CBIS Certification)
Description This sample exam covers foundational concepts from Chapters 1 and 4 of the
CBIS curriculum, including pathophysiology, epidemiology, assessment,
cognitive rehabilitation, pharmacology, complications, outcome measurement,
and behavioral interventions. Questions are designed to test deep conceptual
understanding and clinical reasoning at an advanced level.
Expected Grade A+
Total Questions 219
Duration 3 hours
Learning Outcomes 1. Explain the pathophysiological mechanisms of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
2. Apply the Glasgow Coma Scale accurately in clinical scenarios.
3. Identify neuroanatomical correlates of common post-TBI deficits.
4. Evaluate evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation strategies.
5. Understand the role of pharmacotherapy in arousal and behavior management.
6. Recognize complications and outcome measures relevant to TBI.
7. Analyze behavioral interventions for frontal lobe dysfunctions.
Accreditation This practice exam aligns with the Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS)
standards set by the Brain Injury Association of America and reflects
university-level rigor equivalent to Ivy League graduate programs.
Page 1
,1. A patient involved in a high-velocity motor vehicle collision presents with
diffuse petechial hemorrhages at the gray-white matter junction on MRI.
Which pathophysiological process best explains these findings?
A. Cortical contusion due to coup-contrecoup injury
B. Diffuse axonal injury from rotational acceleration-deceleration forces
C. Hypoxic-ischemic injury secondary to hypotension
D. Subdural hematoma from bridging vein rupture
Answer: B. Diffuse axonal injury from rotational acceleration-deceleration
forces
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) results from rotational forces that shear axons, with
classic microhemorrhages at gray-white matter junctions. Cortical contusions
occur at impact sites; hypoxic injury shows watershed distribution; subdural
hematomas are typically extra-axial.
2. In the United States, what is the leading cause of traumatic brain injury
(TBI) across all age groups and severities?
A. Falls
B. Motor vehicle collisions
C. Assaults
D. Sports and recreation
Answer: A. Falls
Falls are the most common cause of TBI overall, especially among younger
children and older adults. Motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of
TBI-related deaths but not total incidence.
Page 2
,3. A patient with traumatic brain injury demonstrates withdrawal to pain,
inappropriate words, and no eye opening. Which single addition would raise
the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score to exactly 9?
A. Spontaneous eye opening
B. Eye opening to speech
C. Eye opening to pain
D. Localizing pain
Answer: C. Eye opening to pain
Withdrawal (M=4) + Inappropriate words (V=3) = 7. To reach GCS 9, add eye
opening to pain (E=2). Spontaneous eye opening (E=4) would give 11; eye
opening to speech (E=3) gives 10; localizing pain would change motor to 5, giving
12 with current eye and verbal.
4. A patient exhibits dysdiadochokinesia, intention tremor, and wide-based
gait. Which neural structure is most likely injured?
A. Basal ganglia
B. Cerebellum
C. Primary motor cortex
D. Supplementary motor area
Answer: B. Cerebellum
Cerebellar damage produces ataxia, intention tremor, and alternating movement
difficulties (dysdiadochokinesia). Basal ganglia lesions cause rigidity and resting
tremor; motor cortex lesions produce contralateral paresis; supplementary motor
area lesions impair planning.
Page 3
, 5. Errorless learning is most effective when applied to patients with which type
of memory impairment following TBI?
A. Retrograde amnesia for personal events
B. Severe anterograde amnesia with encoding deficits
C. Working memory deficits affecting digit span
D. Preserved procedural memory with intact explicit memory
Answer: B. Severe anterograde amnesia with encoding deficits
Errorless learning minimizes mistakes during acquisition and is especially
beneficial for individuals with severe anterograde amnesia who have difficulty
encoding new information explicitly. It is less effective when procedural memory
is intact or for retrograde amnesia.
6. Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) duration is a strong predictor of long-term
functional outcome. Which PTA threshold is most consistently associated with
moderate to very severe disability on the Glasgow Outcome Scale?
A. 24 hours
B. 1 week
C. 4 weeks
D. 12 weeks
Answer: C. 4 weeks
PTA lasting >4 weeks (classified as very severe) is a robust predictor of
unfavorable outcome. PTA >1 week indicates moderate-severe injury, but >4
weeks more strongly correlates with significant disability.
Page 4
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | CBIS PRACTICE EXAM 2026
- 219 Questions and Answers Already Graded A+ Premium
Exam Tested And Verified
Subject Area Brain Injury Rehabilitation (CBIS Certification)
Description This sample exam covers foundational concepts from Chapters 1 and 4 of the
CBIS curriculum, including pathophysiology, epidemiology, assessment,
cognitive rehabilitation, pharmacology, complications, outcome measurement,
and behavioral interventions. Questions are designed to test deep conceptual
understanding and clinical reasoning at an advanced level.
Expected Grade A+
Total Questions 219
Duration 3 hours
Learning Outcomes 1. Explain the pathophysiological mechanisms of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
2. Apply the Glasgow Coma Scale accurately in clinical scenarios.
3. Identify neuroanatomical correlates of common post-TBI deficits.
4. Evaluate evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation strategies.
5. Understand the role of pharmacotherapy in arousal and behavior management.
6. Recognize complications and outcome measures relevant to TBI.
7. Analyze behavioral interventions for frontal lobe dysfunctions.
Accreditation This practice exam aligns with the Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS)
standards set by the Brain Injury Association of America and reflects
university-level rigor equivalent to Ivy League graduate programs.
Page 1
,1. A patient involved in a high-velocity motor vehicle collision presents with
diffuse petechial hemorrhages at the gray-white matter junction on MRI.
Which pathophysiological process best explains these findings?
A. Cortical contusion due to coup-contrecoup injury
B. Diffuse axonal injury from rotational acceleration-deceleration forces
C. Hypoxic-ischemic injury secondary to hypotension
D. Subdural hematoma from bridging vein rupture
Answer: B. Diffuse axonal injury from rotational acceleration-deceleration
forces
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) results from rotational forces that shear axons, with
classic microhemorrhages at gray-white matter junctions. Cortical contusions
occur at impact sites; hypoxic injury shows watershed distribution; subdural
hematomas are typically extra-axial.
2. In the United States, what is the leading cause of traumatic brain injury
(TBI) across all age groups and severities?
A. Falls
B. Motor vehicle collisions
C. Assaults
D. Sports and recreation
Answer: A. Falls
Falls are the most common cause of TBI overall, especially among younger
children and older adults. Motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of
TBI-related deaths but not total incidence.
Page 2
,3. A patient with traumatic brain injury demonstrates withdrawal to pain,
inappropriate words, and no eye opening. Which single addition would raise
the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score to exactly 9?
A. Spontaneous eye opening
B. Eye opening to speech
C. Eye opening to pain
D. Localizing pain
Answer: C. Eye opening to pain
Withdrawal (M=4) + Inappropriate words (V=3) = 7. To reach GCS 9, add eye
opening to pain (E=2). Spontaneous eye opening (E=4) would give 11; eye
opening to speech (E=3) gives 10; localizing pain would change motor to 5, giving
12 with current eye and verbal.
4. A patient exhibits dysdiadochokinesia, intention tremor, and wide-based
gait. Which neural structure is most likely injured?
A. Basal ganglia
B. Cerebellum
C. Primary motor cortex
D. Supplementary motor area
Answer: B. Cerebellum
Cerebellar damage produces ataxia, intention tremor, and alternating movement
difficulties (dysdiadochokinesia). Basal ganglia lesions cause rigidity and resting
tremor; motor cortex lesions produce contralateral paresis; supplementary motor
area lesions impair planning.
Page 3
, 5. Errorless learning is most effective when applied to patients with which type
of memory impairment following TBI?
A. Retrograde amnesia for personal events
B. Severe anterograde amnesia with encoding deficits
C. Working memory deficits affecting digit span
D. Preserved procedural memory with intact explicit memory
Answer: B. Severe anterograde amnesia with encoding deficits
Errorless learning minimizes mistakes during acquisition and is especially
beneficial for individuals with severe anterograde amnesia who have difficulty
encoding new information explicitly. It is less effective when procedural memory
is intact or for retrograde amnesia.
6. Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) duration is a strong predictor of long-term
functional outcome. Which PTA threshold is most consistently associated with
moderate to very severe disability on the Glasgow Outcome Scale?
A. 24 hours
B. 1 week
C. 4 weeks
D. 12 weeks
Answer: C. 4 weeks
PTA lasting >4 weeks (classified as very severe) is a robust predictor of
unfavorable outcome. PTA >1 week indicates moderate-severe injury, but >4
weeks more strongly correlates with significant disability.
Page 4
