2026/2027 Wilkes University
Q1. Which psychosocial task is most characteristic of a healthy 2-
year-old child according to Erikson?
A) Trust versus mistrust
B) Autonomy versus shame and doubt
C) Initiative versus guilt
D) Industry versus inferiority
Correct Answer: B) Autonomy versus shame and doubt
Rationale: Toddlers increasingly seek independence through feeding,
dressing, toileting, movement, and decision-making. Supportive caregivers
encourage safe autonomy while avoiding excessive criticism or control that
can promote shame and self-doubt.
Q2. A 4-year-old uses imaginative play, asks frequent questions, and
interprets the world largely from an egocentric perspective. Which
Piaget stage best describes this child?
A) Preoperational stage
B) Sensorimotor stage
C) Concrete operational stage
D) Formal operational stage
Correct Answer: A) Preoperational stage
Rationale: Children approximately 2 to 7 years old are in the preoperational
stage. Symbolic thinking and imaginative play expand considerably, but
thinking remains relatively egocentric and lacks mature logical operations.
Q3. A healthy term newborn has lost 7% of birth weight by day 3.
Which interpretation is most appropriate?
A) Severe dehydration is present
B) Failure to thrive is established
C) Immediate formula supplementation is mandatory
, D) Early weight loss of this degree can be physiologic if feeding and
hydration are otherwise adequate
Correct Answer: D) Early weight loss of this degree can be physiologic if
feeding and hydration are otherwise adequate
Rationale: Healthy term newborns commonly lose some birth weight during
the first days of life because of fluid shifts and adaptation. Feeding
effectiveness, hydration, urine and stool output, and subsequent weight
recovery determine whether further intervention is needed.
Q4. By approximately what age should a healthy infant's birth
weight usually have doubled?
A) 1 to 2 months
B) 9 to 10 months
C) About 4 to 6 months
D) 18 months
Correct Answer: C) About 4 to 6 months
Rationale: Infant weight gain is most rapid during early infancy. Birth weight
typically doubles by roughly 4 to 6 months and triples by about 12 months,
although individual growth should be interpreted longitudinally.
Q5. Which respiratory rate is generally within the expected range
for a quiet healthy term newborn?
A) 10 breaths/min
B) 40 breaths/min
C) 75 breaths/min
D) 90 breaths/min
Correct Answer: B) 40 breaths/min
Rationale: Newborn respiratory rates are normally faster than those of older
children and adults, commonly around 30 to 60 breaths per minute.
Persistent tachypnea, retractions, grunting, cyanosis, or apnea requires
further evaluation.
Q6. A newborn has a unilateral white pupillary reflex instead of a
symmetric red reflex. What is the most appropriate action?