WEST COAST EMT EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (VERIFIED
ANSWERS GRADED A+) LATEST UPDATE 2025/2026
A 12-year-old male jumped approximately 12 feet from a tree and landed on his
feet. He complains of pain to his lower back. What injury mechanism is MOST
likely responsible for his back pain?
A. Direct trauma to the spinal column
B. Secondary fall after the initial impact
C. Lateral impact to the spine
D. Energy transmission to the spine - CORRECT ANSWER - D. Energy
transmission to the spine
A 15-year-old female was struck by a small car while riding her bicycle. She was
wearing a helmet and was thrown to the ground, striking her head. In addition to
managing problems associated with airway, breathing, and circulation, it is MOST
important for you to:
A. inspect the helmet for cracks.
B. obtain baseline vital signs
C. stabilize her entire spine
D. leave her bicycle helmet on - CORRECT ANSWER - C. stabilize her entire
spine
A young male sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen during an altercation. As
your partner is assessing and managing his airway, you should control the obvious
bleeding and then:
,A. Obtain baseline vital signs
B. assess for an exit wound
C. apply a cervical collar
D. auscultate bowel sounds - CORRECT ANSWER - B. Assess for an exit wound
According to the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-
COT), an adult trauma patient should be transported to the highest level of trauma
center if he or she:
A. was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which another patient in the same
vehicle was killed
B. Has a GCS score of less than or equal to 13 with a mechanism attributed to
trauma.
C. has a bleeding disorder or takes anticoagulant medications and has any blunt or
penetrating injury.
D. has a systolic blood pressure of less than 110 mm Hg or a heart rate greater than
110 beats/min. - CORRECT ANSWER - B. has a GCS score of less than or equal
to 13 with a mechanism attributed to trauma.
According to the Association of Air Medical Services, you should consider air
medical transport of a trauma patient if:
A. the patient requires advanced life support care and stabilization, and the nearest
ALD-ground ambulance is more than 5 to 10 minutes away
B. he or she was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which another occupant in
the same vehicle was killed, even if your patients injuries are minor
C. ground transport will take your ambulance out of service for an extended period
of time, regardless of the severity of the patients injuries.
D. traffic conditions hamper the ability to get the patient to a trauma center by
ground within the ideal time frame for the best clinical outcome. - CORRECT
,ANSWER - D. traffic conditions hamper the ability to get the patient to a trauma
center by ground within the ideal time frame for the best clinical outcome
Approximately 25% of severe injuries to the aorta occur during:
A. lateral collisions
B. rear-end collisions
C. rollover collisions
D. frontal collisions - CORRECT ANSWER - A. lateral collisions
Following a blunt injury to the head, a 22-year-old female is confused and
complains of a severe headache and nausea. On the basis of these signs and
symptoms, you should be MOST concerned with the possibility of:
A. intracranial bleeding.
B. airway compromise
C. spinal cord injury
D. a fracture of the skull - CORRECT ANSWER - A. Intracranial bleeding
Force acting over a distance is the definition of:
A. work
B. kinetic energy
C. potential energy
D. latent energy - CORRECT ANSWER - A. work
The index of suspicion is MOST accurately defined as:
A. your awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying illness
, B. the way in which traumatic injuries occur.
C. the detection of less obvious life-threatening injuries
D. a predictable patter that leads to serious injuries. - CORRECT ANSWER - A.
your awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying injuries
When assessing a patient who experienced a blast injury, it Is important to
remember that:
A. primary blast injuries are typically the most obvious
B. secondary blast injuries are usually the least obvious
C. solid organs usually rupture from the pressure wave
D. primary blast injuries are the most easily overlooked - CORRECT ANSWER -
D. primary best injuries are the most easily overlooked
When assessing an elderly patient who fell, it is important to remember that:
A. elderly patients who fall usually have a secondary head injury
B. any fall in the elderly is considered to be high-energy trauma
C. bilateral hip fractures usually occur when an elderly person falls.
D. osteoporosis can cause a fracture as a result from a fall from a standing position.
- CORRECT ANSWER - D. osteoporosis can cause a fracture as a result from a
fall from a standing position
When the speed of a motor-vehicle doubles, the amount of kinetic energy:
A. quadruples
B. triples
C. is not affected
D. doubles - CORRECT ANSWER - A. quadruples
ANSWERS GRADED A+) LATEST UPDATE 2025/2026
A 12-year-old male jumped approximately 12 feet from a tree and landed on his
feet. He complains of pain to his lower back. What injury mechanism is MOST
likely responsible for his back pain?
A. Direct trauma to the spinal column
B. Secondary fall after the initial impact
C. Lateral impact to the spine
D. Energy transmission to the spine - CORRECT ANSWER - D. Energy
transmission to the spine
A 15-year-old female was struck by a small car while riding her bicycle. She was
wearing a helmet and was thrown to the ground, striking her head. In addition to
managing problems associated with airway, breathing, and circulation, it is MOST
important for you to:
A. inspect the helmet for cracks.
B. obtain baseline vital signs
C. stabilize her entire spine
D. leave her bicycle helmet on - CORRECT ANSWER - C. stabilize her entire
spine
A young male sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen during an altercation. As
your partner is assessing and managing his airway, you should control the obvious
bleeding and then:
,A. Obtain baseline vital signs
B. assess for an exit wound
C. apply a cervical collar
D. auscultate bowel sounds - CORRECT ANSWER - B. Assess for an exit wound
According to the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-
COT), an adult trauma patient should be transported to the highest level of trauma
center if he or she:
A. was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which another patient in the same
vehicle was killed
B. Has a GCS score of less than or equal to 13 with a mechanism attributed to
trauma.
C. has a bleeding disorder or takes anticoagulant medications and has any blunt or
penetrating injury.
D. has a systolic blood pressure of less than 110 mm Hg or a heart rate greater than
110 beats/min. - CORRECT ANSWER - B. has a GCS score of less than or equal
to 13 with a mechanism attributed to trauma.
According to the Association of Air Medical Services, you should consider air
medical transport of a trauma patient if:
A. the patient requires advanced life support care and stabilization, and the nearest
ALD-ground ambulance is more than 5 to 10 minutes away
B. he or she was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which another occupant in
the same vehicle was killed, even if your patients injuries are minor
C. ground transport will take your ambulance out of service for an extended period
of time, regardless of the severity of the patients injuries.
D. traffic conditions hamper the ability to get the patient to a trauma center by
ground within the ideal time frame for the best clinical outcome. - CORRECT
,ANSWER - D. traffic conditions hamper the ability to get the patient to a trauma
center by ground within the ideal time frame for the best clinical outcome
Approximately 25% of severe injuries to the aorta occur during:
A. lateral collisions
B. rear-end collisions
C. rollover collisions
D. frontal collisions - CORRECT ANSWER - A. lateral collisions
Following a blunt injury to the head, a 22-year-old female is confused and
complains of a severe headache and nausea. On the basis of these signs and
symptoms, you should be MOST concerned with the possibility of:
A. intracranial bleeding.
B. airway compromise
C. spinal cord injury
D. a fracture of the skull - CORRECT ANSWER - A. Intracranial bleeding
Force acting over a distance is the definition of:
A. work
B. kinetic energy
C. potential energy
D. latent energy - CORRECT ANSWER - A. work
The index of suspicion is MOST accurately defined as:
A. your awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying illness
, B. the way in which traumatic injuries occur.
C. the detection of less obvious life-threatening injuries
D. a predictable patter that leads to serious injuries. - CORRECT ANSWER - A.
your awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying injuries
When assessing a patient who experienced a blast injury, it Is important to
remember that:
A. primary blast injuries are typically the most obvious
B. secondary blast injuries are usually the least obvious
C. solid organs usually rupture from the pressure wave
D. primary blast injuries are the most easily overlooked - CORRECT ANSWER -
D. primary best injuries are the most easily overlooked
When assessing an elderly patient who fell, it is important to remember that:
A. elderly patients who fall usually have a secondary head injury
B. any fall in the elderly is considered to be high-energy trauma
C. bilateral hip fractures usually occur when an elderly person falls.
D. osteoporosis can cause a fracture as a result from a fall from a standing position.
- CORRECT ANSWER - D. osteoporosis can cause a fracture as a result from a
fall from a standing position
When the speed of a motor-vehicle doubles, the amount of kinetic energy:
A. quadruples
B. triples
C. is not affected
D. doubles - CORRECT ANSWER - A. quadruples
