A-IPC EXAM STUDY GUIDE (PRACTICE
TEST #2) 2025/ 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
Which interventions are designed to limit the spread of respiratory illnesses in outpatient
settings?
a. Sterilization monitors
b. Aseptic technique
c. Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
d. Symptom-based evaluation - correct answer -c. Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
In preparing for the first meeting of the year for the Infection Prevention and Control
Committee, the IP develops an annual report to include HAI trends. Of the choices below, this
report should also address:
a. A summary of injuries and risk factors for injuries in personnel during the previous year
b. Staffing needs of the department to optimize efficiency
c. An evaluation of the surveillance program providing an assessment of its usefulness to the
healthcare facility in preventing and controlling infections
d. A line list of all HAIs for the previous year and risk- reduction strategies - correct answer -c. An
evaluation of the surveillance program providing an assessment of its usefulness to the
healthcare facility in preventing and controlling infections
The IP has identified a cluster of Candida bloodstream infections in two adjoining ICUs. She
wants to look at risk factors that these patients may have had in common. Which study design
would she use?
,a. Cross-sectional study
b. Cohort study
c. Case-control study
d. Clinical trial - correct answer -c. Case-control study
An IP is planning an educational program for hospital nursing staff to improve compliance with
infection prevention strategies. Please choose the approach that should be used to ensure an
effective learning experience for those who attend.
a. Provide food and drinks to all who attend as well as sufficient breaks and have a raffle to
entice attendance
b. Plan the educational offering by developing goals and objectives and determining the
teaching method to use
c. Use a slide presentation that periodically provides humor to the presentation to ensure
attention
d. Provide continuing educational credits and handouts for future reference - correct answer -b.
Plan the educational offering by developing goals and objectives and determining the teaching
method to use
Which of the four clinical variables that determine the probability of infection would the IP be
targeting when reviewing preoperative chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing instructions that
have been given to the preoperative patient population?
a. Inoculum of bacteria
b. Virulence of bacteria
c. Adjuvants in the microenvironment
d. Efficiency of host defenses - correct answer -a. Inoculum of bacteria
,113. Which of the following processes should take place after an adverse event has occurred?
a. Failure mode effect analysis (FMEA)
b. Root cause analysis (RCA)
c. Strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats analysis (SWOT)
d. Infection control risk assessment (ICRA) - correct answer -b. Root cause analysis (RCA)
What is the annual sharps injury rate per 100 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in a facility that has 18
sharp injuries and 800 full-time employees?
a. 0.02
b. 0.23
c. 2.25
d. 22.5 - correct answer -c. 2.25
An adult patient is admitted through the Emergency Department with a 1-day history of rash,
fever, and cough. The attending physician is concerned that the patient has measles, as the
patient cannot recall whether he has had measles disease or vaccine in the past. The serum
sample does not contain measles-specific IgG or IgM antibodies. What is the significance of this
finding?
a. The patient does not have measles infection
b. The patient has had the measles vaccine in the past
c. The patient has a history of measles disease
d. The patient might be infected with measles - correct answer -d. The patient might be infected
with measles
Primary components of an initial outbreak investigation are:
, 1) Preparing a line list and epidemic curve
2) Notifying key partners about the investigation
3) Continuing case finding
4) Initiating an analytic study
a. 1, 4
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 2
d. 3, 4 - correct answer -c. 1, 2
An IP has been asked to present an educational program to a group of HCP who are culturally
different from him. What is the best approach to developing an effective program in this case?
a. Develop the program without taking cultural diversity into account, but allow the learners to
ask questions while he is teaching
b. Be aware of potential cultural differences, but do not incorporate them into the program
c. Outline the major points of the educational program, and ask the audience to work together
to identify culturally appropriate examples of the major points
d. There is no need to take cultural diversity into account because that does not change the
learning objectives of the educational program - correct answer -c. Outline the major points of
the educational program, and ask the audience to work together to identify culturally
appropriate examples of the major points
The IP is helping develop a large-scale project to address SSIs. Which of the following tools will
the IP utilize that helps secure expert judgment prior to launching the project?
a. Delphi technique
b. Peer review
c. Fisher exact test
TEST #2) 2025/ 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
Which interventions are designed to limit the spread of respiratory illnesses in outpatient
settings?
a. Sterilization monitors
b. Aseptic technique
c. Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
d. Symptom-based evaluation - correct answer -c. Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette
In preparing for the first meeting of the year for the Infection Prevention and Control
Committee, the IP develops an annual report to include HAI trends. Of the choices below, this
report should also address:
a. A summary of injuries and risk factors for injuries in personnel during the previous year
b. Staffing needs of the department to optimize efficiency
c. An evaluation of the surveillance program providing an assessment of its usefulness to the
healthcare facility in preventing and controlling infections
d. A line list of all HAIs for the previous year and risk- reduction strategies - correct answer -c. An
evaluation of the surveillance program providing an assessment of its usefulness to the
healthcare facility in preventing and controlling infections
The IP has identified a cluster of Candida bloodstream infections in two adjoining ICUs. She
wants to look at risk factors that these patients may have had in common. Which study design
would she use?
,a. Cross-sectional study
b. Cohort study
c. Case-control study
d. Clinical trial - correct answer -c. Case-control study
An IP is planning an educational program for hospital nursing staff to improve compliance with
infection prevention strategies. Please choose the approach that should be used to ensure an
effective learning experience for those who attend.
a. Provide food and drinks to all who attend as well as sufficient breaks and have a raffle to
entice attendance
b. Plan the educational offering by developing goals and objectives and determining the
teaching method to use
c. Use a slide presentation that periodically provides humor to the presentation to ensure
attention
d. Provide continuing educational credits and handouts for future reference - correct answer -b.
Plan the educational offering by developing goals and objectives and determining the teaching
method to use
Which of the four clinical variables that determine the probability of infection would the IP be
targeting when reviewing preoperative chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing instructions that
have been given to the preoperative patient population?
a. Inoculum of bacteria
b. Virulence of bacteria
c. Adjuvants in the microenvironment
d. Efficiency of host defenses - correct answer -a. Inoculum of bacteria
,113. Which of the following processes should take place after an adverse event has occurred?
a. Failure mode effect analysis (FMEA)
b. Root cause analysis (RCA)
c. Strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats analysis (SWOT)
d. Infection control risk assessment (ICRA) - correct answer -b. Root cause analysis (RCA)
What is the annual sharps injury rate per 100 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in a facility that has 18
sharp injuries and 800 full-time employees?
a. 0.02
b. 0.23
c. 2.25
d. 22.5 - correct answer -c. 2.25
An adult patient is admitted through the Emergency Department with a 1-day history of rash,
fever, and cough. The attending physician is concerned that the patient has measles, as the
patient cannot recall whether he has had measles disease or vaccine in the past. The serum
sample does not contain measles-specific IgG or IgM antibodies. What is the significance of this
finding?
a. The patient does not have measles infection
b. The patient has had the measles vaccine in the past
c. The patient has a history of measles disease
d. The patient might be infected with measles - correct answer -d. The patient might be infected
with measles
Primary components of an initial outbreak investigation are:
, 1) Preparing a line list and epidemic curve
2) Notifying key partners about the investigation
3) Continuing case finding
4) Initiating an analytic study
a. 1, 4
b. 2, 3
c. 1, 2
d. 3, 4 - correct answer -c. 1, 2
An IP has been asked to present an educational program to a group of HCP who are culturally
different from him. What is the best approach to developing an effective program in this case?
a. Develop the program without taking cultural diversity into account, but allow the learners to
ask questions while he is teaching
b. Be aware of potential cultural differences, but do not incorporate them into the program
c. Outline the major points of the educational program, and ask the audience to work together
to identify culturally appropriate examples of the major points
d. There is no need to take cultural diversity into account because that does not change the
learning objectives of the educational program - correct answer -c. Outline the major points of
the educational program, and ask the audience to work together to identify culturally
appropriate examples of the major points
The IP is helping develop a large-scale project to address SSIs. Which of the following tools will
the IP utilize that helps secure expert judgment prior to launching the project?
a. Delphi technique
b. Peer review
c. Fisher exact test
