CAISS CERTIFICATION STUDY TEST EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS | 100% VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS (2026) UPDATE |2026!! STUDY GUIDE EXAM
Question 1
Is mortality considered the sole or primary determinant of AIS severity?
A) Yes, if a patient dies, the AIS must be at least a 5.
B) Yes, mortality is the only reason for an AIS 6.
C) No, mortality is not a sole determinant of severity.
D) No, because mortality is only used for face and chest injuries.
E) Only in pediatric cases.
Correct Answer: C) No, mortality is not a sole determinant of severity.
Rationale: The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) is an anatomically based system that ranks
injury severity, not the probability of death. While higher AIS scores often correlate with
higher mortality, the scale is based on the anatomical lesion itself. A patient with a minor
injury (AIS 1) could still die from complications or pre-existing conditions.
Question 2
Is all AIS data strictly comparable from year to year?
A) Yes, because the scale has never changed since its origin.
B) No, because periodic updates to the AIS dictionary change descriptors and severity rankings.
C) Yes, provided the same coder performs the work.
D) No, because patients are getting older on average.
E) Only for traumatic brain injuries.
Correct Answer: B) No, because periodic updates to the AIS dictionary change descriptors
and severity rankings.
Rationale: The AIS dictionary is updated periodically (e.g., AIS 90, AIS 2005, AIS 2008, AIS
2015). These updates may change the severity of certain injuries or add new descriptors,
meaning that data from a version in 1990 may not be directly comparable to data from
2015 without mapping.
Question 3
Is "DEATH" a specific code or severity level on the AIS 6-point ordinal scale?
A) Yes, it is level 6.
B) Yes, it is level 5.
C) No, death is not part of the severity scale.
D) No, it is represented by the code 9.
E) Only if the death occurs in the ED.
Correct Answer: C) No, death is not part of the severity scale.
Rationale: AIS ranks the severity of the injury, not the outcome. Death is a result or
outcome of an injury, and therefore it is not a numerical value on the 1–6 severity scale.
The scale measures the anatomical threat to life, not the fact of death itself.
Question 4
If a patient dies from their injuries, is the coder required to assign an AIS severity of 6?
, 2
A) Yes, death automatically equals AIS 6.
B) No, because patients with minor injuries can die from non-trauma causes or complications.
C) Yes, but only if they die within 24 hours.
D) No, death is automatically assigned a 5.
E) Only if the autopsy confirms a brain injury.
Correct Answer: B) No, because patients with minor injuries can die from non-trauma
causes or complications.
Rationale: An AIS 6 is reserved for injuries that are currently "maximum" or untreatable
(like a total severance of the brainstem). If a patient dies from a simple broken hip (AIS 3)
due to a pulmonary embolism, the injury remains an AIS 3. The outcome (death) does not
change the anatomical severity of the original injury.
Question 5
Does a linear relationship exist between the AIS severity codes (e.g., is an AIS 4 twice as severe
as an AIS 2)?
A) Yes, it is a linear ratio scale.
B) No, it is an ordinal scale; an AIS 4 is more severe than a 2, but not "twice" as severe.
C) Yes, because the ISS squares the numbers to make them linear.
D) No, because the scale is actually descending.
E) Only in the External body region.
Correct Answer: B) No, it is an ordinal scale; an AIS 4 is more severe than a 2, but not
"twice" as severe.
Rationale: The AIS is an ordinal scale, which means the numbers indicate a rank order.
While a 4 is more severe than a 3, and a 3 is more severe than a 2, there is no mathematical
"distance" or linear increment between them. You cannot perform standard multiplication
or division on ordinal ranks.
Question 6
Are all injuries assigned to the same AIS severity code (e.g., all AIS 2) strictly compatible or
equal in their nature?
A) Yes, all AIS 2 injuries are identical in clinical impact.
B) No, though they are both considered 'moderate,' a tibia fracture and an alveolar ridge fracture
differ in clinical importance.
C) Yes, but only within the same body region.
D) No, because AIS 2 is always worse in the head than in the extremities.
E) Yes, because they all carry the same cost of treatment.
Correct Answer: B) No, though they are both considered 'moderate,' a tibia fracture and an
alveolar ridge fracture differ in clinical importance.
Rationale: The AIS groups injuries of similar overall severity into the same numerical rank.
However, the specific clinical implications, treatment paths, and functional outcomes of
SOLUTIONS (2026) UPDATE |2026!! STUDY GUIDE EXAM
Question 1
Is mortality considered the sole or primary determinant of AIS severity?
A) Yes, if a patient dies, the AIS must be at least a 5.
B) Yes, mortality is the only reason for an AIS 6.
C) No, mortality is not a sole determinant of severity.
D) No, because mortality is only used for face and chest injuries.
E) Only in pediatric cases.
Correct Answer: C) No, mortality is not a sole determinant of severity.
Rationale: The Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) is an anatomically based system that ranks
injury severity, not the probability of death. While higher AIS scores often correlate with
higher mortality, the scale is based on the anatomical lesion itself. A patient with a minor
injury (AIS 1) could still die from complications or pre-existing conditions.
Question 2
Is all AIS data strictly comparable from year to year?
A) Yes, because the scale has never changed since its origin.
B) No, because periodic updates to the AIS dictionary change descriptors and severity rankings.
C) Yes, provided the same coder performs the work.
D) No, because patients are getting older on average.
E) Only for traumatic brain injuries.
Correct Answer: B) No, because periodic updates to the AIS dictionary change descriptors
and severity rankings.
Rationale: The AIS dictionary is updated periodically (e.g., AIS 90, AIS 2005, AIS 2008, AIS
2015). These updates may change the severity of certain injuries or add new descriptors,
meaning that data from a version in 1990 may not be directly comparable to data from
2015 without mapping.
Question 3
Is "DEATH" a specific code or severity level on the AIS 6-point ordinal scale?
A) Yes, it is level 6.
B) Yes, it is level 5.
C) No, death is not part of the severity scale.
D) No, it is represented by the code 9.
E) Only if the death occurs in the ED.
Correct Answer: C) No, death is not part of the severity scale.
Rationale: AIS ranks the severity of the injury, not the outcome. Death is a result or
outcome of an injury, and therefore it is not a numerical value on the 1–6 severity scale.
The scale measures the anatomical threat to life, not the fact of death itself.
Question 4
If a patient dies from their injuries, is the coder required to assign an AIS severity of 6?
, 2
A) Yes, death automatically equals AIS 6.
B) No, because patients with minor injuries can die from non-trauma causes or complications.
C) Yes, but only if they die within 24 hours.
D) No, death is automatically assigned a 5.
E) Only if the autopsy confirms a brain injury.
Correct Answer: B) No, because patients with minor injuries can die from non-trauma
causes or complications.
Rationale: An AIS 6 is reserved for injuries that are currently "maximum" or untreatable
(like a total severance of the brainstem). If a patient dies from a simple broken hip (AIS 3)
due to a pulmonary embolism, the injury remains an AIS 3. The outcome (death) does not
change the anatomical severity of the original injury.
Question 5
Does a linear relationship exist between the AIS severity codes (e.g., is an AIS 4 twice as severe
as an AIS 2)?
A) Yes, it is a linear ratio scale.
B) No, it is an ordinal scale; an AIS 4 is more severe than a 2, but not "twice" as severe.
C) Yes, because the ISS squares the numbers to make them linear.
D) No, because the scale is actually descending.
E) Only in the External body region.
Correct Answer: B) No, it is an ordinal scale; an AIS 4 is more severe than a 2, but not
"twice" as severe.
Rationale: The AIS is an ordinal scale, which means the numbers indicate a rank order.
While a 4 is more severe than a 3, and a 3 is more severe than a 2, there is no mathematical
"distance" or linear increment between them. You cannot perform standard multiplication
or division on ordinal ranks.
Question 6
Are all injuries assigned to the same AIS severity code (e.g., all AIS 2) strictly compatible or
equal in their nature?
A) Yes, all AIS 2 injuries are identical in clinical impact.
B) No, though they are both considered 'moderate,' a tibia fracture and an alveolar ridge fracture
differ in clinical importance.
C) Yes, but only within the same body region.
D) No, because AIS 2 is always worse in the head than in the extremities.
E) Yes, because they all carry the same cost of treatment.
Correct Answer: B) No, though they are both considered 'moderate,' a tibia fracture and an
alveolar ridge fracture differ in clinical importance.
Rationale: The AIS groups injuries of similar overall severity into the same numerical rank.
However, the specific clinical implications, treatment paths, and functional outcomes of
