1
EEG Study Guide for Registry 2026–2027 Latest Update | Comprehensive 250 +
Practice Questions, Detailed Answer Explanations, Complete Study Review &
Registry Exam Preparation Guide PDF
Exam Coverage Summary
This comprehensive EEG registry examination covers all essential domains including: basic electronics
and instrumentation (Ohm's law, filters, amplifiers, time constants, sensitivity calculations); electrode
placement and measurement (International 10-20 System, impedance, special electrodes); normal EEG
patterns across age groups (alpha, beta, theta, delta, sleep architecture); abnormal patterns and
epileptiform discharges (spike-wave, PLEDs, burst suppression); neurological disorders and their EEG
correlates (CJD, herpes encephalitis, hepatic encephalopathy); seizure classification and epileptic
syndromes (absence, juvenile myoclonic, Lennox-Gastaut); activation procedures (hyperventilation,
photic stimulation, sleep); medications and their EEG effects; digital EEG technology and ACNS
guidelines; artifacts and their identification; specialized recordings (ECI, neonatal, MSLT); and
neuroanatomy with vascular syndromes.
250 Multiple Choice Questions
1. The basic unit for measuring current flow is?
A. Ohm
B. Volt
C. Ampere
D. Coulomb
Current is measured in amperes (A), representing the rate of electron flow through a conductor, while
volts measure electromotive force and ohms measure resistance.
2. The basic unit of resistance is?
A. Ampere
B. Volt
C. Ohm
D. Watt
Resistance opposes current flow and is measured in ohms (Ω), named after Georg Ohm, and is calculated
as voltage divided by current according to Ohm's law.
3. Which of the following is not a valid expression of Ohm's law?
A. R=EI or R=VI
B. E=IR or V=IR
C. I=E/R or I=V/R
D. R=E/I or R=V/I
Ohm's law correctly states that voltage equals current times resistance (E=IR), current equals voltage
divided by resistance (I=E/R), and resistance equals voltage divided by current (R=E/I). The expression
R=EI incorrectly multiplies rather than divides.
,2
4. Which of the following is not a unit for measuring alternating frequencies?
A. Cycles per second
B. Volts
C. Hertz
D. Kilocycles
Frequency measures how many cycles occur per second, expressed in Hertz (Hz), cycles per second, or
kilocycles. Volts measure electrical potential or electromotive force, not frequency.
5. Which of the following describes the action of a capacitor?
A. Opposes changes in current flow
B. Converts alternating current to direct current
C. Creates direct current resistance
D. Stores energy
Capacitors store electrical energy in an electrostatic field between two conductive plates separated by an
insulator, releasing it when needed, making them essential for filtering and timing circuits.
6. A small fluctuating output recorded by the EEG instrument even when there is no input signal is
called:
A. Output voltage
B. Linear distortion
C. 60Hz interference
D. Noise
Noise represents unwanted electrical activity generated within the amplifier or electrodes that obscures
the actual cerebral signal and must be minimized for quality recordings.
7. The EEG amplifier is designed so that when input 1 is more negative than input 2, the deflection will
be?
A. Upward
B. Downward
C. No deflection
D. Variable depending on sensitivity
By convention, when input 1 (grid 1) is more negative relative to input 2 (grid 2), the differential amplifier
produces an upward deflection representing this voltage difference.
8. What is common mode rejection?
A. The amplification of all signals equally
B. The characteristic of an amplifier that rejects external interference
C. The ability to record only fast frequencies
D. The rejection of all biological signals
Common mode rejection allows the differential amplifier to cancel out signals that are identical at both
inputs, eliminating external interference while amplifying the difference between inputs.
,3
9. Which of the following is most attenuated by a low frequency filter of 1 Hz?
A. 0.5 Hz
B. 5 Hz
C. 10 Hz
D. 0.1 Hz
Low frequency filters (high pass filters) attenuate frequencies below their setting. A 1 Hz filter
significantly attenuates 0.1 Hz activity while allowing 5 Hz and 10 Hz to pass with minimal attenuation.
10. Time constant is defined as the time required:
A. For the deflection to reach peak amplitude
B. For the deflection to decay to 37% of peak deflection
C. For the filter to respond to input
D. For the amplifier to stabilize
The time constant represents the time required for a deflection to fall to 37% of its original amplitude,
determined by the resistance-capacitance coupling in the amplifier circuit.
11. A high frequency setting of 35Hz would attenuate 50Hz muscle activity by approximately what
percentage?
A. 10%
B. 30%
C. 40%
D. 70%
High frequency filters attenuate frequencies above their setting. A 35 Hz filter reduces 50 Hz activity by
approximately 40%, based on the filter's roll-off characteristics.
12. According to ACNS Guidelines, recording clinical EEG on digital media requires monitors to have:
A. 15 mm/second horizontal scaling
B. Between 25 and 35 mm/second horizontal scaling and a minimum of 100 data points/second
C. 50 mm/second horizontal scaling
D. Only 50 data points/second
ACNS guidelines specify that monitors must display EEG with appropriate horizontal scaling (25-35
mm/sec) and sufficient data points (minimum 100/sec) to accurately represent the signal without
distortion.
13. The filter creating a very narrow band pass that should rarely be used clinically is:
A. LF 5.0 and HF 70Hz
B. LF 5.0 and HF 15Hz
C. LF 0.1 and HF 70Hz
D. LF 0.1 and HF 15Hz
A narrow band pass of 5-15 Hz severely distorts EEG morphology by eliminating both slow and fast
frequencies and should only be used in rare circumstances such as determining sleep spindles.
, 4
14. During the recording of cerebral activity, the calibration input voltage is changed from 50uV to
100uV. What will be the result?
A. No effect on the activity being recorded
B. A two fold increase in amplitude
C. A one half reduction of amplitude
D. Clipping of the waveform
Changing calibration voltage only affects the calibration signal used to verify instrument accuracy and
does not alter the actual cerebral activity being recorded from the patient.
15. According to ACNS guidelines, the minimum sampling rate for EEG data should be at least
________ times the highest high frequency filter setting.
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
The Nyquist theorem requires sampling at least three times the highest frequency of interest to prevent
aliasing and accurately reconstruct the signal, ensuring appropriate high frequency representation.
16. In a record with 10Hz alpha activity, when the display epoch is changed from 10 seconds per
display screen to 20 seconds per display screen, the frequency of the activity will be:
A. 5 Hz
B. 10 Hz
C. 20 Hz
D. 15 Hz
Changing the display epoch compresses or expands the visual representation but does not alter the
actual frequency of the recorded physiological activity, which remains constant.
17. Guidelines for recording digital EEG are written by:
A. The American Medical Association
B. The American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
C. The FDA
D. The Epilepsy Foundation
ACNS establishes the standards and guidelines for digital EEG recording, including technical
specifications, montages, and recording parameters to ensure quality and consistency.
18. The term RAM means:
A. Readily Accessed Memory
B. Random Access Memory
C. Rapid Amplitude Modulation
D. Recording and Monitoring
RAM is temporary memory storage critical for rapid computer operations, allowing the system to quickly
access and process data during EEG acquisition and analysis.
EEG Study Guide for Registry 2026–2027 Latest Update | Comprehensive 250 +
Practice Questions, Detailed Answer Explanations, Complete Study Review &
Registry Exam Preparation Guide PDF
Exam Coverage Summary
This comprehensive EEG registry examination covers all essential domains including: basic electronics
and instrumentation (Ohm's law, filters, amplifiers, time constants, sensitivity calculations); electrode
placement and measurement (International 10-20 System, impedance, special electrodes); normal EEG
patterns across age groups (alpha, beta, theta, delta, sleep architecture); abnormal patterns and
epileptiform discharges (spike-wave, PLEDs, burst suppression); neurological disorders and their EEG
correlates (CJD, herpes encephalitis, hepatic encephalopathy); seizure classification and epileptic
syndromes (absence, juvenile myoclonic, Lennox-Gastaut); activation procedures (hyperventilation,
photic stimulation, sleep); medications and their EEG effects; digital EEG technology and ACNS
guidelines; artifacts and their identification; specialized recordings (ECI, neonatal, MSLT); and
neuroanatomy with vascular syndromes.
250 Multiple Choice Questions
1. The basic unit for measuring current flow is?
A. Ohm
B. Volt
C. Ampere
D. Coulomb
Current is measured in amperes (A), representing the rate of electron flow through a conductor, while
volts measure electromotive force and ohms measure resistance.
2. The basic unit of resistance is?
A. Ampere
B. Volt
C. Ohm
D. Watt
Resistance opposes current flow and is measured in ohms (Ω), named after Georg Ohm, and is calculated
as voltage divided by current according to Ohm's law.
3. Which of the following is not a valid expression of Ohm's law?
A. R=EI or R=VI
B. E=IR or V=IR
C. I=E/R or I=V/R
D. R=E/I or R=V/I
Ohm's law correctly states that voltage equals current times resistance (E=IR), current equals voltage
divided by resistance (I=E/R), and resistance equals voltage divided by current (R=E/I). The expression
R=EI incorrectly multiplies rather than divides.
,2
4. Which of the following is not a unit for measuring alternating frequencies?
A. Cycles per second
B. Volts
C. Hertz
D. Kilocycles
Frequency measures how many cycles occur per second, expressed in Hertz (Hz), cycles per second, or
kilocycles. Volts measure electrical potential or electromotive force, not frequency.
5. Which of the following describes the action of a capacitor?
A. Opposes changes in current flow
B. Converts alternating current to direct current
C. Creates direct current resistance
D. Stores energy
Capacitors store electrical energy in an electrostatic field between two conductive plates separated by an
insulator, releasing it when needed, making them essential for filtering and timing circuits.
6. A small fluctuating output recorded by the EEG instrument even when there is no input signal is
called:
A. Output voltage
B. Linear distortion
C. 60Hz interference
D. Noise
Noise represents unwanted electrical activity generated within the amplifier or electrodes that obscures
the actual cerebral signal and must be minimized for quality recordings.
7. The EEG amplifier is designed so that when input 1 is more negative than input 2, the deflection will
be?
A. Upward
B. Downward
C. No deflection
D. Variable depending on sensitivity
By convention, when input 1 (grid 1) is more negative relative to input 2 (grid 2), the differential amplifier
produces an upward deflection representing this voltage difference.
8. What is common mode rejection?
A. The amplification of all signals equally
B. The characteristic of an amplifier that rejects external interference
C. The ability to record only fast frequencies
D. The rejection of all biological signals
Common mode rejection allows the differential amplifier to cancel out signals that are identical at both
inputs, eliminating external interference while amplifying the difference between inputs.
,3
9. Which of the following is most attenuated by a low frequency filter of 1 Hz?
A. 0.5 Hz
B. 5 Hz
C. 10 Hz
D. 0.1 Hz
Low frequency filters (high pass filters) attenuate frequencies below their setting. A 1 Hz filter
significantly attenuates 0.1 Hz activity while allowing 5 Hz and 10 Hz to pass with minimal attenuation.
10. Time constant is defined as the time required:
A. For the deflection to reach peak amplitude
B. For the deflection to decay to 37% of peak deflection
C. For the filter to respond to input
D. For the amplifier to stabilize
The time constant represents the time required for a deflection to fall to 37% of its original amplitude,
determined by the resistance-capacitance coupling in the amplifier circuit.
11. A high frequency setting of 35Hz would attenuate 50Hz muscle activity by approximately what
percentage?
A. 10%
B. 30%
C. 40%
D. 70%
High frequency filters attenuate frequencies above their setting. A 35 Hz filter reduces 50 Hz activity by
approximately 40%, based on the filter's roll-off characteristics.
12. According to ACNS Guidelines, recording clinical EEG on digital media requires monitors to have:
A. 15 mm/second horizontal scaling
B. Between 25 and 35 mm/second horizontal scaling and a minimum of 100 data points/second
C. 50 mm/second horizontal scaling
D. Only 50 data points/second
ACNS guidelines specify that monitors must display EEG with appropriate horizontal scaling (25-35
mm/sec) and sufficient data points (minimum 100/sec) to accurately represent the signal without
distortion.
13. The filter creating a very narrow band pass that should rarely be used clinically is:
A. LF 5.0 and HF 70Hz
B. LF 5.0 and HF 15Hz
C. LF 0.1 and HF 70Hz
D. LF 0.1 and HF 15Hz
A narrow band pass of 5-15 Hz severely distorts EEG morphology by eliminating both slow and fast
frequencies and should only be used in rare circumstances such as determining sleep spindles.
, 4
14. During the recording of cerebral activity, the calibration input voltage is changed from 50uV to
100uV. What will be the result?
A. No effect on the activity being recorded
B. A two fold increase in amplitude
C. A one half reduction of amplitude
D. Clipping of the waveform
Changing calibration voltage only affects the calibration signal used to verify instrument accuracy and
does not alter the actual cerebral activity being recorded from the patient.
15. According to ACNS guidelines, the minimum sampling rate for EEG data should be at least
________ times the highest high frequency filter setting.
A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five
The Nyquist theorem requires sampling at least three times the highest frequency of interest to prevent
aliasing and accurately reconstruct the signal, ensuring appropriate high frequency representation.
16. In a record with 10Hz alpha activity, when the display epoch is changed from 10 seconds per
display screen to 20 seconds per display screen, the frequency of the activity will be:
A. 5 Hz
B. 10 Hz
C. 20 Hz
D. 15 Hz
Changing the display epoch compresses or expands the visual representation but does not alter the
actual frequency of the recorded physiological activity, which remains constant.
17. Guidelines for recording digital EEG are written by:
A. The American Medical Association
B. The American Clinical Neurophysiology Society
C. The FDA
D. The Epilepsy Foundation
ACNS establishes the standards and guidelines for digital EEG recording, including technical
specifications, montages, and recording parameters to ensure quality and consistency.
18. The term RAM means:
A. Readily Accessed Memory
B. Random Access Memory
C. Rapid Amplitude Modulation
D. Recording and Monitoring
RAM is temporary memory storage critical for rapid computer operations, allowing the system to quickly
access and process data during EEG acquisition and analysis.
