WGU D443 HEALTH ASSESSMENT OA EXAM – QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS | PLUS
RATIONALES | GUARANTEED PASS | 2026/27 LATEST UPDATE |
EXAM PREP | STUDY GUIDE | PRACTICE TEST
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–50
1. The nurse is performing a general survey on an older adult client. Which finding is considered a normal
age‑related change?
A. Increased height
B. Widened gait with increased base of support
C. Decreased thoracic kyphosis
D. Rapid, bounding pulse
Correct Answer: B. Widened gait with increased base of support
Rationale: Normal aging often brings a wider base of support for stability, increased thoracic kyphosis,
decreased height, and a slightly slower heart rate. A widened gait is a compensatory mechanism to maintain
,balance as posture and muscle tone change with age .
2. The nurse is assessing a client’s skin and notes a raised, well‑circumscribed lesion filled with purulent
fluid. This is documented as a:
A. Macule
B. Papule
C. Vesicle
D. Pustule
Correct Answer: D. Pustule
Rationale: A pustule is a raised, circumscribed lesion containing purulent material, commonly seen in acne or
impetigo. A vesicle contains serous fluid, a macule is flat, and a papule is a solid, raised lesion .
3. To assess cranial nerve VII (facial nerve), the nurse asks the client to:
A. Shrug the shoulders against resistance
B. Smile, raise eyebrows, and close eyes tightly
,C. Stick out the tongue
D. Follow a moving object with the eyes
Correct Answer: B. Smile, raise eyebrows, and close eyes tightly
Rationale: Cranial nerve VII controls facial expression; symmetry during these maneuvers assesses motor
function. Shoulder shrug tests CN XI (spinal accessory), tongue movement tests CN XII (hypoglossal), and
following an object tests extraocular muscles (CN III, IV, VI) .
4. When palpating the client’s neck, the nurse finds a small, mobile, non‑tender lymph node. The most
appropriate action is to:
A. Notify the provider immediately
B. Document as a normal finding
C. Refer for biopsy
D. Start antibiotics
Correct Answer: B. Document as a normal finding
Rationale: Small (<1 cm), mobile, non‑tender lymph nodes are often normal findings. Malignant nodes are
typically hard, fixed, and non‑tender, while infected nodes are tender and enlarged .
, 5. The nurse is preparing to auscultate the abdomen. The correct order of abdominal assessment is:
A. Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
B. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
C. Auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
D. Palpation, auscultation, inspection, percussion
Correct Answer: B. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
Rationale: Auscultation is performed before palpation and percussion in the abdomen because these
maneuvers can alter bowel sounds. The correct sequence is inspection first, then auscultation, followed by
percussion, and palpation last .
6. The nurse is assessing a client’s mental status and asks the client to count backward from 100 by
sevens. This test evaluates:
A. Remote memory
B. Attention and calculation
C. Abstract reasoning
D. Judgment
ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS | PLUS
RATIONALES | GUARANTEED PASS | 2026/27 LATEST UPDATE |
EXAM PREP | STUDY GUIDE | PRACTICE TEST
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1–50
1. The nurse is performing a general survey on an older adult client. Which finding is considered a normal
age‑related change?
A. Increased height
B. Widened gait with increased base of support
C. Decreased thoracic kyphosis
D. Rapid, bounding pulse
Correct Answer: B. Widened gait with increased base of support
Rationale: Normal aging often brings a wider base of support for stability, increased thoracic kyphosis,
decreased height, and a slightly slower heart rate. A widened gait is a compensatory mechanism to maintain
,balance as posture and muscle tone change with age .
2. The nurse is assessing a client’s skin and notes a raised, well‑circumscribed lesion filled with purulent
fluid. This is documented as a:
A. Macule
B. Papule
C. Vesicle
D. Pustule
Correct Answer: D. Pustule
Rationale: A pustule is a raised, circumscribed lesion containing purulent material, commonly seen in acne or
impetigo. A vesicle contains serous fluid, a macule is flat, and a papule is a solid, raised lesion .
3. To assess cranial nerve VII (facial nerve), the nurse asks the client to:
A. Shrug the shoulders against resistance
B. Smile, raise eyebrows, and close eyes tightly
,C. Stick out the tongue
D. Follow a moving object with the eyes
Correct Answer: B. Smile, raise eyebrows, and close eyes tightly
Rationale: Cranial nerve VII controls facial expression; symmetry during these maneuvers assesses motor
function. Shoulder shrug tests CN XI (spinal accessory), tongue movement tests CN XII (hypoglossal), and
following an object tests extraocular muscles (CN III, IV, VI) .
4. When palpating the client’s neck, the nurse finds a small, mobile, non‑tender lymph node. The most
appropriate action is to:
A. Notify the provider immediately
B. Document as a normal finding
C. Refer for biopsy
D. Start antibiotics
Correct Answer: B. Document as a normal finding
Rationale: Small (<1 cm), mobile, non‑tender lymph nodes are often normal findings. Malignant nodes are
typically hard, fixed, and non‑tender, while infected nodes are tender and enlarged .
, 5. The nurse is preparing to auscultate the abdomen. The correct order of abdominal assessment is:
A. Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
B. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
C. Auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
D. Palpation, auscultation, inspection, percussion
Correct Answer: B. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
Rationale: Auscultation is performed before palpation and percussion in the abdomen because these
maneuvers can alter bowel sounds. The correct sequence is inspection first, then auscultation, followed by
percussion, and palpation last .
6. The nurse is assessing a client’s mental status and asks the client to count backward from 100 by
sevens. This test evaluates:
A. Remote memory
B. Attention and calculation
C. Abstract reasoning
D. Judgment
