CCAC MODULE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS | CCAC MODULE STUDY GUIDE &
PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
what does CCAC stand for? - correct answer ✔✔Canadian Council on Animal Care
how should animals be handled upon arrival at the research facility? - correct answer ✔✔animals should
be examined carefully, placed into quarantine for at least one week
what is the importance of ventilation rates of 15 or more air changes/hour in an animal room? - correct
answer ✔✔to remove heat generated by animals, remove CO2 exhaled, remove ammonia from
urine/feces, remove airborne particles
name four things the principal investigator is responsible for - correct answer ✔✔considering non-
experimental variables, outlining need for controlling variables to all team members, considering
replacement/reduction/refinement alternatives, ensuring animal health quality before purchase
what is the principal investigator NOT responsible for - correct answer ✔✔ensuring consistent facility
environmental operations
what does environmental enrichment do? - correct answer ✔✔benefits the animal, benefits the animal
techs, affects experimental results, simple and inexpensive
-required by CCAC
what is a static microisolator rodent cage? - correct answer ✔✔disease barrier at the cage level
who can be a source of contamination of a disease-free colony? - correct answer ✔✔university vets,
visitors, physical plant workers, animal care techs
T or F scientific endpoints for a study should be reached before humane endpoints - correct answer
✔✔TRUE
T or F appropriate endpoints may be exceeded if another method of reducing pain and distress is
employed, so that useful scientific data may be collected and animals will not be wasted - correct answer
✔✔TRUE
T or F pilot studies using small numbers of animals should be used to define suitable human endpoints if
the outcome of a new procedure is unpredictable - correct answer ✔✔TRUE
T or F pilot studies should be used to identify technical problems that may develop in a novel procedure -
correct answer ✔✔TRUE
T or F pilot studies need to be reviewed by the institutional animal care committee not matter how little
or few animals will be used - correct answer ✔✔TRUE
,what is the primary criteria for choosing a method of euthanasia? - correct answer ✔✔rapid
unconsciousness and pain free application
what method of killing an animal after research is unacceptable? - correct answer ✔✔administration of
strychnine
-acceptable? exposure to CO2, immersion in MS 222, penetrating captive bolt, shooting with a firearm
what does animal welfare in regards to QOL of an animal refer to? - correct answer ✔✔biological
functioning, ability to express natural behaviors, how it perceives its present situation
what are metaethics? - correct answer ✔✔analytic ethics, investigates where ethical principles come
from and mean
what are normative ethics? - correct answer ✔✔substantive ethics, involves a more practical task to
arrive at moral standards
-right vs wrong, good vs bad
what are applied ethics? - correct answer ✔✔philosophical exam of problems in private and public life
matters of moral judgment
what is morality? - correct answer ✔✔distinction between right and wrong
what are the five marshall hall principles? - correct answer ✔✔1-no experiment takes place if
information can be gained by observation
2-experiments that result in fulfillment of clearly defined and attainable aims are to proceed
3-unnecessary repetition of an experiment should be avoided
4-all experiments must be conducted w a minimum of suffering
5-all physiological experiments should be witness by peers
T or F, at present there is not widely accepted comprehensive moral therory pertaining to research
involving lab animals - correct answer ✔✔TRUE
what does ACC stand for? - correct answer ✔✔animal care committees
to work safely with an experimental animal, a person should be able to? (name eight things) - correct
answer ✔✔-understand basic animal behavior
-appreciate flight zones
-understand how to communicate w the animal
-use appropriate restraint techniques
-use restraint equipment properly
-identify any animals that may be unpredictablee
-wear appropriate PPE
-maintain vaccine status
what is the CCAC assessment and certiication committee? - correct answer ✔✔a standing committee
that reviews all CCAC assessment reports and institutional implementation reports
-makes final decisions of each institution in the program
, when is the recommending start time for the conditioning period? - correct answer ✔✔after transport
to the lab (usually one or two weeks) is an excellent time to begin
-conditioning animal to accept restraint device is important to minimize risk of injury to all involved
the tetanus vaccine is helpful for? - correct answer ✔✔minimizing risk from animal bites or needle sticks
the rabies vaccine is helpful for? - correct answer ✔✔protect from animals that may be infected
what is zoonosis? - correct answer ✔✔a disease of animals that may under natural conditions be
transmitted to humans
name four common routes of exposure to infectious organisms - correct answer ✔✔1-aerosol
2-ingestion
3-absorption
4-injection
what is rat bite fever? - correct answer ✔✔-streptobacillus moniliformis (gram - bacteria)
-'haverhill' fever
-reservoir: rats
-transmission: animal bite, secretions (mouth, nose, eye)
-incubation period: 3-10 days
-clinical disease: initial bite heals, fever, vomiting, headache, joints pains, rash
-epidemiology: uncommon in North America
-communicability: not person to person transmission
what is ringworm or dermatomycosis? - correct answer ✔✔a fungal infection of skin caused by
Microsporum spp, Trichophyton spp
-reservoir: domestic and wild animals, humans
-transmission: direct/indirect contact w skin lesions, infected hair, fomites
-incubation period: 4-10 days
-clinical disease: fungi infect keratin body areas (hair, skin nails), round lesion of scaling skin, hair
loss/breaking
-communicability: person to person if lesions present
-diagnosis, prevent: confirm by skin scrapings/culture, many treatments
what is rabies? - correct answer ✔✔rhabdovirus or hydrophobia that can infect any mammal including
humans
-reservoir: wild, domestic animals (dogs, cats, foxes, bats, skunks)
-transmission: bite introduces virus from saliva, can be airborne in caves
-incubation period: a few weeks, up to and >1 year, surrounding nerves influence this
-clinical disease: less than 10 days, respiratory paralysis, behavior change, spasm of swallow muscles,
delirium, weakness
-epidemiology: worldwide distribution
-communicability: infected shed virus for few days before c/s, from then until death it is infectious
-dx and prevent: vaccine! HDCV vx, need first aid ASAP, flush wound, antiseptics, ++vx
what is Q fever or Query fever or Rickettsia? - correct answer ✔✔Coxiella burnetii (intracellular bateria)
PRACTICE TEST 2026/2027
what does CCAC stand for? - correct answer ✔✔Canadian Council on Animal Care
how should animals be handled upon arrival at the research facility? - correct answer ✔✔animals should
be examined carefully, placed into quarantine for at least one week
what is the importance of ventilation rates of 15 or more air changes/hour in an animal room? - correct
answer ✔✔to remove heat generated by animals, remove CO2 exhaled, remove ammonia from
urine/feces, remove airborne particles
name four things the principal investigator is responsible for - correct answer ✔✔considering non-
experimental variables, outlining need for controlling variables to all team members, considering
replacement/reduction/refinement alternatives, ensuring animal health quality before purchase
what is the principal investigator NOT responsible for - correct answer ✔✔ensuring consistent facility
environmental operations
what does environmental enrichment do? - correct answer ✔✔benefits the animal, benefits the animal
techs, affects experimental results, simple and inexpensive
-required by CCAC
what is a static microisolator rodent cage? - correct answer ✔✔disease barrier at the cage level
who can be a source of contamination of a disease-free colony? - correct answer ✔✔university vets,
visitors, physical plant workers, animal care techs
T or F scientific endpoints for a study should be reached before humane endpoints - correct answer
✔✔TRUE
T or F appropriate endpoints may be exceeded if another method of reducing pain and distress is
employed, so that useful scientific data may be collected and animals will not be wasted - correct answer
✔✔TRUE
T or F pilot studies using small numbers of animals should be used to define suitable human endpoints if
the outcome of a new procedure is unpredictable - correct answer ✔✔TRUE
T or F pilot studies should be used to identify technical problems that may develop in a novel procedure -
correct answer ✔✔TRUE
T or F pilot studies need to be reviewed by the institutional animal care committee not matter how little
or few animals will be used - correct answer ✔✔TRUE
,what is the primary criteria for choosing a method of euthanasia? - correct answer ✔✔rapid
unconsciousness and pain free application
what method of killing an animal after research is unacceptable? - correct answer ✔✔administration of
strychnine
-acceptable? exposure to CO2, immersion in MS 222, penetrating captive bolt, shooting with a firearm
what does animal welfare in regards to QOL of an animal refer to? - correct answer ✔✔biological
functioning, ability to express natural behaviors, how it perceives its present situation
what are metaethics? - correct answer ✔✔analytic ethics, investigates where ethical principles come
from and mean
what are normative ethics? - correct answer ✔✔substantive ethics, involves a more practical task to
arrive at moral standards
-right vs wrong, good vs bad
what are applied ethics? - correct answer ✔✔philosophical exam of problems in private and public life
matters of moral judgment
what is morality? - correct answer ✔✔distinction between right and wrong
what are the five marshall hall principles? - correct answer ✔✔1-no experiment takes place if
information can be gained by observation
2-experiments that result in fulfillment of clearly defined and attainable aims are to proceed
3-unnecessary repetition of an experiment should be avoided
4-all experiments must be conducted w a minimum of suffering
5-all physiological experiments should be witness by peers
T or F, at present there is not widely accepted comprehensive moral therory pertaining to research
involving lab animals - correct answer ✔✔TRUE
what does ACC stand for? - correct answer ✔✔animal care committees
to work safely with an experimental animal, a person should be able to? (name eight things) - correct
answer ✔✔-understand basic animal behavior
-appreciate flight zones
-understand how to communicate w the animal
-use appropriate restraint techniques
-use restraint equipment properly
-identify any animals that may be unpredictablee
-wear appropriate PPE
-maintain vaccine status
what is the CCAC assessment and certiication committee? - correct answer ✔✔a standing committee
that reviews all CCAC assessment reports and institutional implementation reports
-makes final decisions of each institution in the program
, when is the recommending start time for the conditioning period? - correct answer ✔✔after transport
to the lab (usually one or two weeks) is an excellent time to begin
-conditioning animal to accept restraint device is important to minimize risk of injury to all involved
the tetanus vaccine is helpful for? - correct answer ✔✔minimizing risk from animal bites or needle sticks
the rabies vaccine is helpful for? - correct answer ✔✔protect from animals that may be infected
what is zoonosis? - correct answer ✔✔a disease of animals that may under natural conditions be
transmitted to humans
name four common routes of exposure to infectious organisms - correct answer ✔✔1-aerosol
2-ingestion
3-absorption
4-injection
what is rat bite fever? - correct answer ✔✔-streptobacillus moniliformis (gram - bacteria)
-'haverhill' fever
-reservoir: rats
-transmission: animal bite, secretions (mouth, nose, eye)
-incubation period: 3-10 days
-clinical disease: initial bite heals, fever, vomiting, headache, joints pains, rash
-epidemiology: uncommon in North America
-communicability: not person to person transmission
what is ringworm or dermatomycosis? - correct answer ✔✔a fungal infection of skin caused by
Microsporum spp, Trichophyton spp
-reservoir: domestic and wild animals, humans
-transmission: direct/indirect contact w skin lesions, infected hair, fomites
-incubation period: 4-10 days
-clinical disease: fungi infect keratin body areas (hair, skin nails), round lesion of scaling skin, hair
loss/breaking
-communicability: person to person if lesions present
-diagnosis, prevent: confirm by skin scrapings/culture, many treatments
what is rabies? - correct answer ✔✔rhabdovirus or hydrophobia that can infect any mammal including
humans
-reservoir: wild, domestic animals (dogs, cats, foxes, bats, skunks)
-transmission: bite introduces virus from saliva, can be airborne in caves
-incubation period: a few weeks, up to and >1 year, surrounding nerves influence this
-clinical disease: less than 10 days, respiratory paralysis, behavior change, spasm of swallow muscles,
delirium, weakness
-epidemiology: worldwide distribution
-communicability: infected shed virus for few days before c/s, from then until death it is infectious
-dx and prevent: vaccine! HDCV vx, need first aid ASAP, flush wound, antiseptics, ++vx
what is Q fever or Query fever or Rickettsia? - correct answer ✔✔Coxiella burnetii (intracellular bateria)
