NR 509: ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT | REAL EXAM
2026/2027 | QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
VERSION
NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment
1. Q: What does the "S" in SOAP stand for? ANSWER Subjective
(what the patient tells you).
2. Q: What does the "O" in SOAP stand for? ANSWER Objective (what
you observe, measure, and test).
3. Q: What does the "A" in SOAP stand for? ANSWER Assessment
(your clinical judgment/diagnosis).
4. Q: What does the "P" in SOAP stand for? ANSWER Plan
(treatment, diagnostics, follow-up).
5. Q: What is a chief complaint (CC)? ANSWER The primary reason
for the visit in the patient's own words.
6. Q: What does HPI stand for? ANSWER History of Present Illness.
7. Q: What are the OLDCARTS mnemonics for HPI? ANSWER Onset,
Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating factors, Relieving
factors, Timing, Severity.
8. Q: What is a Review of Systems (ROS)? ANSWER A systematic
review of body systems to uncover silent symptoms.
,9. Q: What is a functional assessment? ANSWER Evaluating a
patient's ability to perform ADLs and IADLs.
10. Q: Give an example of an open-ended question. ANSWER "Tell me
more about your headache."
11. Q: Give an example of a closed-ended question. ANSWER "Do you
have a headache right now?"
12. Q: What is a leading question? ANSWER A question that suggests
the expected answer (e.g., "You don't smoke, do you?"). These
should be avoided.
13. Q: What does PQRST stand for? ANSWER Provocative/Palliative,
Quality, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing.
14. Q: What are ADLs? ANSWER Activities of Daily Living (bathing,
dressing, eating, toileting, transferring).
15. Q: What are IADLs? ANSWER Instrumental Activities of Daily
Living (cooking, cleaning, managing finances, driving).
16. Q: What is past medical history (PMH)? ANSWER Previous
illnesses, surgeries, hospitalizations, and chronic conditions.
17. Q: What is included in a family history? ANSWER The health
status of blood relatives to assess genetic or environmental risks.
18. Q: What is a social history? ANSWER Lifestyle factors like
occupation, diet, exercise, and substance use.
19. Q: Why do we ask about alcohol, tobacco, and drugs? ANSWER To
assess risk for disease, interactions, and need for interventions.
20. Q: What is the CAGE questionnaire used for? ANSWER
Screening for alcoholism (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-
opener).
21. Q: What is included in a medication review? ANSWER
Prescriptions, OTCs, herbal supplements, and vitamins.
22.Q: What is an allergy history? ANSWER Reactions to medications,
foods, or environmental factors (including type of reaction).
, 23.Q: What is a cultural consideration in assessment? ANSWER
Respecting beliefs, dietary habits, touch boundaries, and
communication styles.
24. Q: What is the difference between a sign and a symptom?
ANSWER A sign is objective/observable (e.g., rash); a symptom is
subjective (e.g., pain).
25. Q: What is a differential diagnosis? ANSWER A list of
possible conditions that could explain the patient's symptoms.
26.Q: What is the purpose of validation in history taking? ANSWER To
confirm the accuracy of data collected (e.g., "Let me make sure I
understand...").
27. Q: What is a health risk assessment? ANSWER Estimating a
patient's risk for specific diseases based on history and
demographics.
28. Q: What does "pertinent negatives" mean? ANSWER
Absence of a symptom that, if present, would help confirm a
diagnosis.
29.Q: What is a medical emergency based on history? ANSWER
Symptoms like chest pain with shortness of breath or signs of
stroke.
30. Q: What is informed consent? ANSWER The patient’s
understanding and agreement to a procedure after risks/benefits
are explained.
General Survey & Vital Signs (31-60)
31. Q: What does a general survey assess? ANSWER Overall
appearance, behavior, body build, and distress level.
32.Q: What is the normal resting heart rate for an adult? ANSWER 60
to 100 beats per minute.
33.Q: What is bradycardia? ANSWER Heart rate less than 60 bpm.
34. Q: What is tachycardia? ANSWER Heart rate greater than
100 bpm.
2026/2027 | QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST
VERSION
NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment
1. Q: What does the "S" in SOAP stand for? ANSWER Subjective
(what the patient tells you).
2. Q: What does the "O" in SOAP stand for? ANSWER Objective (what
you observe, measure, and test).
3. Q: What does the "A" in SOAP stand for? ANSWER Assessment
(your clinical judgment/diagnosis).
4. Q: What does the "P" in SOAP stand for? ANSWER Plan
(treatment, diagnostics, follow-up).
5. Q: What is a chief complaint (CC)? ANSWER The primary reason
for the visit in the patient's own words.
6. Q: What does HPI stand for? ANSWER History of Present Illness.
7. Q: What are the OLDCARTS mnemonics for HPI? ANSWER Onset,
Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating factors, Relieving
factors, Timing, Severity.
8. Q: What is a Review of Systems (ROS)? ANSWER A systematic
review of body systems to uncover silent symptoms.
,9. Q: What is a functional assessment? ANSWER Evaluating a
patient's ability to perform ADLs and IADLs.
10. Q: Give an example of an open-ended question. ANSWER "Tell me
more about your headache."
11. Q: Give an example of a closed-ended question. ANSWER "Do you
have a headache right now?"
12. Q: What is a leading question? ANSWER A question that suggests
the expected answer (e.g., "You don't smoke, do you?"). These
should be avoided.
13. Q: What does PQRST stand for? ANSWER Provocative/Palliative,
Quality, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing.
14. Q: What are ADLs? ANSWER Activities of Daily Living (bathing,
dressing, eating, toileting, transferring).
15. Q: What are IADLs? ANSWER Instrumental Activities of Daily
Living (cooking, cleaning, managing finances, driving).
16. Q: What is past medical history (PMH)? ANSWER Previous
illnesses, surgeries, hospitalizations, and chronic conditions.
17. Q: What is included in a family history? ANSWER The health
status of blood relatives to assess genetic or environmental risks.
18. Q: What is a social history? ANSWER Lifestyle factors like
occupation, diet, exercise, and substance use.
19. Q: Why do we ask about alcohol, tobacco, and drugs? ANSWER To
assess risk for disease, interactions, and need for interventions.
20. Q: What is the CAGE questionnaire used for? ANSWER
Screening for alcoholism (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-
opener).
21. Q: What is included in a medication review? ANSWER
Prescriptions, OTCs, herbal supplements, and vitamins.
22.Q: What is an allergy history? ANSWER Reactions to medications,
foods, or environmental factors (including type of reaction).
, 23.Q: What is a cultural consideration in assessment? ANSWER
Respecting beliefs, dietary habits, touch boundaries, and
communication styles.
24. Q: What is the difference between a sign and a symptom?
ANSWER A sign is objective/observable (e.g., rash); a symptom is
subjective (e.g., pain).
25. Q: What is a differential diagnosis? ANSWER A list of
possible conditions that could explain the patient's symptoms.
26.Q: What is the purpose of validation in history taking? ANSWER To
confirm the accuracy of data collected (e.g., "Let me make sure I
understand...").
27. Q: What is a health risk assessment? ANSWER Estimating a
patient's risk for specific diseases based on history and
demographics.
28. Q: What does "pertinent negatives" mean? ANSWER
Absence of a symptom that, if present, would help confirm a
diagnosis.
29.Q: What is a medical emergency based on history? ANSWER
Symptoms like chest pain with shortness of breath or signs of
stroke.
30. Q: What is informed consent? ANSWER The patient’s
understanding and agreement to a procedure after risks/benefits
are explained.
General Survey & Vital Signs (31-60)
31. Q: What does a general survey assess? ANSWER Overall
appearance, behavior, body build, and distress level.
32.Q: What is the normal resting heart rate for an adult? ANSWER 60
to 100 beats per minute.
33.Q: What is bradycardia? ANSWER Heart rate less than 60 bpm.
34. Q: What is tachycardia? ANSWER Heart rate greater than
100 bpm.
