SCOREBUILDER / PEAT EXAM CORE NCLEX-PN
/ NCLEX-RN READINESS REVIEW 2026
◉ A patient is referred to physical therapy after being diagnosed
with entrapment of the posterior interosseous nerve. Which finding
would be MOST anticipated based on the patient's diagnosis?
Answer: Weakness of the wrist extensors and finger extensors
◉ Weakness of the wrist flexors and finger flexors would be more
commonly associated with involvement
Answer: Ulnar and Median nerves
◉ A football player reports to physical therapy with a referral from
his primary care physician that reads "suspected partial biceps tear -
evaluate and treat." The patient sustained the injury two days ago
during practice. Which objective finding would be MOST consistent
with the patient's condition?
Answer: Pain with resisted forearm supination
The biceps muscle is a strong forearm supinator. As a result, resisted
forearm supination often produces pain due to the disruption of the
integrity of the biceps tendon. A patient with a small tear in the
biceps tendon may still be able to generate a significant amount of
force during resisted testing.
,◉ Resisted shoulder extension assesses which muscle groups
Answer: latissimus dorsi, subscapularis, posterior deltoid, and teres
minor
◉ A physical therapist discusses fitness parameters with a 30-year-
old patient who is five months pregnant. Assuming the patient has
not experienced any complications from her pregnancy, which of the
following would be the MOST appropriate exercise program for the
patient?
Answer: Mild to moderate walking program performed three times
per week
◉ A physical therapist prepares to complete a selected manual
muscle test on a patient with rotator cuff tendonitis by placing the
upper extremity in the recommended test position. The therapist
determines that the patient is unable to maintain the test position
and slowly allows the arm to sag. Which of the following muscle
grades is MOST consistent with this scenario?
Answer: Fair minus
A grade of fair minus is characterized by the patient being unable to
complete the full available range of motion against gravity, however,
can complete more than half of the range. If placed in the test
position, the patient will have insufficient strength to maintain the
position.
,◉ What MMT grade would be a good minus?
Answer: A grade of good minus is characterized by the patient
completing range of motion against gravity with minimal-moderate
resistance.
◉ A grade of fair would be considered what?
Answer: A grade of fair is characterized by the patient completing
range of motion against gravity without manual resistance.
◉ A patient is evaluated in physical therapy after sustaining brain
damage secondary to closed head trauma. When performing a
sensory examination, the therapist notes that the patient has
impaired stereognosis, two-point discrimination, and barognosis.
Which type of sensations are MOST representative of the patient's
impairments?
Answer: Combined cortical sensations
Combined cortical sensations include stereognosis, tactile
localization, two-point discrimination, double simultaneous
stimulation, graphesthesia, texture recognition, and barognosis.
◉ A physical therapist performs a gross range of motion screening
and determines a patient has excessive medial rotation and limited
, lateral rotation of the hip. Which alignment of the hip would be
MOST consistent with the identified findings?
Answer: 18 degrees of anteversion
Eighteen degrees of anteversion would be considered excessive
based on normal values. As a result, the patient would tend to
possess excessive medial rotation and limited lateral rotation of the
hip.
◉ A 65-year-old man attends physical therapy complaining of
progressive shortness of breath and lower leg swelling. During the
examination the physical therapist identifies signs of increased
jugular venous pressure, an S3 gallop, and moderate lower extremity
edema. On auscultation of the patient's lungs, which of the following
sounds would the therapist MOST expect to hear
Answer: Bilateral crackles
Patients in left ventricular failure often have cardiogenic pulmonary
edema due to an increase in hydrostatic pressure in the pulmonary
capillaries. Fluid initially accumulates in the airways, progresses to
the alveolar interstitium, and ultimately to the alveolar space.
Crackles or wet rales along with decreased breath sounds are
common auscultation findings.
◉ What is pleural rub?
/ NCLEX-RN READINESS REVIEW 2026
◉ A patient is referred to physical therapy after being diagnosed
with entrapment of the posterior interosseous nerve. Which finding
would be MOST anticipated based on the patient's diagnosis?
Answer: Weakness of the wrist extensors and finger extensors
◉ Weakness of the wrist flexors and finger flexors would be more
commonly associated with involvement
Answer: Ulnar and Median nerves
◉ A football player reports to physical therapy with a referral from
his primary care physician that reads "suspected partial biceps tear -
evaluate and treat." The patient sustained the injury two days ago
during practice. Which objective finding would be MOST consistent
with the patient's condition?
Answer: Pain with resisted forearm supination
The biceps muscle is a strong forearm supinator. As a result, resisted
forearm supination often produces pain due to the disruption of the
integrity of the biceps tendon. A patient with a small tear in the
biceps tendon may still be able to generate a significant amount of
force during resisted testing.
,◉ Resisted shoulder extension assesses which muscle groups
Answer: latissimus dorsi, subscapularis, posterior deltoid, and teres
minor
◉ A physical therapist discusses fitness parameters with a 30-year-
old patient who is five months pregnant. Assuming the patient has
not experienced any complications from her pregnancy, which of the
following would be the MOST appropriate exercise program for the
patient?
Answer: Mild to moderate walking program performed three times
per week
◉ A physical therapist prepares to complete a selected manual
muscle test on a patient with rotator cuff tendonitis by placing the
upper extremity in the recommended test position. The therapist
determines that the patient is unable to maintain the test position
and slowly allows the arm to sag. Which of the following muscle
grades is MOST consistent with this scenario?
Answer: Fair minus
A grade of fair minus is characterized by the patient being unable to
complete the full available range of motion against gravity, however,
can complete more than half of the range. If placed in the test
position, the patient will have insufficient strength to maintain the
position.
,◉ What MMT grade would be a good minus?
Answer: A grade of good minus is characterized by the patient
completing range of motion against gravity with minimal-moderate
resistance.
◉ A grade of fair would be considered what?
Answer: A grade of fair is characterized by the patient completing
range of motion against gravity without manual resistance.
◉ A patient is evaluated in physical therapy after sustaining brain
damage secondary to closed head trauma. When performing a
sensory examination, the therapist notes that the patient has
impaired stereognosis, two-point discrimination, and barognosis.
Which type of sensations are MOST representative of the patient's
impairments?
Answer: Combined cortical sensations
Combined cortical sensations include stereognosis, tactile
localization, two-point discrimination, double simultaneous
stimulation, graphesthesia, texture recognition, and barognosis.
◉ A physical therapist performs a gross range of motion screening
and determines a patient has excessive medial rotation and limited
, lateral rotation of the hip. Which alignment of the hip would be
MOST consistent with the identified findings?
Answer: 18 degrees of anteversion
Eighteen degrees of anteversion would be considered excessive
based on normal values. As a result, the patient would tend to
possess excessive medial rotation and limited lateral rotation of the
hip.
◉ A 65-year-old man attends physical therapy complaining of
progressive shortness of breath and lower leg swelling. During the
examination the physical therapist identifies signs of increased
jugular venous pressure, an S3 gallop, and moderate lower extremity
edema. On auscultation of the patient's lungs, which of the following
sounds would the therapist MOST expect to hear
Answer: Bilateral crackles
Patients in left ventricular failure often have cardiogenic pulmonary
edema due to an increase in hydrostatic pressure in the pulmonary
capillaries. Fluid initially accumulates in the airways, progresses to
the alveolar interstitium, and ultimately to the alveolar space.
Crackles or wet rales along with decreased breath sounds are
common auscultation findings.
◉ What is pleural rub?
