Advanced Physical Assessment | 200+ Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed Rationales
INTRODUCTION
The NR509 Advanced Physical Assessment final exam is the culminating assessment for
Chamberlain University's graduate nursing course, covering advanced physical examination
techniques, diagnostic reasoning, and comprehensive health assessment across the lifespan .
This comprehensive question bank contains 200+ practice questions with verified answers and
detailed rationales, updated for the 2025/2026 academic year .
Exam Content Areas
Section Topics Covered
Section 1 Advanced Health History & Interviewing (OLDCARTS, ROS, PH 2, CAGE, HEADSSS)
Section 2 Mental Status, Psychiatric & Substance Use Assessment (MM Mini-Cog, CAM, PHQ-9, CAGE,
suicide assessment)
,Section Topics Covered
Section 3 Skin, Hair, Nails & Lymphatics (ABCDE melanoma, shingles, Lyme, clubbing,
lymphadenopathy)
Section 4 HEENT (retinal detachment, nystagmus, anisocoria, Horner, Marcus Gunn, BPPV, temporal
arteritis)
Section 5 Cardiovascular (JVP, S3/S4, murmurs (AS, MR, AR), pulsus paradoxus, ABI, orthostatic
hypotension, DVT)
Section 6 Respiratory (percussion notes, crackles, egophony, stridor, PE pneumothorax, sarcoidosis)
Section 7 Abdominal/GI (appendicitis, cholecystitis, Murphy sign, caput medusae, asterixis, bowel
sounds, melena)
Section 8 Musculoskeletal (OA vs RA, gout, herniated disc, rotator cuff, carpal tunnel, ACL, meniscus,
Trendelenburg)
Section 9 Neurologic (stroke localization, aphasia, cerebellar signs, meningitis, Kernig/Brudzinski, UMN
vs LMN, myasthenia)
Section 10 Genitourinary & Reproductive (BPH, pelvic exam, testicular mass, vaginitis, STIs, breast
exam)
, SECTION 1: ADVANCED HEALTH HISTORY & INTERVIEWING
TECHNIQUES (Questions 1-25)
Question 1: A patient presents with chest pain. Which question is most appropriate to
ask first when using the OLDCARTS mnemonic?
A) "On a scale of 0 to 10, how severe is your pain?"
B) "When did the pain start?"
C) "What makes the pain better or worse?"
D) "Does the pain go anywhere else?"
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: OLDCARTS begins with Onset. Determining when symptoms started helps establish
the timeline and urgency. Severity, radiation, and aggravating factors are assessed
subsequently .
Key Concept: OLDCARTS = Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating/Alleviating
factors, Radiation, Timing, Severity.
Difficulty: Easy
Question 2: A 45-year-old patient reports episodic palpitations. Which component of the
history is most critical to assess?