Page |1
NU 136 Exam 2 ACTUAL EXAM [ QUESTION 1- 200] AND
ANSWERS UPDATED 2026/2027| 100% VERIFIED|DETAILED
RATIONALES –PASS GUARANTEED A+ GRADED |INSTANT
DOWNLOAD
Introduction:
**This original NU 136 Exam 2 practice set focuses on the four foundational techniques of
physical examination: inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. The questions
emphasize clinical reasoning, proper examination sequence, patient positioning, technique
selection, normal versus abnormal findings, and interpretation of findings in a patient-care
context. Rather than functioning as a brain dump, the questions are designed as original
educational practice material around commonly taught physical-assessment objectives.
Candidates are challenged to identify the most appropriate assessment technique, recognize
significant findings, distinguish expected from unexpected findings, and determine the
appropriate next assessment action. Mastery of these skills is important because accurate
physical examination provides objective information that supports clinical decision-making and
helps identify changes in a patient's condition. Working through scenario-based questions can
strengthen prioritization, observation, documentation, and interpretation skills. Use each
rationale as a learning opportunity: understand not only which answer is correct, but also why
the alternatives are less appropriate. This approach helps build the clinical judgment needed for
examinations and supervised patient assessment.**
Core Domains Covered:
1. Inspection: Systematic visual assessment of the patient's appearance, symmetry, color,
movement, posture, skin, and visible characteristics.
2. Palpation: Assessment using the hands to evaluate temperature, texture, tenderness, masses,
consistency, pulses, and organ characteristics.
3. Percussion: Use of tapping techniques to assess underlying tissue density and identify
expected or abnormal sounds.
4. Auscultation: Correct use of the stethoscope to identify and interpret normal and abnormal
sounds from the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and vascular systems.
5. Examination Sequence and Technique: Correct ordering and performance of assessment
techniques while maintaining patient comfort, privacy, and safety.
6. Clinical Interpretation: Differentiation of expected findings from findings that require further
assessment or intervention.
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7. Documentation and Clinical Reasoning: Accurate recording of objective findings and
integration of assessment data into appropriate clinical decisions.
QUESTIONS 1–100
Question 1
During a general physical examination, the nurse observes the patient's posture, facial
expression, skin color, body symmetry, and level of distress before touching the patient. Which
assessment technique is being used?
A) Palpation
B) Inspection
C) Percussion
D) Auscultation
Rationale: Inspection is the systematic visual examination of the patient. It begins as soon as the
healthcare professional observes the patient's general appearance and continues throughout the
examination. Palpation involves touching, percussion involves tapping, and auscultation
involves listening to body sounds.
Question 2
A nurse is preparing to assess a patient's abdomen. Which sequence is generally most
appropriate?
A) Palpation, percussion, inspection, auscultation
B) Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
C) Auscultation, palpation, inspection, percussion
D) Percussion, palpation, auscultation, inspection
Rationale: Abdominal assessment is performed in the sequence inspection, auscultation,
percussion, and palpation. Auscultation is performed before percussion and palpation because
manipulating the abdomen can alter bowel sounds. The other sequences can interfere with
accurate assessment.
Question 3
A patient reports abdominal discomfort. The nurse first visually examines the abdomen for
contour, symmetry, scars, distention, and visible movement. Which technique is being applied?
A) Deep palpation
B) Percussion
C) Auscultation
D) Inspection
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Rationale: Inspection provides visual information before physical manipulation. Abdominal
contour, symmetry, scars, distention, and visible peristalsis are examples of findings obtained
through inspection.
Question 4
Which palpation technique is most appropriate for initially assessing a tender area?
A) Deep palpation
B) Light palpation
C) Bimanual palpation
D) Firm percussion
Rationale: Light palpation is generally performed first to identify tenderness, superficial
abnormalities, and muscle guarding. Deep palpation is performed later when appropriate.
Beginning with deep pressure may increase discomfort and cause guarding.
Question 5
While assessing the abdomen, the nurse notes involuntary tightening of the abdominal muscles
when the area is touched. What does this finding most appropriately suggest?
A) Normal bowel activity
B) Hyperresonance
C) Guarding
D) Crepitus
Rationale: Guarding is tightening of abdominal muscles in response to palpation and may occur
with abdominal irritation or pain. Hyperresonance is a percussion sound, while crepitus
describes a crackling sensation or sound associated with air in tissues or certain joint findings.
Question 6
Which finding is best assessed through palpation rather than inspection?
A) Skin color
B) Body symmetry
C) Facial expression
D) Skin temperature
Rationale: Skin temperature is assessed by touch, making palpation the appropriate technique.
Skin color, symmetry, and facial expression are primarily inspection findings.
Question 7
, Page |4
A nurse uses the fingertips to determine whether a cervical lymph node is enlarged, mobile, firm,
or tender. Which technique is being used?
A) Inspection
B) Palpation
C) Percussion
D) Auscultation
Rationale: Palpation allows the examiner to evaluate size, consistency, mobility, and tenderness
of structures such as lymph nodes. Inspection alone cannot adequately determine these
characteristics.
Question 8
A nurse taps over a patient's chest and hears a relatively hollow sound produced by air-
containing lung tissue. Which percussion note is expected?
A) Flatness
B) Dullness
C) Resonance
D) Tympany
Rationale: Resonance is the expected percussion sound over normal, air-filled lung tissue.
Dullness is associated with denser tissue or fluid, flatness is expected over very dense structures
such as bone, and tympany is typically associated with air-filled hollow organs.
Question 9
The nurse percusses over an area of the lung and obtains a dull rather than resonant sound. What
should the nurse recognize?
A) The finding always indicates normal lung tissue
B) Dullness proves pneumothorax
C) The finding may indicate increased tissue density or fluid
D) The finding confirms excessive gastrointestinal gas
Rationale: Dullness may occur when normal air-filled lung tissue is replaced or displaced by
denser material such as fluid or consolidation. It does not by itself establish a diagnosis.
Pneumothorax more commonly produces hyperresonance, while tympany is associated with
hollow, air-filled structures.
Question 10
Which percussion sound is normally expected over a large air-filled stomach?
NU 136 Exam 2 ACTUAL EXAM [ QUESTION 1- 200] AND
ANSWERS UPDATED 2026/2027| 100% VERIFIED|DETAILED
RATIONALES –PASS GUARANTEED A+ GRADED |INSTANT
DOWNLOAD
Introduction:
**This original NU 136 Exam 2 practice set focuses on the four foundational techniques of
physical examination: inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. The questions
emphasize clinical reasoning, proper examination sequence, patient positioning, technique
selection, normal versus abnormal findings, and interpretation of findings in a patient-care
context. Rather than functioning as a brain dump, the questions are designed as original
educational practice material around commonly taught physical-assessment objectives.
Candidates are challenged to identify the most appropriate assessment technique, recognize
significant findings, distinguish expected from unexpected findings, and determine the
appropriate next assessment action. Mastery of these skills is important because accurate
physical examination provides objective information that supports clinical decision-making and
helps identify changes in a patient's condition. Working through scenario-based questions can
strengthen prioritization, observation, documentation, and interpretation skills. Use each
rationale as a learning opportunity: understand not only which answer is correct, but also why
the alternatives are less appropriate. This approach helps build the clinical judgment needed for
examinations and supervised patient assessment.**
Core Domains Covered:
1. Inspection: Systematic visual assessment of the patient's appearance, symmetry, color,
movement, posture, skin, and visible characteristics.
2. Palpation: Assessment using the hands to evaluate temperature, texture, tenderness, masses,
consistency, pulses, and organ characteristics.
3. Percussion: Use of tapping techniques to assess underlying tissue density and identify
expected or abnormal sounds.
4. Auscultation: Correct use of the stethoscope to identify and interpret normal and abnormal
sounds from the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and vascular systems.
5. Examination Sequence and Technique: Correct ordering and performance of assessment
techniques while maintaining patient comfort, privacy, and safety.
6. Clinical Interpretation: Differentiation of expected findings from findings that require further
assessment or intervention.
,Page |2
7. Documentation and Clinical Reasoning: Accurate recording of objective findings and
integration of assessment data into appropriate clinical decisions.
QUESTIONS 1–100
Question 1
During a general physical examination, the nurse observes the patient's posture, facial
expression, skin color, body symmetry, and level of distress before touching the patient. Which
assessment technique is being used?
A) Palpation
B) Inspection
C) Percussion
D) Auscultation
Rationale: Inspection is the systematic visual examination of the patient. It begins as soon as the
healthcare professional observes the patient's general appearance and continues throughout the
examination. Palpation involves touching, percussion involves tapping, and auscultation
involves listening to body sounds.
Question 2
A nurse is preparing to assess a patient's abdomen. Which sequence is generally most
appropriate?
A) Palpation, percussion, inspection, auscultation
B) Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
C) Auscultation, palpation, inspection, percussion
D) Percussion, palpation, auscultation, inspection
Rationale: Abdominal assessment is performed in the sequence inspection, auscultation,
percussion, and palpation. Auscultation is performed before percussion and palpation because
manipulating the abdomen can alter bowel sounds. The other sequences can interfere with
accurate assessment.
Question 3
A patient reports abdominal discomfort. The nurse first visually examines the abdomen for
contour, symmetry, scars, distention, and visible movement. Which technique is being applied?
A) Deep palpation
B) Percussion
C) Auscultation
D) Inspection
,Page |3
Rationale: Inspection provides visual information before physical manipulation. Abdominal
contour, symmetry, scars, distention, and visible peristalsis are examples of findings obtained
through inspection.
Question 4
Which palpation technique is most appropriate for initially assessing a tender area?
A) Deep palpation
B) Light palpation
C) Bimanual palpation
D) Firm percussion
Rationale: Light palpation is generally performed first to identify tenderness, superficial
abnormalities, and muscle guarding. Deep palpation is performed later when appropriate.
Beginning with deep pressure may increase discomfort and cause guarding.
Question 5
While assessing the abdomen, the nurse notes involuntary tightening of the abdominal muscles
when the area is touched. What does this finding most appropriately suggest?
A) Normal bowel activity
B) Hyperresonance
C) Guarding
D) Crepitus
Rationale: Guarding is tightening of abdominal muscles in response to palpation and may occur
with abdominal irritation or pain. Hyperresonance is a percussion sound, while crepitus
describes a crackling sensation or sound associated with air in tissues or certain joint findings.
Question 6
Which finding is best assessed through palpation rather than inspection?
A) Skin color
B) Body symmetry
C) Facial expression
D) Skin temperature
Rationale: Skin temperature is assessed by touch, making palpation the appropriate technique.
Skin color, symmetry, and facial expression are primarily inspection findings.
Question 7
, Page |4
A nurse uses the fingertips to determine whether a cervical lymph node is enlarged, mobile, firm,
or tender. Which technique is being used?
A) Inspection
B) Palpation
C) Percussion
D) Auscultation
Rationale: Palpation allows the examiner to evaluate size, consistency, mobility, and tenderness
of structures such as lymph nodes. Inspection alone cannot adequately determine these
characteristics.
Question 8
A nurse taps over a patient's chest and hears a relatively hollow sound produced by air-
containing lung tissue. Which percussion note is expected?
A) Flatness
B) Dullness
C) Resonance
D) Tympany
Rationale: Resonance is the expected percussion sound over normal, air-filled lung tissue.
Dullness is associated with denser tissue or fluid, flatness is expected over very dense structures
such as bone, and tympany is typically associated with air-filled hollow organs.
Question 9
The nurse percusses over an area of the lung and obtains a dull rather than resonant sound. What
should the nurse recognize?
A) The finding always indicates normal lung tissue
B) Dullness proves pneumothorax
C) The finding may indicate increased tissue density or fluid
D) The finding confirms excessive gastrointestinal gas
Rationale: Dullness may occur when normal air-filled lung tissue is replaced or displaced by
denser material such as fluid or consolidation. It does not by itself establish a diagnosis.
Pneumothorax more commonly produces hyperresonance, while tympany is associated with
hollow, air-filled structures.
Question 10
Which percussion sound is normally expected over a large air-filled stomach?
