GERO-BC — Gerontological Nursing Board
Certified Exam| YEAR 2026–2027 |
Comprehensive 150-Question Practice Test with
Answers & Rationales| Free Pdf Access Study
Master | Already Graded A+.
1. Aging Physiology
1. An older adult asks which physiologic change is expected with normal aging. Which
response is most accurate?
A. Increased total body water
B. Increased renal blood flow
C. Decreased skin elasticity
D. Increased pulmonary reserve
Answer: C. Decreased skin elasticity
Rationale: Normal aging causes reduced collagen and elastin, producing thinner, less elastic
skin. Total body water, renal blood flow, and pulmonary reserve generally decrease.
2. Which cardiovascular change is commonly associated with normal aging?
A. Increased arterial compliance
B. Increased arterial stiffness
C. Increased maximal cardiac output
D. Increased beta-adrenergic responsiveness
Answer: B. Increased arterial stiffness
Rationale: Aging is associated with arterial stiffening and reduced vascular compliance,
contributing to increased systolic blood pressure and widened pulse pressure.
,3. An older adult has a decreased glomerular filtration rate. Which implication is most
important?
A. Drugs may be eliminated more slowly
B. All medications should automatically be discontinued
C. Creatinine will always be markedly elevated
D. Renal function improves with age
Answer: A. Drugs may be eliminated more slowly
Rationale: Reduced renal function can decrease medication clearance and increase the risk of
drug accumulation and adverse effects.
4. Which change commonly occurs in the respiratory system with aging?
A. Increased vital capacity
B. Increased chest-wall compliance
C. Decreased elastic recoil
D. Increased maximal expiratory flow
Answer: C. Decreased elastic recoil
Rationale: Aging causes loss of pulmonary elastic recoil and changes in chest-wall mechanics,
reducing respiratory reserve.
5. An older adult reports difficulty reading small print but can see distant objects clearly. This
is most consistent with:
A. Presbyopia
B. Presbycusis
C. Cataract
D. Glaucoma
Answer: A. Presbyopia
Rationale: Presbyopia is an age-related loss of near focusing ability caused primarily by reduced
lens accommodation.
,6. Which sensory change is most characteristic of presbycusis?
A. Conductive hearing loss affecting low frequencies
B. Sensorineural hearing loss, often affecting high frequencies
C. Sudden complete deafness
D. Improved hearing of high-frequency sounds
Answer: B. Sensorineural hearing loss, often affecting high frequencies
Rationale: Presbycusis is an age-related sensorineural hearing loss that commonly begins with
difficulty hearing higher-frequency sounds.
7. Which finding is most concerning for an abnormal cognitive change rather than normal
aging?
A. Occasionally forgetting a name and remembering it later
B. Taking longer to learn new information
C. Progressive inability to manage medications independently
D. Needing additional time to recall information
Answer: C. Progressive inability to manage medications independently
Rationale: Progressive loss of instrumental activities of daily living suggests clinically significant
cognitive impairment.
8. Which statement about normal aging is correct?
A. Dementia is an inevitable consequence of aging
B. Depression is unavoidable in older adults
C. Some cognitive slowing can occur without dementia
D. Delirium is normal in hospitalized older adults
Answer: C. Some cognitive slowing can occur without dementia
Rationale: Processing speed may decrease with age, but significant functional decline or
progressive cognitive impairment requires evaluation.
9. Which age-related change increases the risk of orthostatic hypotension?
, A. Increased baroreceptor sensitivity
B. Reduced baroreceptor responsiveness
C. Increased total body water
D. Increased sympathetic reserve
Answer: B. Reduced baroreceptor responsiveness
Rationale: Aging reduces autonomic responsiveness, making blood-pressure adaptation to
position changes less effective.
10. Which intervention best reduces age-related skin injury?
A. Vigorous massage over bony prominences
B. Frequent assessment and pressure redistribution
C. Restricting all fluids
D. Using very hot water for bathing
Answer: B. Frequent assessment and pressure redistribution
Rationale: Older skin is thinner and more vulnerable to injury. Pressure redistribution, moisture
management, nutrition, and regular assessment reduce risk.
11–25: Geriatric Assessment
11. Which assessment is most useful for determining an older adult's ability to perform basic
self-care?
A. Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
B. Activities of Daily Living
C. Mini-Cog
D. Geriatric Depression Scale
Answer: B. Activities of Daily Living
Rationale: ADLs include basic activities such as bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring,
continence, and feeding.
12. Which is an instrumental activity of daily living?
Certified Exam| YEAR 2026–2027 |
Comprehensive 150-Question Practice Test with
Answers & Rationales| Free Pdf Access Study
Master | Already Graded A+.
1. Aging Physiology
1. An older adult asks which physiologic change is expected with normal aging. Which
response is most accurate?
A. Increased total body water
B. Increased renal blood flow
C. Decreased skin elasticity
D. Increased pulmonary reserve
Answer: C. Decreased skin elasticity
Rationale: Normal aging causes reduced collagen and elastin, producing thinner, less elastic
skin. Total body water, renal blood flow, and pulmonary reserve generally decrease.
2. Which cardiovascular change is commonly associated with normal aging?
A. Increased arterial compliance
B. Increased arterial stiffness
C. Increased maximal cardiac output
D. Increased beta-adrenergic responsiveness
Answer: B. Increased arterial stiffness
Rationale: Aging is associated with arterial stiffening and reduced vascular compliance,
contributing to increased systolic blood pressure and widened pulse pressure.
,3. An older adult has a decreased glomerular filtration rate. Which implication is most
important?
A. Drugs may be eliminated more slowly
B. All medications should automatically be discontinued
C. Creatinine will always be markedly elevated
D. Renal function improves with age
Answer: A. Drugs may be eliminated more slowly
Rationale: Reduced renal function can decrease medication clearance and increase the risk of
drug accumulation and adverse effects.
4. Which change commonly occurs in the respiratory system with aging?
A. Increased vital capacity
B. Increased chest-wall compliance
C. Decreased elastic recoil
D. Increased maximal expiratory flow
Answer: C. Decreased elastic recoil
Rationale: Aging causes loss of pulmonary elastic recoil and changes in chest-wall mechanics,
reducing respiratory reserve.
5. An older adult reports difficulty reading small print but can see distant objects clearly. This
is most consistent with:
A. Presbyopia
B. Presbycusis
C. Cataract
D. Glaucoma
Answer: A. Presbyopia
Rationale: Presbyopia is an age-related loss of near focusing ability caused primarily by reduced
lens accommodation.
,6. Which sensory change is most characteristic of presbycusis?
A. Conductive hearing loss affecting low frequencies
B. Sensorineural hearing loss, often affecting high frequencies
C. Sudden complete deafness
D. Improved hearing of high-frequency sounds
Answer: B. Sensorineural hearing loss, often affecting high frequencies
Rationale: Presbycusis is an age-related sensorineural hearing loss that commonly begins with
difficulty hearing higher-frequency sounds.
7. Which finding is most concerning for an abnormal cognitive change rather than normal
aging?
A. Occasionally forgetting a name and remembering it later
B. Taking longer to learn new information
C. Progressive inability to manage medications independently
D. Needing additional time to recall information
Answer: C. Progressive inability to manage medications independently
Rationale: Progressive loss of instrumental activities of daily living suggests clinically significant
cognitive impairment.
8. Which statement about normal aging is correct?
A. Dementia is an inevitable consequence of aging
B. Depression is unavoidable in older adults
C. Some cognitive slowing can occur without dementia
D. Delirium is normal in hospitalized older adults
Answer: C. Some cognitive slowing can occur without dementia
Rationale: Processing speed may decrease with age, but significant functional decline or
progressive cognitive impairment requires evaluation.
9. Which age-related change increases the risk of orthostatic hypotension?
, A. Increased baroreceptor sensitivity
B. Reduced baroreceptor responsiveness
C. Increased total body water
D. Increased sympathetic reserve
Answer: B. Reduced baroreceptor responsiveness
Rationale: Aging reduces autonomic responsiveness, making blood-pressure adaptation to
position changes less effective.
10. Which intervention best reduces age-related skin injury?
A. Vigorous massage over bony prominences
B. Frequent assessment and pressure redistribution
C. Restricting all fluids
D. Using very hot water for bathing
Answer: B. Frequent assessment and pressure redistribution
Rationale: Older skin is thinner and more vulnerable to injury. Pressure redistribution, moisture
management, nutrition, and regular assessment reduce risk.
11–25: Geriatric Assessment
11. Which assessment is most useful for determining an older adult's ability to perform basic
self-care?
A. Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
B. Activities of Daily Living
C. Mini-Cog
D. Geriatric Depression Scale
Answer: B. Activities of Daily Living
Rationale: ADLs include basic activities such as bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring,
continence, and feeding.
12. Which is an instrumental activity of daily living?
