NRCMA Practice Exam 06
100 multiple-choice practice questions • Correct answers highlighted in green
Instructions: Select the single best answer. Review the green answer strip and rationale beneath each question.
Clinical Procedures
1. If a reading seems inconsistent, the assistant should:
A. Use another patient’s reading
B. Recheck using correct technique and report concerns
C. Guess a more likely value
D. Ignore it
Correct answer: B. Recheck using correct technique and report concerns
Unexpected measurements should be verified.
2. Which device measures body temperature?
A. Sphygmomanometer
B. Thermometer
C. Stethoscope
D. Otoscope
Correct answer: B. Thermometer
A thermometer measures temperature.
3. Before using equipment, staff should confirm it is:
A. Not in need of inspection
B. Clean, functional, and appropriate for the task
C. The newest-looking model only
D. Owned by another patient
Correct answer: B. Clean, functional, and appropriate for the task
Equipment checks reduce preventable errors.
4. A patient reports dizziness during a procedure. The assistant should:
A. Ask them to leave alone
B. Pause, protect the patient, assess, and alert clinical staff
C. Tell the patient to ignore it
D. Continue without checking
Correct answer: B. Pause, protect the patient, assess, and alert clinical staff
New symptoms require attention and possible escalation.
5. A good way to confirm identity is to use:
A. Appearance alone
B. Two approved identifiers
C. Room number alone
D. A visitor’s guess
Correct answer: B. Two approved identifiers
Two identifiers help prevent wrong-patient errors.
6. Before a procedure, the assistant should first:
A. Begin without preparation
B. Verify the patient and explain the procedure
C. Skip identity checks
D. Use another patient’s chart
Correct answer: B. Verify the patient and explain the procedure
Identity checks and explanation support safe care.
NRCMA Original Practice Material Page 1
, 7. For a routine blood pressure reading, the patient should ideally be:
A. Lying with arm hanging down
B. Seated with back supported, feet flat, arm at heart level
C. Standing with arm overhead
D. Seated with legs crossed and arm unsupported
Correct answer: B. Seated with back supported, feet flat, arm at heart level
Correct positioning improves measurement accuracy.
8. A patient becomes faint during a blood draw. The assistant should:
A. Leave the patient alone
B. Stop, protect the patient, and summon help as needed
C. Continue filling tubes
D. Ask the patient to stand
Correct answer: B. Stop, protect the patient, and summon help as needed
Patient safety takes priority.
9. A pulse oximeter estimates:
A. Urine concentration
B. Peripheral oxygen saturation
C. Blood glucose
D. Body mass index
Correct answer: B. Peripheral oxygen saturation
Pulse oximetry estimates oxygen saturation.
10. When documenting vital signs, staff should:
A. Wait until the end of the week
B. Record measured values promptly and accurately
C. Copy the previous visit’s values
D. Round values to normal ranges
Correct answer: B. Record measured values promptly and accurately
Accurate, timely documentation supports care.
Phlebotomy & Specimens
11. An unlabeled specimen should be:
A. Given another patient’s label
B. Handled under rejection/recollection policy; never guessed
C. Labeled from memory
D. Sent without reporting
Correct answer: B. Handled under rejection/recollection policy; never guessed
Never guess a specimen’s identity.
12. To reduce hemolysis, the collector should:
A. Use any equipment regardless of size
B. Use appropriate equipment and avoid forceful transfer or shaking
C. Shake tubes vigorously
D. Force blood through the needle
Correct answer: B. Use appropriate equipment and avoid forceful transfer or shaking
Proper collection and handling reduce hemolysis.
13. After using a single-use needle, staff should:
A. Carry it to another room
B. Activate safety feature and discard in sharps container
C. Recap with both hands
D. Leave it on the tray
Correct answer: B. Activate safety feature and discard in sharps container
Dispose of sharps promptly without recapping.
14. Specimen transport requirements matter because:
A. They eliminate quality control
B. Delays or wrong temperatures can affect integrity
C. All specimens are stable forever
D. They change the patient’s name
Correct answer: B. Delays or wrong temperatures can affect integrity
Stability requirements depend on the test.
NRCMA Original Practice Material Page 2
100 multiple-choice practice questions • Correct answers highlighted in green
Instructions: Select the single best answer. Review the green answer strip and rationale beneath each question.
Clinical Procedures
1. If a reading seems inconsistent, the assistant should:
A. Use another patient’s reading
B. Recheck using correct technique and report concerns
C. Guess a more likely value
D. Ignore it
Correct answer: B. Recheck using correct technique and report concerns
Unexpected measurements should be verified.
2. Which device measures body temperature?
A. Sphygmomanometer
B. Thermometer
C. Stethoscope
D. Otoscope
Correct answer: B. Thermometer
A thermometer measures temperature.
3. Before using equipment, staff should confirm it is:
A. Not in need of inspection
B. Clean, functional, and appropriate for the task
C. The newest-looking model only
D. Owned by another patient
Correct answer: B. Clean, functional, and appropriate for the task
Equipment checks reduce preventable errors.
4. A patient reports dizziness during a procedure. The assistant should:
A. Ask them to leave alone
B. Pause, protect the patient, assess, and alert clinical staff
C. Tell the patient to ignore it
D. Continue without checking
Correct answer: B. Pause, protect the patient, assess, and alert clinical staff
New symptoms require attention and possible escalation.
5. A good way to confirm identity is to use:
A. Appearance alone
B. Two approved identifiers
C. Room number alone
D. A visitor’s guess
Correct answer: B. Two approved identifiers
Two identifiers help prevent wrong-patient errors.
6. Before a procedure, the assistant should first:
A. Begin without preparation
B. Verify the patient and explain the procedure
C. Skip identity checks
D. Use another patient’s chart
Correct answer: B. Verify the patient and explain the procedure
Identity checks and explanation support safe care.
NRCMA Original Practice Material Page 1
, 7. For a routine blood pressure reading, the patient should ideally be:
A. Lying with arm hanging down
B. Seated with back supported, feet flat, arm at heart level
C. Standing with arm overhead
D. Seated with legs crossed and arm unsupported
Correct answer: B. Seated with back supported, feet flat, arm at heart level
Correct positioning improves measurement accuracy.
8. A patient becomes faint during a blood draw. The assistant should:
A. Leave the patient alone
B. Stop, protect the patient, and summon help as needed
C. Continue filling tubes
D. Ask the patient to stand
Correct answer: B. Stop, protect the patient, and summon help as needed
Patient safety takes priority.
9. A pulse oximeter estimates:
A. Urine concentration
B. Peripheral oxygen saturation
C. Blood glucose
D. Body mass index
Correct answer: B. Peripheral oxygen saturation
Pulse oximetry estimates oxygen saturation.
10. When documenting vital signs, staff should:
A. Wait until the end of the week
B. Record measured values promptly and accurately
C. Copy the previous visit’s values
D. Round values to normal ranges
Correct answer: B. Record measured values promptly and accurately
Accurate, timely documentation supports care.
Phlebotomy & Specimens
11. An unlabeled specimen should be:
A. Given another patient’s label
B. Handled under rejection/recollection policy; never guessed
C. Labeled from memory
D. Sent without reporting
Correct answer: B. Handled under rejection/recollection policy; never guessed
Never guess a specimen’s identity.
12. To reduce hemolysis, the collector should:
A. Use any equipment regardless of size
B. Use appropriate equipment and avoid forceful transfer or shaking
C. Shake tubes vigorously
D. Force blood through the needle
Correct answer: B. Use appropriate equipment and avoid forceful transfer or shaking
Proper collection and handling reduce hemolysis.
13. After using a single-use needle, staff should:
A. Carry it to another room
B. Activate safety feature and discard in sharps container
C. Recap with both hands
D. Leave it on the tray
Correct answer: B. Activate safety feature and discard in sharps container
Dispose of sharps promptly without recapping.
14. Specimen transport requirements matter because:
A. They eliminate quality control
B. Delays or wrong temperatures can affect integrity
C. All specimens are stable forever
D. They change the patient’s name
Correct answer: B. Delays or wrong temperatures can affect integrity
Stability requirements depend on the test.
NRCMA Original Practice Material Page 2
