WEIVER MAXE AMC
Medication Aide Certification
CMA
State Board of Nursing · Medication Administration
S A F E M E D I C AT I O N P R A C T I C E S · Q U A L I T Y R E S I D E N T C A R E
STATE CERT.
Medication Aide Exam
S CO P E O F P R A C T I C E · M E D I C AT I O N R I G H TS · CO N T R O L L E D S U BSTA N C E S · P H A R M A CO K I N E T I CS ·
A SS E SS M E N T
INSTITUTION State Medication Aide Certification Board COURSE CODE CMA-CORE-2026
PROGRAM Certified Medication Aide (CMA) · Long- ACADEMIC YEAR
Term Care
EXAM TITLE Medication Aide — Core Competency TOTAL QUESTIONS 12 Questions
Examination
COURSE TITLE Medication Administration for Unlicensed FORMAT Multiple Choice / Fill-in-the-Blank —
Personnel · Core Foundations Select the Single Best Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ This core review covers essential medication aide foundations: scope of practice, medication rights, controlled substances, and
pharmacokinetics.
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on medication aide certification curriculum.
▸ Mastery of these fundamental concepts is essential for safe medication administration.
▸ Correct answers and detailed rationales appear below each question for comprehensive exam preparation.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE · MEDICATION RIGHTS · CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES · Questions
PHARMACOKINETICS · ASSESSMENT 1 – 12
1. Medication aides CANNOT perform which of the following tasks?
A. Give medications to residents in unstable condition; decide when to give PRN medications; give any type of needle
injections
B. Take and record vital signs before medication administration
C. Document medication administration on the MAR
D. Report resident changes to the supervising nurse
CORRECT ANSWER A. Give medications to residents in unstable condition; decide when to give PRN medications; give any
type of needle injections
RATIONALE These three tasks are explicitly outside the medication aide's scope of practice. Administering to unstable
residents, making independent PRN decisions, and giving injections (IM, IV, SQ, ID) all require licensed nursing
judgment. Medication aides work under the delegation of a licensed nurse and must never exceed their
defined scope. Options B, C, and D are within the CMA's authorized duties.
, 2. A controlled substance is defined as:
A. Any medication available over the counter
B. A drug that is more likely than others to be abused or to cause addiction
C. A medication that has expired
D. A herbal supplement
CORRECT ANSWER B. A drug that is more likely than others to be abused or to cause addiction
RATIONALE Controlled substances are regulated under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) due to their high potential for
abuse and addiction. They are classified into Schedules I–V based on abuse potential and medical use. They
require special storage (double-locked), separate documentation (controlled substance log), and regular
counts witnessed by two people. Examples: morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, benzodiazepines.
3. Diversion is defined as:
A. Proper disposal of expired medications
B. Removing medications prescribed for a resident for the purpose of personal use or sale to another person
C. Transferring a resident to a different unit
D. Changing the route of a prescribed medication
CORRECT ANSWER B. Removing medications prescribed for a resident for the purpose of personal use or sale to another
person
RATIONALE Diversion is the illegal redirection of controlled substances from legitimate medical use to unauthorized use.
It is theft and a criminal offense. Signs include: count discrepancies, altered documentation, residents
reporting inadequate pain relief despite documented administration. The medication aide must immediately
report any suspicion of diversion to the supervising nurse. Strict controlled substance counting procedures
help detect diversion.
4. Which of the following is NOT one of the six rights of medication administration?
A. Right resident
B. Right medication
C. Right diagnosis
D. Right documentation
CORRECT ANSWER C. Right diagnosis
RATIONALE The six rights of medication administration: (1) Right resident—verify with two identifiers; (2) Right
medication—check label against MAR three times; (3) Right dose—verify amount; (4) Right route—oral,
topical, otic, etc.; (5) Right time—within 1 hour before or after scheduled time; (6) Right documentation—
record immediately after administration. Some sources add Right reason, Right response, and Right to refuse
as additional rights. Diagnosis is not a medication right.
Medication Aide Certification
CMA
State Board of Nursing · Medication Administration
S A F E M E D I C AT I O N P R A C T I C E S · Q U A L I T Y R E S I D E N T C A R E
STATE CERT.
Medication Aide Exam
S CO P E O F P R A C T I C E · M E D I C AT I O N R I G H TS · CO N T R O L L E D S U BSTA N C E S · P H A R M A CO K I N E T I CS ·
A SS E SS M E N T
INSTITUTION State Medication Aide Certification Board COURSE CODE CMA-CORE-2026
PROGRAM Certified Medication Aide (CMA) · Long- ACADEMIC YEAR
Term Care
EXAM TITLE Medication Aide — Core Competency TOTAL QUESTIONS 12 Questions
Examination
COURSE TITLE Medication Administration for Unlicensed FORMAT Multiple Choice / Fill-in-the-Blank —
Personnel · Core Foundations Select the Single Best Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ This core review covers essential medication aide foundations: scope of practice, medication rights, controlled substances, and
pharmacokinetics.
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on medication aide certification curriculum.
▸ Mastery of these fundamental concepts is essential for safe medication administration.
▸ Correct answers and detailed rationales appear below each question for comprehensive exam preparation.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE · MEDICATION RIGHTS · CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES · Questions
PHARMACOKINETICS · ASSESSMENT 1 – 12
1. Medication aides CANNOT perform which of the following tasks?
A. Give medications to residents in unstable condition; decide when to give PRN medications; give any type of needle
injections
B. Take and record vital signs before medication administration
C. Document medication administration on the MAR
D. Report resident changes to the supervising nurse
CORRECT ANSWER A. Give medications to residents in unstable condition; decide when to give PRN medications; give any
type of needle injections
RATIONALE These three tasks are explicitly outside the medication aide's scope of practice. Administering to unstable
residents, making independent PRN decisions, and giving injections (IM, IV, SQ, ID) all require licensed nursing
judgment. Medication aides work under the delegation of a licensed nurse and must never exceed their
defined scope. Options B, C, and D are within the CMA's authorized duties.
, 2. A controlled substance is defined as:
A. Any medication available over the counter
B. A drug that is more likely than others to be abused or to cause addiction
C. A medication that has expired
D. A herbal supplement
CORRECT ANSWER B. A drug that is more likely than others to be abused or to cause addiction
RATIONALE Controlled substances are regulated under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) due to their high potential for
abuse and addiction. They are classified into Schedules I–V based on abuse potential and medical use. They
require special storage (double-locked), separate documentation (controlled substance log), and regular
counts witnessed by two people. Examples: morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, benzodiazepines.
3. Diversion is defined as:
A. Proper disposal of expired medications
B. Removing medications prescribed for a resident for the purpose of personal use or sale to another person
C. Transferring a resident to a different unit
D. Changing the route of a prescribed medication
CORRECT ANSWER B. Removing medications prescribed for a resident for the purpose of personal use or sale to another
person
RATIONALE Diversion is the illegal redirection of controlled substances from legitimate medical use to unauthorized use.
It is theft and a criminal offense. Signs include: count discrepancies, altered documentation, residents
reporting inadequate pain relief despite documented administration. The medication aide must immediately
report any suspicion of diversion to the supervising nurse. Strict controlled substance counting procedures
help detect diversion.
4. Which of the following is NOT one of the six rights of medication administration?
A. Right resident
B. Right medication
C. Right diagnosis
D. Right documentation
CORRECT ANSWER C. Right diagnosis
RATIONALE The six rights of medication administration: (1) Right resident—verify with two identifiers; (2) Right
medication—check label against MAR three times; (3) Right dose—verify amount; (4) Right route—oral,
topical, otic, etc.; (5) Right time—within 1 hour before or after scheduled time; (6) Right documentation—
record immediately after administration. Some sources add Right reason, Right response, and Right to refuse
as additional rights. Diagnosis is not a medication right.
