Cardiac Patho Practice Test ACTUAL
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
E - Answer--During which interval on the EKG does the aortic valve close?
C - Answer--In a test subject, oxygen consumption was measured at 700 mL/min.
Pulmonary artery oxygen content was 140 mL per liter of blood and brachial artery
oxygen content was 210 mL per liter of blood. Cardiac output was which of the
following?
a. 4.2 L/min
b. 7.0 L/min
c. 10.0 L/min
d. 12.6 L/min
e. 30.0 L/min
D - Answer--Which one of the following is the best index of preload?
a. Blood volume
b. Central venous pressure
c. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
d. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume
e. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure
B - Answer--Which one of the following is the best index of afterload?
a. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure
b. Left ventricular mean systolic pressure
c. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
d. Total peripheral resistance
e. Mean arterial blood pressure
E - Answer--The highest blood flow per gram of left ventricular myocardium would
occur
a. When aortic pressure is highest
b. When left ventricular pressure is highest
c. At the beginning of isovolumic contraction
d. When aortic blood flow is highest
e. At the beginning of diastole
B - Answer--Which of the following is consistent with the ECG tracing shown below?
,a. Bradycardia
b. First-degree heart block
c. Second-degree heart block
d. Third-degree heart block
e. Tachycardia
A - Answer--The mean electrical axis during the ventricular depolarization recorded
in the three leads shown below would be closest to
a. 30 degrees
b. 90 degrees
c. 150 degrees
d. 210 degrees
e. 270 degrees
C - Answer--During ventricular ejection, the pressure difference smallest in
magnitude is between the
a. Pulmonary artery and left atrium
b. Right ventricle and right atrium
c. Left ventricle and aorta
d. Left ventricle and left atrium
e. Aorta and capillaries
A - Answer--Which of the following would result from a regurgitant aortic valve in a
nonfailing heart?
a. A decrease in diastolic pressure
b. A decrease in cardiac energy consumption
c. A systolic murmur
d. A decrease in heart rate
e. A decrease in systolic blood pressure
A - Answer--Stroke volume is increased by
a. A decrease in venous compliance
b. An increase in afterload
c. A decrease in contractility
d. An increase in heart rate
e. A decrease in coronary blood flow
B - Answer--An increased preload would most likely be caused by an increase in
a. Arteriolar tone
b. Venous tone
c. Myocardial contractility
d. Heart rate
e. Capillary permeability
, D - Answer--Propagation of the action potential through the heart is fastest in the
a. SA node
b. Atrial muscle
c. AV node
d. Purkinje fibers
e. Ventricular muscle
B - Answer--A patient in heart failure improves markedly after using a drug that
increases the inotropic state of her heart. Which one of the following changes is
primarily responsible for the improvement in her condition?
a. A reduction in heart rate
b. A reduction in heart size
c. An increase in end-diastolic pressure
d. An increase in wall thickness
e. An increase in cardiac excitability
C - Answer--The ejection fraction equals
a. 0.50
b. 0.55
c. 0.60
d. 0.65
e. 0.70
C - Answer--The diastolic pressure equals
a. 0 mmHg
b. 5 mmHg
c. 70 mmHg
d. 90 mmHg
e. 120 mmHg
D - Answer--Closure of the aortic valve occurs at the onset of which phase of the
cardiac cycle?
a. Isovolumetric contraction
b. Rapid ejection
c. Protodiastole
d. Isovolumetric relaxation
e. Rapid filling
B - Answer--If the QRS complex is positive in leads II and aVF and negative in lead
III, the mean electrical axis (MEA) is between
a. −30° and 0°
b. 0° and +30°
c. +30° and +60°
d. +60° and +90°
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
E - Answer--During which interval on the EKG does the aortic valve close?
C - Answer--In a test subject, oxygen consumption was measured at 700 mL/min.
Pulmonary artery oxygen content was 140 mL per liter of blood and brachial artery
oxygen content was 210 mL per liter of blood. Cardiac output was which of the
following?
a. 4.2 L/min
b. 7.0 L/min
c. 10.0 L/min
d. 12.6 L/min
e. 30.0 L/min
D - Answer--Which one of the following is the best index of preload?
a. Blood volume
b. Central venous pressure
c. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
d. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume
e. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure
B - Answer--Which one of the following is the best index of afterload?
a. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure
b. Left ventricular mean systolic pressure
c. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure
d. Total peripheral resistance
e. Mean arterial blood pressure
E - Answer--The highest blood flow per gram of left ventricular myocardium would
occur
a. When aortic pressure is highest
b. When left ventricular pressure is highest
c. At the beginning of isovolumic contraction
d. When aortic blood flow is highest
e. At the beginning of diastole
B - Answer--Which of the following is consistent with the ECG tracing shown below?
,a. Bradycardia
b. First-degree heart block
c. Second-degree heart block
d. Third-degree heart block
e. Tachycardia
A - Answer--The mean electrical axis during the ventricular depolarization recorded
in the three leads shown below would be closest to
a. 30 degrees
b. 90 degrees
c. 150 degrees
d. 210 degrees
e. 270 degrees
C - Answer--During ventricular ejection, the pressure difference smallest in
magnitude is between the
a. Pulmonary artery and left atrium
b. Right ventricle and right atrium
c. Left ventricle and aorta
d. Left ventricle and left atrium
e. Aorta and capillaries
A - Answer--Which of the following would result from a regurgitant aortic valve in a
nonfailing heart?
a. A decrease in diastolic pressure
b. A decrease in cardiac energy consumption
c. A systolic murmur
d. A decrease in heart rate
e. A decrease in systolic blood pressure
A - Answer--Stroke volume is increased by
a. A decrease in venous compliance
b. An increase in afterload
c. A decrease in contractility
d. An increase in heart rate
e. A decrease in coronary blood flow
B - Answer--An increased preload would most likely be caused by an increase in
a. Arteriolar tone
b. Venous tone
c. Myocardial contractility
d. Heart rate
e. Capillary permeability
, D - Answer--Propagation of the action potential through the heart is fastest in the
a. SA node
b. Atrial muscle
c. AV node
d. Purkinje fibers
e. Ventricular muscle
B - Answer--A patient in heart failure improves markedly after using a drug that
increases the inotropic state of her heart. Which one of the following changes is
primarily responsible for the improvement in her condition?
a. A reduction in heart rate
b. A reduction in heart size
c. An increase in end-diastolic pressure
d. An increase in wall thickness
e. An increase in cardiac excitability
C - Answer--The ejection fraction equals
a. 0.50
b. 0.55
c. 0.60
d. 0.65
e. 0.70
C - Answer--The diastolic pressure equals
a. 0 mmHg
b. 5 mmHg
c. 70 mmHg
d. 90 mmHg
e. 120 mmHg
D - Answer--Closure of the aortic valve occurs at the onset of which phase of the
cardiac cycle?
a. Isovolumetric contraction
b. Rapid ejection
c. Protodiastole
d. Isovolumetric relaxation
e. Rapid filling
B - Answer--If the QRS complex is positive in leads II and aVF and negative in lead
III, the mean electrical axis (MEA) is between
a. −30° and 0°
b. 0° and +30°
c. +30° and +60°
d. +60° and +90°
