Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT) Exam 2026: Comprehensive
Professional Certification Practice Examination — Medical
Terminology, Anatomy & Physiology, Clinical Documentation,
Medical Dictation, Grammar & Editing, Diagnostic Reports,
Pharmacology, Specialty Transcription, Speech Recognition Editing,
Healthcare Records, Confidentiality & HIPAA Compliance — 190
Multiple-Choice Questions with Answers & Detailed Rationales
Medical Transcriptionist CMT Exam Complete 2026
1. Which of the following is the primary purpose of a medical transcriptionist maintaining a
current, personal drug reference book?
A. To prescribe medications for common ailments.
B. To verify the spelling and dosage of unfamiliar medications.
C. To recommend over-the-counter alternatives to patients.
D. To calculate a patient's out-of-pocket medication costs.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A drug reference is a critical tool for verifying the spelling, dosage, and correct
usage of medications, ensuring accuracy in the medical record.
2. A physician dictates, "The patient's EKG showed a normal sinus rhythm." What is the
correct transcription of "EKG"?
A. EKG
B. ECG
C. E.K.G.
,D. Electrocardiogram
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: While "EKG" is the phonetic abbreviation from the German term, the standard
English abbreviation is "ECG" (electrocardiogram). Best practice is to use the English
standard.
3. Which of the following is the correct spelling of the term for a surgical puncture to remove
fluid from the chest cavity?
A. Thoracentesis
B. Thoracocentesis
C. Thoracentisis
D. Thoracocentisis
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Thoracentesis is the correct spelling. The suffix "-centesis" means surgical
puncture, and the root "thorac-" refers to the chest.
4. A patient is described as having "dyspnea." This term indicates the patient is experiencing:
A. Difficulty breathing.
B. Rapid breathing.
C. Absence of breathing.
D. Painful breathing.
Correct Answer: A
,Explanation: The prefix "dys-" means difficult or painful, and "pnea" refers to breathing.
Dyspnea is the subjective sensation of difficult breathing.
5. A physician dictates a medication as "metoprolol succinate ER 25 mg." What does the "ER"
designation signify?
A. Emergency Room
B. Extended Release
C. External Route
D. Every Refill
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: In pharmacology, "ER" stands for Extended Release, indicating the medication is
formulated to release slowly over time. This is a critical distinction.
6. Which sentence demonstrates the correct use of a semicolon in a medical report?
A. The patient was admitted for chest pain; and shortness of breath.
B. The patient has a history of diabetes; hypertension; and asthma.
C. The patient was seen in the ER; the diagnosis was pneumonia.
D. The patient's labs were notable for anemia; and leukocytosis.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a conjunction.
The other options incorrectly use a semicolon in place of a comma.
, 7. The plural form of the Latin term "bronchus" is:
A. Bronchuses
B. Bronchi
C. Bronchia
D. Bronchae
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The correct pluralization of many Latin words ending in "-us" is to change the
ending to "-i." Therefore, the plural of bronchus is bronchi.
8. A physician dictates, "The patient has a history of a TIA." What does this abbreviation
stand for?
A. Transient Ischemic Attack
B. Total Internal Angioplasty
C. Transient Inflammatory Arthritis
D. Thyroid Imbalance Analysis
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: TIA is the standard abbreviation for Transient Ischemic Attack, a temporary
period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke.
9. Which of the following is the correct spelling of the term for inflammation of the
gallbladder?
A. Cholecystitis
Professional Certification Practice Examination — Medical
Terminology, Anatomy & Physiology, Clinical Documentation,
Medical Dictation, Grammar & Editing, Diagnostic Reports,
Pharmacology, Specialty Transcription, Speech Recognition Editing,
Healthcare Records, Confidentiality & HIPAA Compliance — 190
Multiple-Choice Questions with Answers & Detailed Rationales
Medical Transcriptionist CMT Exam Complete 2026
1. Which of the following is the primary purpose of a medical transcriptionist maintaining a
current, personal drug reference book?
A. To prescribe medications for common ailments.
B. To verify the spelling and dosage of unfamiliar medications.
C. To recommend over-the-counter alternatives to patients.
D. To calculate a patient's out-of-pocket medication costs.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A drug reference is a critical tool for verifying the spelling, dosage, and correct
usage of medications, ensuring accuracy in the medical record.
2. A physician dictates, "The patient's EKG showed a normal sinus rhythm." What is the
correct transcription of "EKG"?
A. EKG
B. ECG
C. E.K.G.
,D. Electrocardiogram
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: While "EKG" is the phonetic abbreviation from the German term, the standard
English abbreviation is "ECG" (electrocardiogram). Best practice is to use the English
standard.
3. Which of the following is the correct spelling of the term for a surgical puncture to remove
fluid from the chest cavity?
A. Thoracentesis
B. Thoracocentesis
C. Thoracentisis
D. Thoracocentisis
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Thoracentesis is the correct spelling. The suffix "-centesis" means surgical
puncture, and the root "thorac-" refers to the chest.
4. A patient is described as having "dyspnea." This term indicates the patient is experiencing:
A. Difficulty breathing.
B. Rapid breathing.
C. Absence of breathing.
D. Painful breathing.
Correct Answer: A
,Explanation: The prefix "dys-" means difficult or painful, and "pnea" refers to breathing.
Dyspnea is the subjective sensation of difficult breathing.
5. A physician dictates a medication as "metoprolol succinate ER 25 mg." What does the "ER"
designation signify?
A. Emergency Room
B. Extended Release
C. External Route
D. Every Refill
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: In pharmacology, "ER" stands for Extended Release, indicating the medication is
formulated to release slowly over time. This is a critical distinction.
6. Which sentence demonstrates the correct use of a semicolon in a medical report?
A. The patient was admitted for chest pain; and shortness of breath.
B. The patient has a history of diabetes; hypertension; and asthma.
C. The patient was seen in the ER; the diagnosis was pneumonia.
D. The patient's labs were notable for anemia; and leukocytosis.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: A semicolon correctly joins two independent clauses without a conjunction.
The other options incorrectly use a semicolon in place of a comma.
, 7. The plural form of the Latin term "bronchus" is:
A. Bronchuses
B. Bronchi
C. Bronchia
D. Bronchae
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The correct pluralization of many Latin words ending in "-us" is to change the
ending to "-i." Therefore, the plural of bronchus is bronchi.
8. A physician dictates, "The patient has a history of a TIA." What does this abbreviation
stand for?
A. Transient Ischemic Attack
B. Total Internal Angioplasty
C. Transient Inflammatory Arthritis
D. Thyroid Imbalance Analysis
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: TIA is the standard abbreviation for Transient Ischemic Attack, a temporary
period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke.
9. Which of the following is the correct spelling of the term for inflammation of the
gallbladder?
A. Cholecystitis
