BATES’ Physical Examination Test Bank
With Full Answer Key | 2025–2026 Edition
Master Clinical Reasoning with Real-World Scenarios and Evidence-
Based Answers
Prepare with confidence using this comprehensive test bank based on BATES’ Physical
Examination and History Taking. This guide offers detailed questions and rationales, tailored for
medical, nursing, and allied health students.
Key features:
- 100+ exam-style questions covering physical assessment, pathophysiology, and clinical
judgment
- Evidence-based rationales aligned with modern healthcare practices
- Covers systems: musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, dermatological, and
more
- Real patient scenarios that help you apply theoretical knowledge in clinical settings
Whether you're preparing for clinicals, board exams, or certification, this tool will help sharpen
your diagnostic skills and boost your confidence.
Achieve excellence in clinical assessment—your success starts here.
,BATES’ Physical Examination Test Bank with Answers Focus on Your
Success
Answer: tenderness
When evaluating a patient with joint pain, you are attempting to determine if the pain is inflammatory
or noninflammatory. Of the following symptoms, which one best describes an inflammatory process?
A) Tenderness
B) Cool temperature
C) Ecchymosis
D) Nodules
Answer: lupus
When evaluating a patient who has diffuse joint pain, you want to confirm that the pain is just
affecting the joints and is unrelated to any other illnesses. Which of the following describes joint
discomfort that has a systemic cause?
A) Gout
B) Osteoarthritis
C) Lupus
D) Spondylosis
Answer: lyme disease
A 19-year-old college sophomore comes to the clinic for evaluation of joint pains. The student has
been back from spring break for 2 weeks; during her holiday, she went camping. She notes that she
had a red spot, shaped like a target, but then it started spreading, and then the joint pains started. She
used insect repellant but was in an area known to have ticks. She has never been sick and takes no
medications routinely; she has never been sexually active. What is the most likely because of her joint
pain?
Answer: foot arched
To provide care, an 85-year-old retired housewife and her daughter arrive. Her mother has begun to
fall more frequently, which worries her daughter. You ask her to cross the exam room as part of the
physical assessment. The stance phase of gait does not include which of the following?
A) Foot arched
B) Heel strike
C) Mid-stance
D) Push-off
Answer: straight leg-raise
A 32-year-old warehouse worker comes in for a low back pain examination. He reports that after
lifting a set of boxes that were heavier than normal, he experienced an abrupt onset of pain.
Additionally, he reports that his left leg is tingly and numb. He wants to know if taking time off work
is necessary. Which test is appropriate to check for a herniated disc?
Answer: mechanical low back pain
,A 33-year-old construction worker is in for assessment and treatment of low back discomfort that
started suddenly. He reports that the lumbosacral region is the source of the pain. There is no recorded
trauma or injury, and it has been present sporadically for a number of years. He gestures at the lower
left back. There is no tingling or numbness in the legs, no incontinence, and the discomfort does not
radiate. Over the weekend, he was moving furniture for a buddy. During a physical examination, you
observe muscle spasms together with normal muscle strength and deep tendon reflexes. What is the
most likely reason for the low back pain that this patient is experiencing?
Answer: Cervical sprain
A 50-year-old realtor comes to your office for evaluation of neck pain. She was in a motor vehicle
collision 2 days ago and was assessed by the emergency medical technicians on site, but she didn't
think that she needed to go to the emergency room at that time. Now, she has severe pain and stiffness
in her neck. On physical examination, you note pain and spasm over the paraspinous muscles on the
left side of the neck, and pain when you make the patient do active range of motion of the cervical
spine. What is the most likely cause of this neck pain?
Answer: Fibromyalgia
In your clinic, a 28-year-old graduate student is evaluated for "all over" pain. She can relate that the
neck, shoulders, hands, low back, and knees hurt more when questioned further. She claims that her
range of motion is unrestricted and that the pain is worse in the morning. She also denies that her
joints are swollen. She has a number of tender spots on her neck, shoulders, and back muscles when
examined physically; her range of motion and muscle strength are normal. Which of the following
describes her pain most likely?
Answer: Rotator cuff tendinitis
A retired banker, age 68, visits your clinic to have pain in his left shoulder evaluated. Every day, early
in the morning, he spends thirty minutes swimming. When he tries to move his arm overhead, he
experiences a sharp, catching pain and a grating sensation. Upon physical examination, you observe
tenderness in the region of the tendon insertions, just below the tip of the acromion. The shoulder
shrug has no limitations, and the drop arm test yields a negative result. When the patient's arm is at his
side, flexed to 90 degrees, and then supinated against resistance, there is no tenderness to the touch in
the bicipital groove, and the patient is not holding his arm close to his side. Based on this description,
what is the most likely because of his shoulder pain?
Answer: tendons
While diving for the ball, a high school soccer player "blew out his knee" when the opposing goalie's
head and shoulder struck his flexed knee. His injury involved all of the following structures in one
way or another, but which one is an extra-articular structure?
A) Synovium
B) Joint capsule
C) Juxta-articular bone
D) Tendons
Answer: Extra-articular
Ray has a physically demanding job and experiences pain when he tries to raise his arm above his
head. He has complete range of motion without experiencing any pain when moving his shoulder
, passively, and there is no noticeable swelling or tenderness. What kind of joint condition is this most
likely to be?
Answer: Cartilaginous
Mark, a contractor, suffered a back injury not long ago. He was diagnosed with a "bulging disc" to
explain the slight foot drop and burning pain down his right leg. Which kind of joint is involved in the
spine's vertebral bodies?
Answer: Temporomandibular joint
Which of the following synovial joints would be an example of a condylar joint?
A) Hip
B) Interphalangeal joints of the hand
C) Temporomandibular joint
D) Intervertebral joint
Answer: Pain that is bilateral
In your office, a 58-year-old man complains of bilateral back pain that now wakes him up at night.
The last two months have seen a steady increase in this. Which of the following statements about this
patient's back pain is the most comforting?
A) Age over 50
B) Pain at night
C) Pain lasting more than 1 month or not responding to therapy
D) Pain that is bilateral
Answer: Cauda equina
Marion comes into your office complaining of back pain that is linked to urinary retention and
constipation. What is the most likely scenario?
Answer: pain
Louise, 60, is complaining of pain in her left knee, which is accompanied by redness, warmth, and
tenderness throughout the joint. When assessing whether a joint issue is inflammatory, which of the
following is least useful?
A) Tenderness
B) Pain
C) Warmth
D) Redness
Answer: Articular joint pain
Which of the following would be consistent with pain, swelling, deformity, locking, and loss of both
active and passive motion?
A) Articular joint pain
B) Bursitis
C) Muscular injury
D) Nerve damage
Answer: Gonococcal arthritis
With Full Answer Key | 2025–2026 Edition
Master Clinical Reasoning with Real-World Scenarios and Evidence-
Based Answers
Prepare with confidence using this comprehensive test bank based on BATES’ Physical
Examination and History Taking. This guide offers detailed questions and rationales, tailored for
medical, nursing, and allied health students.
Key features:
- 100+ exam-style questions covering physical assessment, pathophysiology, and clinical
judgment
- Evidence-based rationales aligned with modern healthcare practices
- Covers systems: musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, dermatological, and
more
- Real patient scenarios that help you apply theoretical knowledge in clinical settings
Whether you're preparing for clinicals, board exams, or certification, this tool will help sharpen
your diagnostic skills and boost your confidence.
Achieve excellence in clinical assessment—your success starts here.
,BATES’ Physical Examination Test Bank with Answers Focus on Your
Success
Answer: tenderness
When evaluating a patient with joint pain, you are attempting to determine if the pain is inflammatory
or noninflammatory. Of the following symptoms, which one best describes an inflammatory process?
A) Tenderness
B) Cool temperature
C) Ecchymosis
D) Nodules
Answer: lupus
When evaluating a patient who has diffuse joint pain, you want to confirm that the pain is just
affecting the joints and is unrelated to any other illnesses. Which of the following describes joint
discomfort that has a systemic cause?
A) Gout
B) Osteoarthritis
C) Lupus
D) Spondylosis
Answer: lyme disease
A 19-year-old college sophomore comes to the clinic for evaluation of joint pains. The student has
been back from spring break for 2 weeks; during her holiday, she went camping. She notes that she
had a red spot, shaped like a target, but then it started spreading, and then the joint pains started. She
used insect repellant but was in an area known to have ticks. She has never been sick and takes no
medications routinely; she has never been sexually active. What is the most likely because of her joint
pain?
Answer: foot arched
To provide care, an 85-year-old retired housewife and her daughter arrive. Her mother has begun to
fall more frequently, which worries her daughter. You ask her to cross the exam room as part of the
physical assessment. The stance phase of gait does not include which of the following?
A) Foot arched
B) Heel strike
C) Mid-stance
D) Push-off
Answer: straight leg-raise
A 32-year-old warehouse worker comes in for a low back pain examination. He reports that after
lifting a set of boxes that were heavier than normal, he experienced an abrupt onset of pain.
Additionally, he reports that his left leg is tingly and numb. He wants to know if taking time off work
is necessary. Which test is appropriate to check for a herniated disc?
Answer: mechanical low back pain
,A 33-year-old construction worker is in for assessment and treatment of low back discomfort that
started suddenly. He reports that the lumbosacral region is the source of the pain. There is no recorded
trauma or injury, and it has been present sporadically for a number of years. He gestures at the lower
left back. There is no tingling or numbness in the legs, no incontinence, and the discomfort does not
radiate. Over the weekend, he was moving furniture for a buddy. During a physical examination, you
observe muscle spasms together with normal muscle strength and deep tendon reflexes. What is the
most likely reason for the low back pain that this patient is experiencing?
Answer: Cervical sprain
A 50-year-old realtor comes to your office for evaluation of neck pain. She was in a motor vehicle
collision 2 days ago and was assessed by the emergency medical technicians on site, but she didn't
think that she needed to go to the emergency room at that time. Now, she has severe pain and stiffness
in her neck. On physical examination, you note pain and spasm over the paraspinous muscles on the
left side of the neck, and pain when you make the patient do active range of motion of the cervical
spine. What is the most likely cause of this neck pain?
Answer: Fibromyalgia
In your clinic, a 28-year-old graduate student is evaluated for "all over" pain. She can relate that the
neck, shoulders, hands, low back, and knees hurt more when questioned further. She claims that her
range of motion is unrestricted and that the pain is worse in the morning. She also denies that her
joints are swollen. She has a number of tender spots on her neck, shoulders, and back muscles when
examined physically; her range of motion and muscle strength are normal. Which of the following
describes her pain most likely?
Answer: Rotator cuff tendinitis
A retired banker, age 68, visits your clinic to have pain in his left shoulder evaluated. Every day, early
in the morning, he spends thirty minutes swimming. When he tries to move his arm overhead, he
experiences a sharp, catching pain and a grating sensation. Upon physical examination, you observe
tenderness in the region of the tendon insertions, just below the tip of the acromion. The shoulder
shrug has no limitations, and the drop arm test yields a negative result. When the patient's arm is at his
side, flexed to 90 degrees, and then supinated against resistance, there is no tenderness to the touch in
the bicipital groove, and the patient is not holding his arm close to his side. Based on this description,
what is the most likely because of his shoulder pain?
Answer: tendons
While diving for the ball, a high school soccer player "blew out his knee" when the opposing goalie's
head and shoulder struck his flexed knee. His injury involved all of the following structures in one
way or another, but which one is an extra-articular structure?
A) Synovium
B) Joint capsule
C) Juxta-articular bone
D) Tendons
Answer: Extra-articular
Ray has a physically demanding job and experiences pain when he tries to raise his arm above his
head. He has complete range of motion without experiencing any pain when moving his shoulder
, passively, and there is no noticeable swelling or tenderness. What kind of joint condition is this most
likely to be?
Answer: Cartilaginous
Mark, a contractor, suffered a back injury not long ago. He was diagnosed with a "bulging disc" to
explain the slight foot drop and burning pain down his right leg. Which kind of joint is involved in the
spine's vertebral bodies?
Answer: Temporomandibular joint
Which of the following synovial joints would be an example of a condylar joint?
A) Hip
B) Interphalangeal joints of the hand
C) Temporomandibular joint
D) Intervertebral joint
Answer: Pain that is bilateral
In your office, a 58-year-old man complains of bilateral back pain that now wakes him up at night.
The last two months have seen a steady increase in this. Which of the following statements about this
patient's back pain is the most comforting?
A) Age over 50
B) Pain at night
C) Pain lasting more than 1 month or not responding to therapy
D) Pain that is bilateral
Answer: Cauda equina
Marion comes into your office complaining of back pain that is linked to urinary retention and
constipation. What is the most likely scenario?
Answer: pain
Louise, 60, is complaining of pain in her left knee, which is accompanied by redness, warmth, and
tenderness throughout the joint. When assessing whether a joint issue is inflammatory, which of the
following is least useful?
A) Tenderness
B) Pain
C) Warmth
D) Redness
Answer: Articular joint pain
Which of the following would be consistent with pain, swelling, deformity, locking, and loss of both
active and passive motion?
A) Articular joint pain
B) Bursitis
C) Muscular injury
D) Nerve damage
Answer: Gonococcal arthritis
