OEC Exam
OEC Exam Questions and Correct Answers
A+ 2025
Which of the following statements shows that the speaker understands how to properly store an
oxygen tank after use?
a. "I'm going to leave the regulator set to 15 LPM so it will be ready when we need it."
b. "I'll stand the oxygen tank beside the stretcher so everyone will know where it is."
c. "I'll tighten the valve stem as much as I can so it won't come loose."
d. "I'll place the oxygen tank in its protective case until we need to use it again." - Correct Answer
:d
Which of the following statements indicates that the speaker has a correct understanding of the
use of oxygen in a prehospital setting?
a. "Oxygen should not be given to patients with chronic lung diseases."
b. "If the patient is claustrophobic, oxygen should be administered at 15 LPM through a nasal
cannula."
c. "Oxygen should be administered to anyone who is short of breath."
d. "An OEC Technician does not need a physician's order to administer oxygen." - Correct Answer
:c
Which of the following statements about a nasal cannula is true?
a. The oxygen flow rate can be adjusted anywhere from 1 LPM to 10 LPM, depending on how
much oxygen the patient needs.
b. When the nasal cannula is set to the highest appropriate oxygen flow rate, it delivers 24-44
percent oxygen.
c. A nasal cannula is preferred over a nonrebreather mask because the cannula administers the
oxygen through the nose instead of through the mouth.
d. It is best to see how a patient tolerates a nasal cannula before attempting to place a
nonrebreather mask on the patient. - Correct Answer :b
To ensure an oxygen flow rate of 15 LPM to a patient using a nonrebreather mask, you should:
a. "crack" the oxygen tank after attaching the regulator.
b. hear a hissing sound when you turn on the oxygen.
c. slowly release oxygen from the tank until the pressure is 15 psi.
d. select 15 on the oxygen flow-control gauge. - Correct Answer :d
A+ TEST BANK 1
, OEC Exam
Your patrol director has asked you to check the oxygen tanks and let her know how long they will
last at an accident. To calculate this information you would use which of the following formulas?
a. (Gauge pressure in psi minus safe residual pressure) times cylinder size constant divided by
flow rate in LPM
b. (Flow rate in LPM divided by cylinder size) times gauge pressure
c. (Gauge pressure divided by flow rate) minus safe residual pressure
d. (Cylinder size minus safe residual pressure in psi) times flow rate in LPM - Correct Answer :a
You arrive to assist another rescuer with a patient in cardiac arrest. As you enter the room, a
brand new OEC Technician informs you that he is having difficulty maintaining the mask seal to
the patient's face while ventilating with the BVM. Which one of the following responses shows
that you understand and can help with the problem?
a. "I will check the breath sounds to see if air is reaching the lungs."
b. "Why don't we try using a larger adult mask and flexing the head forward?"
c. "I will administer some cricoid pressure; that should help."
d. "Let me maintain the face-to-mask seal while you squeeze the bag." - Correct Answer :d
If while checking a size D oxygen tank you notice that the reading on the pressure regulator is
1000 psi, you should recognize that the tank is:
a. leaking.
b. overfilled.
c. half full.
d. almost empty. - Correct Answer :c
Which of the following actions is part of the correct use of a nonrebreather mask on an adult
patient?
a. Ensuring that the reservoir fully collapses with each breath
b. Instructing the patient to take deeper breaths when the mask is on
c. Setting the oxygen flow rate to between 6 LPM and 16 LPM.
d. Fully inflating the reservoir before placing the mask on the patient - Correct Answer :d
Which of the following patients has an actual or potential occlusion of the upper airway?
a. A 3-year-old male with a fever and swelling of the larynx
A+ TEST BANK 2
, OEC Exam
b. A 45-year-old female with spasm of the bronchioles
c. A 61-year-old male with a piece of food stuck in his trachea
d. A 78-year-old female with a large mucus plug in a bronchus - Correct Answer :a
Which of the following ventilation methods is recommended because it provides the most
effective ventilations?
a. Use of a bag-valve mask (BVM) with reservoir attached, receiving air, by two OEC Technicians
b. Use of a BVM with reservoir attached, receiving O2 at 15 LPM, by one OEC Technician
c. Use of a BVM with reservoir attached, receiving O2 at 15 LPM, by two rescuers
d. Use of a BVM with O2 reservoir attached, by one rescuer - Correct Answer :c
5. You have been dispatched for an elderly male complaining of shortness of breath. When
should you start the process of forming a general impression about this patient?
a. While you and your partner are approaching him
b. After completing a primary assessment
c. As soon as you obtain his chief complaint
d. After you have taken his vital signs
- Correct Answer :a. While you and your partner are approaching him
6. You have been called for an adult patient who suffered a seizure. He is sitting on the floor, and
he looks at you as you enter the room. When questioned, he responds to his name, but cannot
remember the date or where he is. This patient's mental status is best described as:
a. alert but confused.
b. lethargic and agitated.
c. having an altered response to verbal stimuli.
d. visually disoriented.
- Correct Answer :c. having an altered response to verbal stimuli.
7. A 36-year-old patient who has overdosed on an unknown drug, is breathing and will not open
his eyes, even when his name is loudly called. Which one of the following should the OEC
Technician do first?
a. Check the patient's vital signs.
b. Perform a shoulder pinch.
c. Assess the patient for a radial pulse.
A+ TEST BANK 3
, OEC Exam
d. Identify what drug the patient took.
- Correct Answer :b. Perform a shoulder pinch.
8. Which of the following patients should be classified as unresponsive?
a. A 39-year-old female who is confused
b. A 52-year-old who cannot answer your questions
c. A 70-year-old female who has suffered a stroke
d. A 46-year-old male who does not respond to a shoulder pinch
- Correct Answer :d. A 46-year-old male who does not respond to a shoulder pinch
9. You are assessing a four-year-old patient whose panicked mother states that she cannot wake
him. The child is breathing but his eyes are closed. To best determine the child's mental status,
you should first:
a. apply pressure to the child's nail beds.
b. say loudly, "Open your eyes!"
c. ask the mother how long the child has been asleep.
d. consider the child to be unresponsive.
- Correct Answer :b. say loudly, "Open your eyes!"
10. You are by the side of a patient who is unresponsive and has a history of heart failure. When
assessing the airway, which one of the following observations best indicates a patent airway?
a. You can hear normal respirations and see the chest rise and fall.
b. She has a pulse of 80 per minute.
c. Her mouth is open and you can hear gurgling sounds.
d. You can see that her tongue has not fallen back where it would block the airway.
- Correct Answer :a. You can hear normal respirations and see the chest rise and fall.
11. You are assisting at an Outdoor Emergency Care course. One of the students asks you how
the head tilt-chin lift airway maneuver works to open the airway. Your best response is:
a. "It opens the airway by lifting the tongue from the back of the throat."
b. "It creates an open airway by separating the lips, thereby allowing air to enter."
c. "It stimulates the patient to begin taking deeper breaths, thereby moving air into the lungs."
A+ TEST BANK 4
OEC Exam Questions and Correct Answers
A+ 2025
Which of the following statements shows that the speaker understands how to properly store an
oxygen tank after use?
a. "I'm going to leave the regulator set to 15 LPM so it will be ready when we need it."
b. "I'll stand the oxygen tank beside the stretcher so everyone will know where it is."
c. "I'll tighten the valve stem as much as I can so it won't come loose."
d. "I'll place the oxygen tank in its protective case until we need to use it again." - Correct Answer
:d
Which of the following statements indicates that the speaker has a correct understanding of the
use of oxygen in a prehospital setting?
a. "Oxygen should not be given to patients with chronic lung diseases."
b. "If the patient is claustrophobic, oxygen should be administered at 15 LPM through a nasal
cannula."
c. "Oxygen should be administered to anyone who is short of breath."
d. "An OEC Technician does not need a physician's order to administer oxygen." - Correct Answer
:c
Which of the following statements about a nasal cannula is true?
a. The oxygen flow rate can be adjusted anywhere from 1 LPM to 10 LPM, depending on how
much oxygen the patient needs.
b. When the nasal cannula is set to the highest appropriate oxygen flow rate, it delivers 24-44
percent oxygen.
c. A nasal cannula is preferred over a nonrebreather mask because the cannula administers the
oxygen through the nose instead of through the mouth.
d. It is best to see how a patient tolerates a nasal cannula before attempting to place a
nonrebreather mask on the patient. - Correct Answer :b
To ensure an oxygen flow rate of 15 LPM to a patient using a nonrebreather mask, you should:
a. "crack" the oxygen tank after attaching the regulator.
b. hear a hissing sound when you turn on the oxygen.
c. slowly release oxygen from the tank until the pressure is 15 psi.
d. select 15 on the oxygen flow-control gauge. - Correct Answer :d
A+ TEST BANK 1
, OEC Exam
Your patrol director has asked you to check the oxygen tanks and let her know how long they will
last at an accident. To calculate this information you would use which of the following formulas?
a. (Gauge pressure in psi minus safe residual pressure) times cylinder size constant divided by
flow rate in LPM
b. (Flow rate in LPM divided by cylinder size) times gauge pressure
c. (Gauge pressure divided by flow rate) minus safe residual pressure
d. (Cylinder size minus safe residual pressure in psi) times flow rate in LPM - Correct Answer :a
You arrive to assist another rescuer with a patient in cardiac arrest. As you enter the room, a
brand new OEC Technician informs you that he is having difficulty maintaining the mask seal to
the patient's face while ventilating with the BVM. Which one of the following responses shows
that you understand and can help with the problem?
a. "I will check the breath sounds to see if air is reaching the lungs."
b. "Why don't we try using a larger adult mask and flexing the head forward?"
c. "I will administer some cricoid pressure; that should help."
d. "Let me maintain the face-to-mask seal while you squeeze the bag." - Correct Answer :d
If while checking a size D oxygen tank you notice that the reading on the pressure regulator is
1000 psi, you should recognize that the tank is:
a. leaking.
b. overfilled.
c. half full.
d. almost empty. - Correct Answer :c
Which of the following actions is part of the correct use of a nonrebreather mask on an adult
patient?
a. Ensuring that the reservoir fully collapses with each breath
b. Instructing the patient to take deeper breaths when the mask is on
c. Setting the oxygen flow rate to between 6 LPM and 16 LPM.
d. Fully inflating the reservoir before placing the mask on the patient - Correct Answer :d
Which of the following patients has an actual or potential occlusion of the upper airway?
a. A 3-year-old male with a fever and swelling of the larynx
A+ TEST BANK 2
, OEC Exam
b. A 45-year-old female with spasm of the bronchioles
c. A 61-year-old male with a piece of food stuck in his trachea
d. A 78-year-old female with a large mucus plug in a bronchus - Correct Answer :a
Which of the following ventilation methods is recommended because it provides the most
effective ventilations?
a. Use of a bag-valve mask (BVM) with reservoir attached, receiving air, by two OEC Technicians
b. Use of a BVM with reservoir attached, receiving O2 at 15 LPM, by one OEC Technician
c. Use of a BVM with reservoir attached, receiving O2 at 15 LPM, by two rescuers
d. Use of a BVM with O2 reservoir attached, by one rescuer - Correct Answer :c
5. You have been dispatched for an elderly male complaining of shortness of breath. When
should you start the process of forming a general impression about this patient?
a. While you and your partner are approaching him
b. After completing a primary assessment
c. As soon as you obtain his chief complaint
d. After you have taken his vital signs
- Correct Answer :a. While you and your partner are approaching him
6. You have been called for an adult patient who suffered a seizure. He is sitting on the floor, and
he looks at you as you enter the room. When questioned, he responds to his name, but cannot
remember the date or where he is. This patient's mental status is best described as:
a. alert but confused.
b. lethargic and agitated.
c. having an altered response to verbal stimuli.
d. visually disoriented.
- Correct Answer :c. having an altered response to verbal stimuli.
7. A 36-year-old patient who has overdosed on an unknown drug, is breathing and will not open
his eyes, even when his name is loudly called. Which one of the following should the OEC
Technician do first?
a. Check the patient's vital signs.
b. Perform a shoulder pinch.
c. Assess the patient for a radial pulse.
A+ TEST BANK 3
, OEC Exam
d. Identify what drug the patient took.
- Correct Answer :b. Perform a shoulder pinch.
8. Which of the following patients should be classified as unresponsive?
a. A 39-year-old female who is confused
b. A 52-year-old who cannot answer your questions
c. A 70-year-old female who has suffered a stroke
d. A 46-year-old male who does not respond to a shoulder pinch
- Correct Answer :d. A 46-year-old male who does not respond to a shoulder pinch
9. You are assessing a four-year-old patient whose panicked mother states that she cannot wake
him. The child is breathing but his eyes are closed. To best determine the child's mental status,
you should first:
a. apply pressure to the child's nail beds.
b. say loudly, "Open your eyes!"
c. ask the mother how long the child has been asleep.
d. consider the child to be unresponsive.
- Correct Answer :b. say loudly, "Open your eyes!"
10. You are by the side of a patient who is unresponsive and has a history of heart failure. When
assessing the airway, which one of the following observations best indicates a patent airway?
a. You can hear normal respirations and see the chest rise and fall.
b. She has a pulse of 80 per minute.
c. Her mouth is open and you can hear gurgling sounds.
d. You can see that her tongue has not fallen back where it would block the airway.
- Correct Answer :a. You can hear normal respirations and see the chest rise and fall.
11. You are assisting at an Outdoor Emergency Care course. One of the students asks you how
the head tilt-chin lift airway maneuver works to open the airway. Your best response is:
a. "It opens the airway by lifting the tongue from the back of the throat."
b. "It creates an open airway by separating the lips, thereby allowing air to enter."
c. "It stimulates the patient to begin taking deeper breaths, thereby moving air into the lungs."
A+ TEST BANK 4
