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NREMT Certification Exam Study
Manual with Detailed Explanations 2025
A man at a sushi bar whispers that a piece of fish is stuck in his throat but is still able to speak.
What should you do next?
A. Perform abdominal thrusts immediately
B. Encourage him to cough it up
C. Perform back blows
D. Attempt to pull out the obstruction with your fingers
Correct answer: B. Encourage him to cough it up
Rationale: The ability to speak indicates a partial airway obstruction. Encourage the patient to
cough forcefully to clear it. Abdominal thrusts or back blows are reserved for complete airway
obstruction, while blind finger sweeps can worsen the blockage.
Before inserting an oral airway, what must you do first?
A. Suction the mouth and throat
B. Lubricate the airway
C. Measure it
D. Tilt the head back
Correct answer: C. Measure it
Rationale: Always measure an oropharyngeal airway from the corner of the mouth to the
earlobe or jaw angle to ensure proper fit. Incorrect sizing can cause airway obstruction or
ineffective ventilation.
You respond to a cardiac arrest call 10 minutes after dispatch. The man collapsed while eating
dinner. What is your most appropriate initial action according to AHA Guidelines?
A. Look inside the mouth before doing compressions
B. Perform 30 compressions, then check the mouth before ventilating
C. Give two rescue breaths before compressions
D. Immediately attach the AED before starting CPR
Correct answer: B. Perform 30 compressions, then check the mouth before ventilating
Rationale: When cardiac arrest follows choking, begin CPR with compressions and inspect the
mouth before ventilating to remove any visible obstruction. AHA guidelines recommend
defibrillation as soon as the AED is available.
,100%
If a patient has audible inspiratory stridor, they most likely have:
A. Lower airway obstruction
B. Fluid in the lungs
C. Upper airway obstruction
D. Pulmonary embolism
Correct answer: C. Upper airway obstruction
Rationale: Inspiratory stridor is a high-pitched sound caused by partial obstruction in the upper
airway (larynx or trachea). Lower airway obstructions cause expiratory wheezing, not stridor.
You find an unconscious patient. What is the correct sequence of assessment and care?
A. History taking, airway check, then body scan
B. ABCs, history taking, rapid full-body scan
C. Immediate full-body scan, then ABCs
D. Vital signs, then transport
Correct answer: B. ABCs, history taking, rapid full-body scan
Rationale: Always follow the assessment order—Airway, Breathing, Circulation—followed by
patient history and a secondary survey (rapid body scan). This ensures life threats are managed
before other findings.
When someone has an upper airway obstruction, what sound might you hear?
A. Gurgling
B. High-pitched wheezing when breathing in
C. Coarse crackles
D. Snoring
Correct answer: B. High-pitched wheezing when breathing in
Rationale: Inspiratory wheezing (stridor) suggests an upper airway obstruction, while gurgling
indicates fluid in the airway, snoring suggests tongue obstruction, and crackles come from fluid
in the lungs.
You find a man who collapsed against a wall. He is breathing shallowly at 10 per minute and has
a rapid pulse. What should you do first?
A. Begin ventilations with a BVM
B. Administer oxygen by nasal cannula
C. Maintain cervical spine and move him supine, then open the airway
D. Check blood sugar
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Correct answer: C. Maintain cervical spine and move him supine, then open the airway
Rationale: Since the man fell and struck his head, spinal injury must be suspected. Maintain C-
spine stabilization while positioning him supine for airway management.
You are called to a public pool where a 9-year-old boy struck his head, fell into the water, and is
pulseless and apneic. What is the best course of action?
A. Provide 30 compressions and 2 breaths at a 30:2 ratio
B. Begin chest compressions at 60 per minute
C. Stabilize head and neck, provide ventilations at 13 per minute, and compress at least 100 per
minute
D. Dry him off before starting CPR
Correct answer: C. Stabilize head and neck, provide ventilations at 13 per minute, and
compress at least 100 per minute
Rationale: In pediatric drowning victims, assume possible spinal injury. Provide manual
stabilization and perform two-rescuer CPR at a 15:2 ratio (≈13 breaths per minute).
A child is breathing at 32 breaths per minute. How should this be classified?
A. Below normal
B. Normal range
C. Above range
D. Bradypneic
Correct answer: C. Above range
Rationale: The normal respiratory rate for a child is 20–30 breaths per minute. A rate of 32 is
slightly elevated, indicating mild tachypnea.
You arrive to find a 9-year-old girl who is vomiting, lethargic, and has a pulse of 130 and
respirations of 14. What does this indicate?
A. Normal vital signs
B. Respiratory distress
C. Shock or decompensation
D. Anxiety
Correct answer: C. Shock or decompensation
Rationale: The slow respirations and rapid pulse suggest the body is failing to compensate,
likely indicating hypoperfusion and the need for immediate transport.
How would you suction a newborn infant?
A. Suction the nose first, then the mouth
NREMT Certification Exam Study
Manual with Detailed Explanations 2025
A man at a sushi bar whispers that a piece of fish is stuck in his throat but is still able to speak.
What should you do next?
A. Perform abdominal thrusts immediately
B. Encourage him to cough it up
C. Perform back blows
D. Attempt to pull out the obstruction with your fingers
Correct answer: B. Encourage him to cough it up
Rationale: The ability to speak indicates a partial airway obstruction. Encourage the patient to
cough forcefully to clear it. Abdominal thrusts or back blows are reserved for complete airway
obstruction, while blind finger sweeps can worsen the blockage.
Before inserting an oral airway, what must you do first?
A. Suction the mouth and throat
B. Lubricate the airway
C. Measure it
D. Tilt the head back
Correct answer: C. Measure it
Rationale: Always measure an oropharyngeal airway from the corner of the mouth to the
earlobe or jaw angle to ensure proper fit. Incorrect sizing can cause airway obstruction or
ineffective ventilation.
You respond to a cardiac arrest call 10 minutes after dispatch. The man collapsed while eating
dinner. What is your most appropriate initial action according to AHA Guidelines?
A. Look inside the mouth before doing compressions
B. Perform 30 compressions, then check the mouth before ventilating
C. Give two rescue breaths before compressions
D. Immediately attach the AED before starting CPR
Correct answer: B. Perform 30 compressions, then check the mouth before ventilating
Rationale: When cardiac arrest follows choking, begin CPR with compressions and inspect the
mouth before ventilating to remove any visible obstruction. AHA guidelines recommend
defibrillation as soon as the AED is available.
,100%
If a patient has audible inspiratory stridor, they most likely have:
A. Lower airway obstruction
B. Fluid in the lungs
C. Upper airway obstruction
D. Pulmonary embolism
Correct answer: C. Upper airway obstruction
Rationale: Inspiratory stridor is a high-pitched sound caused by partial obstruction in the upper
airway (larynx or trachea). Lower airway obstructions cause expiratory wheezing, not stridor.
You find an unconscious patient. What is the correct sequence of assessment and care?
A. History taking, airway check, then body scan
B. ABCs, history taking, rapid full-body scan
C. Immediate full-body scan, then ABCs
D. Vital signs, then transport
Correct answer: B. ABCs, history taking, rapid full-body scan
Rationale: Always follow the assessment order—Airway, Breathing, Circulation—followed by
patient history and a secondary survey (rapid body scan). This ensures life threats are managed
before other findings.
When someone has an upper airway obstruction, what sound might you hear?
A. Gurgling
B. High-pitched wheezing when breathing in
C. Coarse crackles
D. Snoring
Correct answer: B. High-pitched wheezing when breathing in
Rationale: Inspiratory wheezing (stridor) suggests an upper airway obstruction, while gurgling
indicates fluid in the airway, snoring suggests tongue obstruction, and crackles come from fluid
in the lungs.
You find a man who collapsed against a wall. He is breathing shallowly at 10 per minute and has
a rapid pulse. What should you do first?
A. Begin ventilations with a BVM
B. Administer oxygen by nasal cannula
C. Maintain cervical spine and move him supine, then open the airway
D. Check blood sugar
, 100%
Correct answer: C. Maintain cervical spine and move him supine, then open the airway
Rationale: Since the man fell and struck his head, spinal injury must be suspected. Maintain C-
spine stabilization while positioning him supine for airway management.
You are called to a public pool where a 9-year-old boy struck his head, fell into the water, and is
pulseless and apneic. What is the best course of action?
A. Provide 30 compressions and 2 breaths at a 30:2 ratio
B. Begin chest compressions at 60 per minute
C. Stabilize head and neck, provide ventilations at 13 per minute, and compress at least 100 per
minute
D. Dry him off before starting CPR
Correct answer: C. Stabilize head and neck, provide ventilations at 13 per minute, and
compress at least 100 per minute
Rationale: In pediatric drowning victims, assume possible spinal injury. Provide manual
stabilization and perform two-rescuer CPR at a 15:2 ratio (≈13 breaths per minute).
A child is breathing at 32 breaths per minute. How should this be classified?
A. Below normal
B. Normal range
C. Above range
D. Bradypneic
Correct answer: C. Above range
Rationale: The normal respiratory rate for a child is 20–30 breaths per minute. A rate of 32 is
slightly elevated, indicating mild tachypnea.
You arrive to find a 9-year-old girl who is vomiting, lethargic, and has a pulse of 130 and
respirations of 14. What does this indicate?
A. Normal vital signs
B. Respiratory distress
C. Shock or decompensation
D. Anxiety
Correct answer: C. Shock or decompensation
Rationale: The slow respirations and rapid pulse suggest the body is failing to compensate,
likely indicating hypoperfusion and the need for immediate transport.
How would you suction a newborn infant?
A. Suction the nose first, then the mouth
