ABRET EEG Review Study Guide 2025 – Complete Exam
Preparation & Detailed Content Review
Description:
A detailed and comprehensive review guide for the ABRET EEG
exam, featuring neurophysiology fundamentals, EEG recording
techniques, pattern recognition, safety procedures, and exam-
format practice resources.
Keywords:
ABRET EEG, EEG certification prep, neurodiagnostic review, EEG
patterns, 2025 exam guide, ABRET study material
Section 1: Instrumentation & Technical Standards (20 Questions)
1. What is the primary purpose of the 10-20 System of electrode placement?
A. To measure brain temperature
B. To ensure proportional, standardized placement of electrodes across different head sizes
C. To only identify seizure foci
D. To apply therapeutic stimulation
Answer: B
2. An electrode impedance check should ideally be below what value (in kΩ) at the start of a
recording?
A. < 1 kΩ
B. < 5 kΩ
C. < 50 kΩ
D. < 100 kΩ
Answer: B
3. A 60 Hz artifact appears in your recording. What is the MOST likely cause?
A. Patient sweating
B. High electrode impedance interacting with ambient AC power
C. Glossokinetic potential
D. Eye movement
Answer: B
,4. What does the Low-Frequency Filter (LFF) do?
A. Attenuates fast frequencies like muscle artifact.
B. Attenuates slow frequencies like sweat and drift.
C. Amplifies spike and wave complexes.
D. It has no effect on the signal.
Answer: B
5. What does the High-Frequency Filter (HFF) do?
A. Attenuates slow frequencies like sweat and drift.
B. Attenuates fast frequencies like muscle artifact.
C. Amplifies delta waves.
D. It is also known as the sensitivity control.
Answer: B
6. The "Sensitivity" setting on an EEG machine controls what?
A. The filter settings
B. The amplitude (size) of the waveforms on the screen
C. The paper speed
D. The impedance
Answer: B
7. A "phase reversal" in a bipolar montage is used to:
A. Diagnose migraine headaches
B. Confirm the presence of a seizure
C. Localize the source of a potential
D. Eliminate all artifact
Answer: C
8. In a referential montage, a "true" focal spike should appear largest in the channel
containing the active electrode and the reference if:
A. The reference is also active.
B. The reference is relatively inactive.
C. The montage is bipolar.
D. The sensitivity is set to 7 µV/mm.
Answer: B
9. What is the standard paper speed for a routine adult EEG?
A. 10 mm/sec
B. 15 mm/sec
C. 30 mm/sec
,D. 60 mm/sec
Answer: C
10. The calibration signal is typically a:
A. 50 Hz, 100 µV wave
B. 10 Hz, 50 µV square wave
C. 1 Hz, 1 mV sine wave
D. 60 Hz, 7 µV pulse
Answer: B
11. Which of the following is a biological artifact?
A. 60 Hz line noise
B. ECG (EKG) artifact
C. Electrode pop
D. Machine malfunction
Answer: B
12. The Nyquist theorem states that the sampling rate must be at least:
A. Equal to the highest frequency you wish to accurately reproduce.
B. Twice the highest frequency you wish to accurately reproduce.
C. Half the highest frequency you wish to accurately reproduce.
D. The same as the low-frequency filter setting.
Answer: B
13. What is the primary safety risk to a patient during an EEG?
A. Hearing the technician's voice
B. Electric shock or seizure from stimulation
C. Allergic reaction to paste
D. The risk is negligible
Answer: B (Emphasizing electrical safety and prevention of microshock)
14. Which montage is best for visualizing a generalized discharge?
A. Longitudinal bipolar
B. Transverse bipolar
C. Referential montage using Cz
D. Source derivation montage
Answer: C
15. Electrode "pop" artifact is characterized by:
A. Rhythmic 3 Hz waves
B. A sudden, very sharp deflection in a single channel
, C. Muscle artifact in all channels
D. Slow delta waves
Answer: B
16. The purpose of a "ground" electrode is to:
A. Serve as a common reference
B. Improve signal clarity and for patient safety
C. Measure EKG
D. Record from the occipital lobe
Answer: B
17. What filter setting would be most appropriate to reduce sweat artifact?
A. HFF 70 Hz
B. LFF 1 Hz
C. LFF 5 Hz
D. HFF 15 Hz
Answer: C (Sweat is a very slow, DC shift; raising the LFF helps)
18. In a longitudinal bipolar montage (double banana), a phase reversal between Fp2-F8 and
F8-T4 indicates the discharge is maximal at:
A. Fp2
B. F8
C. T4
D. C4
Answer: B
19. Digital "aliasing" occurs when:
A. Impedances are too low.
B. The sampling rate is too low for the frequency content of the signal.
C. The high-frequency filter is set too high.
D. The patient is asleep.
Answer: B
20. The notch filter is used to eliminate:
A. Muscle artifact
B. 60 Hz (or 50 Hz) line frequency artifact
C. Eye blink artifact
D. ECG artifact
Answer: B
Preparation & Detailed Content Review
Description:
A detailed and comprehensive review guide for the ABRET EEG
exam, featuring neurophysiology fundamentals, EEG recording
techniques, pattern recognition, safety procedures, and exam-
format practice resources.
Keywords:
ABRET EEG, EEG certification prep, neurodiagnostic review, EEG
patterns, 2025 exam guide, ABRET study material
Section 1: Instrumentation & Technical Standards (20 Questions)
1. What is the primary purpose of the 10-20 System of electrode placement?
A. To measure brain temperature
B. To ensure proportional, standardized placement of electrodes across different head sizes
C. To only identify seizure foci
D. To apply therapeutic stimulation
Answer: B
2. An electrode impedance check should ideally be below what value (in kΩ) at the start of a
recording?
A. < 1 kΩ
B. < 5 kΩ
C. < 50 kΩ
D. < 100 kΩ
Answer: B
3. A 60 Hz artifact appears in your recording. What is the MOST likely cause?
A. Patient sweating
B. High electrode impedance interacting with ambient AC power
C. Glossokinetic potential
D. Eye movement
Answer: B
,4. What does the Low-Frequency Filter (LFF) do?
A. Attenuates fast frequencies like muscle artifact.
B. Attenuates slow frequencies like sweat and drift.
C. Amplifies spike and wave complexes.
D. It has no effect on the signal.
Answer: B
5. What does the High-Frequency Filter (HFF) do?
A. Attenuates slow frequencies like sweat and drift.
B. Attenuates fast frequencies like muscle artifact.
C. Amplifies delta waves.
D. It is also known as the sensitivity control.
Answer: B
6. The "Sensitivity" setting on an EEG machine controls what?
A. The filter settings
B. The amplitude (size) of the waveforms on the screen
C. The paper speed
D. The impedance
Answer: B
7. A "phase reversal" in a bipolar montage is used to:
A. Diagnose migraine headaches
B. Confirm the presence of a seizure
C. Localize the source of a potential
D. Eliminate all artifact
Answer: C
8. In a referential montage, a "true" focal spike should appear largest in the channel
containing the active electrode and the reference if:
A. The reference is also active.
B. The reference is relatively inactive.
C. The montage is bipolar.
D. The sensitivity is set to 7 µV/mm.
Answer: B
9. What is the standard paper speed for a routine adult EEG?
A. 10 mm/sec
B. 15 mm/sec
C. 30 mm/sec
,D. 60 mm/sec
Answer: C
10. The calibration signal is typically a:
A. 50 Hz, 100 µV wave
B. 10 Hz, 50 µV square wave
C. 1 Hz, 1 mV sine wave
D. 60 Hz, 7 µV pulse
Answer: B
11. Which of the following is a biological artifact?
A. 60 Hz line noise
B. ECG (EKG) artifact
C. Electrode pop
D. Machine malfunction
Answer: B
12. The Nyquist theorem states that the sampling rate must be at least:
A. Equal to the highest frequency you wish to accurately reproduce.
B. Twice the highest frequency you wish to accurately reproduce.
C. Half the highest frequency you wish to accurately reproduce.
D. The same as the low-frequency filter setting.
Answer: B
13. What is the primary safety risk to a patient during an EEG?
A. Hearing the technician's voice
B. Electric shock or seizure from stimulation
C. Allergic reaction to paste
D. The risk is negligible
Answer: B (Emphasizing electrical safety and prevention of microshock)
14. Which montage is best for visualizing a generalized discharge?
A. Longitudinal bipolar
B. Transverse bipolar
C. Referential montage using Cz
D. Source derivation montage
Answer: C
15. Electrode "pop" artifact is characterized by:
A. Rhythmic 3 Hz waves
B. A sudden, very sharp deflection in a single channel
, C. Muscle artifact in all channels
D. Slow delta waves
Answer: B
16. The purpose of a "ground" electrode is to:
A. Serve as a common reference
B. Improve signal clarity and for patient safety
C. Measure EKG
D. Record from the occipital lobe
Answer: B
17. What filter setting would be most appropriate to reduce sweat artifact?
A. HFF 70 Hz
B. LFF 1 Hz
C. LFF 5 Hz
D. HFF 15 Hz
Answer: C (Sweat is a very slow, DC shift; raising the LFF helps)
18. In a longitudinal bipolar montage (double banana), a phase reversal between Fp2-F8 and
F8-T4 indicates the discharge is maximal at:
A. Fp2
B. F8
C. T4
D. C4
Answer: B
19. Digital "aliasing" occurs when:
A. Impedances are too low.
B. The sampling rate is too low for the frequency content of the signal.
C. The high-frequency filter is set too high.
D. The patient is asleep.
Answer: B
20. The notch filter is used to eliminate:
A. Muscle artifact
B. 60 Hz (or 50 Hz) line frequency artifact
C. Eye blink artifact
D. ECG artifact
Answer: B
