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SMQT- Surveyors & Survey Teams,
SMQT Study Guide Questions and
Answers Latest 2026
Your role as a surveyor includes:
- Assessing the quality of care and services of a health
facility and relating those findings to statutory and
regulatory requirements
- Being part of a team that helps to evaluate a facility's
compliance in providing quality care, quality of life, and
other structural requirements
- Basing your judgments on objective findings Ans: The
Role of the Surveyor
- As a surveyor, you are part of a team engaged in a
process that aims to ensure that beneficiaries receive
quality health care in a safe environment.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
depends on your knowledge, objectivity, professionalism,
and commitment to monitor compliance with the
regulatory conditions & requirements.
- As a surveyor, you are part of a team that helps to
evaluate a facility's compliance; you must show
knowledge, objectivity, professionalism, and
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
commitment; and you must base your judgments on
objective findings. Ans: CMS Depends on Its Surveyors
The survey, certification, and enforcement of regulations
for nursing homes is codified in past practices regarding
the composition of survey teams and expands eligibility
requirements.
Survey team size will vary, depending primarily on the
size of the facility being surveyed.
The State Agency (or, for Federal teams, the regional
office (RO)) decides how many members will be on the
team.
Survey team size is normally based upon the following
factors:
- The bed size of the facility to be surveyed
- Whether the facility has a historical pattern of serious
deficiencies or complaints
- Whether the facility has special care units
- Whether new surveyors are to accompany a team as part
of their training Ans: How the Survey Team Composition
is Determined
The State Agency (or, for Federal teams, the RO) decides
what the composition of the survey team will be, as long
as certain statutory and regulatory requirements are met.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
- Sections 1819(g)(2)(E) & 1919(g)(2)(E) of the Act & 42
CFR 488.314 require the following:
- SNF and NF standard surveys must be conducted by a
multidisciplinary team of professionals, at least one of
whom must be a registered nurse (RN)
- Surveyors must be free of conflicts of interest
- Surveyors must successfully complete a training and
testing program in survey and certification techniques
that has been approved by the Secretary.
** In other words, surveyors must successfully complete
the CMS-approved training AND pass Module A of the
Surveyor Minimum Qualifications Test (SMQT).**
Surveyors who assess the requirements of quality of care,
nutritional dietary services, and drug therapy must also
successfully complete Module B of the S Ans: Team
Composition
ANSWER:
The State... HOWEVER, CMS offers guidance.
- Consider using more than one RN
- Select members from a variety of professions
- Select persons with clinical expertise and knowledge
- Consider including members of specialized disciplines
© 2025 All rights reserved
SMQT- Surveyors & Survey Teams,
SMQT Study Guide Questions and
Answers Latest 2026
Your role as a surveyor includes:
- Assessing the quality of care and services of a health
facility and relating those findings to statutory and
regulatory requirements
- Being part of a team that helps to evaluate a facility's
compliance in providing quality care, quality of life, and
other structural requirements
- Basing your judgments on objective findings Ans: The
Role of the Surveyor
- As a surveyor, you are part of a team engaged in a
process that aims to ensure that beneficiaries receive
quality health care in a safe environment.
- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
depends on your knowledge, objectivity, professionalism,
and commitment to monitor compliance with the
regulatory conditions & requirements.
- As a surveyor, you are part of a team that helps to
evaluate a facility's compliance; you must show
knowledge, objectivity, professionalism, and
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 2 | Page
commitment; and you must base your judgments on
objective findings. Ans: CMS Depends on Its Surveyors
The survey, certification, and enforcement of regulations
for nursing homes is codified in past practices regarding
the composition of survey teams and expands eligibility
requirements.
Survey team size will vary, depending primarily on the
size of the facility being surveyed.
The State Agency (or, for Federal teams, the regional
office (RO)) decides how many members will be on the
team.
Survey team size is normally based upon the following
factors:
- The bed size of the facility to be surveyed
- Whether the facility has a historical pattern of serious
deficiencies or complaints
- Whether the facility has special care units
- Whether new surveyors are to accompany a team as part
of their training Ans: How the Survey Team Composition
is Determined
The State Agency (or, for Federal teams, the RO) decides
what the composition of the survey team will be, as long
as certain statutory and regulatory requirements are met.
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3 | Page
- Sections 1819(g)(2)(E) & 1919(g)(2)(E) of the Act & 42
CFR 488.314 require the following:
- SNF and NF standard surveys must be conducted by a
multidisciplinary team of professionals, at least one of
whom must be a registered nurse (RN)
- Surveyors must be free of conflicts of interest
- Surveyors must successfully complete a training and
testing program in survey and certification techniques
that has been approved by the Secretary.
** In other words, surveyors must successfully complete
the CMS-approved training AND pass Module A of the
Surveyor Minimum Qualifications Test (SMQT).**
Surveyors who assess the requirements of quality of care,
nutritional dietary services, and drug therapy must also
successfully complete Module B of the S Ans: Team
Composition
ANSWER:
The State... HOWEVER, CMS offers guidance.
- Consider using more than one RN
- Select members from a variety of professions
- Select persons with clinical expertise and knowledge
- Consider including members of specialized disciplines
© 2025 All rights reserved
