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NATIONAL CERTIFIED MEDICAL ASSISTANT
(NCMA) PRACTICE TEST BANK
## COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW FOR 2026-
2027 | 250+ QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES
itsjereguides
# SECTION A: GENERAL MEDICAL ASSISTING
## A.1 Medical Terminology
**Question 1**
A patient presents with a diagnosis of hepatomegaly. Based on your knowledge of medical
terminology, which of the following correctly describes this condition?
A) Inflammation of the liver
B) Enlargement of the liver
C) Disease of the liver
D) Surgical removal of the liver
**Correct Answer: B**
**Rationale:** The term "hepatomegaly" breaks down into "hepat/o" (liver) and "-megaly"
(enlargement). Therefore, it specifically refers to an abnormal enlargement of the liver. Option A
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(inflammation of the liver) would be hepatitis; Option C (disease of the liver) would be
hepatopathy; Option D (surgical removal) would be hepatectomy.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** "Hepatitis" contains the suffix "-itis" meaning inflammation, not "-megaly."
- **C:** "Hepatopathy" uses the suffix "-pathy" meaning disease.
- **D:** "Hepatectomy" uses the suffix "-ectomy" meaning surgical removal.
---
**Question 2**
A medical assistant documents that a patient has "pyrexia." What is the patient experiencing?
A) Low blood sugar
B) Excessive tissue growth
C) Fever
D) Headache
**Correct Answer: C**
**Rationale:** Pyrexia is the medical term for fever. The prefix "pyr-" relates to fire or fever,
and the suffix "-exia" indicates a condition.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** Low blood sugar is hypoglycemia (hypo- = low, glyc/o = sugar, -emia = blood).
- **B:** Excessive tissue growth is hyperplasia (hyper- = excessive, plasia = formation).
- **D:** Headache is cephalalgia (cephal/o = head, -algia = pain).
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**Question 3**
The medical term "arthralgia" refers to:
A) Inflammation of a joint
B) Pain in a joint
C) Surgical repair of a joint
D) Disease of a joint
**Correct Answer: B**
**Rationale:** "Arthralgia" combines "arthr/o" (joint) and "-algia" (pain), meaning joint pain.
This is a common complaint in patients with various musculoskeletal conditions.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** Inflammation of a joint is arthritis (arthr/o + -itis).
- **C:** Surgical repair of a joint is arthroplasty.
- **D:** Disease of a joint is arthropathy.
---
**Question 4**
A patient's chart indicates a diagnosis of "hypoglycemia." Which of the following statements
accurately describes this condition?
A) Elevated blood sugar levels
B) Decreased blood sugar levels
C) Excessive sugar in the urine
D) Absence of sugar in the blood
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**Correct Answer: B**
**Rationale:** "Hypoglycemia" breaks down as "hypo-" (below normal, low), "glyc/o" (sugar),
and "-emia" (blood condition), indicating low blood sugar.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** Elevated blood sugar is hyperglycemia.
- **C:** Sugar in the urine is glycosuria.
- **D:** Complete absence of sugar in blood is not a standard term; blood always contains some
glucose.
---
**Question 5**
The suffix "-ectomy" means:
A) Inflammation
B) Surgical removal
C) Incision
D) Visual examination
**Correct Answer: B**
**Rationale:** The suffix "-ectomy" means surgical removal or excision. For example,
appendectomy is surgical removal of the appendix.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** "-itis" means inflammation.
NATIONAL CERTIFIED MEDICAL ASSISTANT
(NCMA) PRACTICE TEST BANK
## COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW FOR 2026-
2027 | 250+ QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES
itsjereguides
# SECTION A: GENERAL MEDICAL ASSISTING
## A.1 Medical Terminology
**Question 1**
A patient presents with a diagnosis of hepatomegaly. Based on your knowledge of medical
terminology, which of the following correctly describes this condition?
A) Inflammation of the liver
B) Enlargement of the liver
C) Disease of the liver
D) Surgical removal of the liver
**Correct Answer: B**
**Rationale:** The term "hepatomegaly" breaks down into "hepat/o" (liver) and "-megaly"
(enlargement). Therefore, it specifically refers to an abnormal enlargement of the liver. Option A
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(inflammation of the liver) would be hepatitis; Option C (disease of the liver) would be
hepatopathy; Option D (surgical removal) would be hepatectomy.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** "Hepatitis" contains the suffix "-itis" meaning inflammation, not "-megaly."
- **C:** "Hepatopathy" uses the suffix "-pathy" meaning disease.
- **D:** "Hepatectomy" uses the suffix "-ectomy" meaning surgical removal.
---
**Question 2**
A medical assistant documents that a patient has "pyrexia." What is the patient experiencing?
A) Low blood sugar
B) Excessive tissue growth
C) Fever
D) Headache
**Correct Answer: C**
**Rationale:** Pyrexia is the medical term for fever. The prefix "pyr-" relates to fire or fever,
and the suffix "-exia" indicates a condition.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** Low blood sugar is hypoglycemia (hypo- = low, glyc/o = sugar, -emia = blood).
- **B:** Excessive tissue growth is hyperplasia (hyper- = excessive, plasia = formation).
- **D:** Headache is cephalalgia (cephal/o = head, -algia = pain).
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**Question 3**
The medical term "arthralgia" refers to:
A) Inflammation of a joint
B) Pain in a joint
C) Surgical repair of a joint
D) Disease of a joint
**Correct Answer: B**
**Rationale:** "Arthralgia" combines "arthr/o" (joint) and "-algia" (pain), meaning joint pain.
This is a common complaint in patients with various musculoskeletal conditions.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** Inflammation of a joint is arthritis (arthr/o + -itis).
- **C:** Surgical repair of a joint is arthroplasty.
- **D:** Disease of a joint is arthropathy.
---
**Question 4**
A patient's chart indicates a diagnosis of "hypoglycemia." Which of the following statements
accurately describes this condition?
A) Elevated blood sugar levels
B) Decreased blood sugar levels
C) Excessive sugar in the urine
D) Absence of sugar in the blood
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**Correct Answer: B**
**Rationale:** "Hypoglycemia" breaks down as "hypo-" (below normal, low), "glyc/o" (sugar),
and "-emia" (blood condition), indicating low blood sugar.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** Elevated blood sugar is hyperglycemia.
- **C:** Sugar in the urine is glycosuria.
- **D:** Complete absence of sugar in blood is not a standard term; blood always contains some
glucose.
---
**Question 5**
The suffix "-ectomy" means:
A) Inflammation
B) Surgical removal
C) Incision
D) Visual examination
**Correct Answer: B**
**Rationale:** The suffix "-ectomy" means surgical removal or excision. For example,
appendectomy is surgical removal of the appendix.
**Distractor Analysis:**
- **A:** "-itis" means inflammation.
