Medical Assistant Practice Test (CCMA / CMA Style)
Anatomy and terminology, clinical procedures, patient intake and vital signs, pharmacology basics, phlebotomy, EKG, administrative tasks and law and ethics.
175 questions · 6 topics · free, no sign-up
Mixed practice test
10 questions, graded as you go, with the reason for every answer. No sign-up.
Timed mock exam
50 questions in 60 minutes, drawn from every topic. No answers shown until the end, then a score, your weakest topics and a review of what you missed.
A caller says her husband has crushing chest pain and is sweating heavily. What should the medical assistant do?
Offer the first open appointment today
Take a message for a callback within the hour
Put her on hold and look for the provider
Tell her to hang up and call 911 right away
Show the answer
D. Tell her to hang up and call 911 right away
Chest pain with sweating is a possible heart attack and needs emergency medical services, not an office visit. The office follows its emergency telephone protocol and never places such a caller on hold.
Reference: Telephone triage: emergency calls
After a blood draw, where does a gauze pad soaked with blood belong?
Biohazard bag
Soiled linen hamper
Regular trash can
Sharps container
Show the answer
A. Biohazard bag
Items saturated with blood are regulated waste and go in a labeled biohazard (red) bag. The sharps container is reserved for objects that can cut or puncture.
An adult's resting pulse is 52 beats per minute. How is this documented?
Arrhythmia
Bradycardia
Tachycardia
Bradypnea
Show the answer
B. Bradycardia
A heart rate under 60 is bradycardia. Bradypnea sounds similar but refers to slow breathing, and arrhythmia describes an irregular rhythm, not a slow rate.
Reference: Clinical patient care: vital signs
At what angle is an intramuscular injection given?
10 to 15 degrees
30 degrees
45 degrees
90 degrees
Show the answer
D. 90 degrees
An IM injection goes straight in at 90 degrees so the needle reaches muscle. 45 degrees is used for subcutaneous injections and 10 to 15 degrees for intradermal.
Reference: Medication administration: parenteral routes, sites and angles
Before a venipuncture, how should the medical assistant confirm the patient's identity?
Match the room number to the lab order
Ask 'Are you Mr. Lopez?' and wait for a yes
Check the name on the exam room schedule
Have the patient state name and birth date
Show the answer
D. Have the patient state name and birth date
Two identifiers stated by the patient and compared with the order prevent drawing the wrong person. A yes-or-no question fails because a confused or hard-of-hearing patient may simply agree.