CCMA Final Practice Test

In which of the following sections of a SOAP note should a medical assistant document a patient's social history?

A. Subjective

A medical assistant is caring for a patient who is terminally ill and has been crying uncontrollably as well as refusing to eat or see their family. The assistant should identify this as which of the following Kübler-Ross stages of grief?

A. Depression

A medical assistant is performing an ear irrigation for an adult patient. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

C. Open the ear canal by pulling the pinna upward and backward

Which of the following waste items should a medical assistant discard in a red biohazardous waste bag?

C. Linens soiled with bodily fluids

Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use for the routine cleaning of EKG cables?

A. Disinfection

Which of the following is the purpose of monthly financial reconciliation?

A. To ensure the financial records of the medical practice match the information provided on a bank statement

A medical assistant is preparing a patient who has anemia for an examination by the provider. Which of the following manifestations should the assistant expect?

A. Irregular Heartbeat

A medical assistant is measuring a patient's oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

D. Check capillary refill in the patient's finger

A medical assistant is writing orders for an outpatient laparoscopic appendectomy. For this outpatient procedure, which of the following sets of procedural codes should the assistant use?

B. CPT

Which of the following preventative screenings tests is recommended for a patient who is 45 years old?

D. Dilated eye exam

A medical assistant is drawing five blood collection tubes. When should the assistant release the tourniquet?

C. Within 1 min of application

A medical assistant is performing a venipuncture procedure. According to order of draw, which of the following tubes should the assistant draw after the lavender tube?

A. Gray

Which of the following should occur after exposure to chemicals in the eyes?

B. Flush the eyes for 15 min

A medical assistant should complete documentation in a patient's medical record at which of the following times?

A. Immediately following a procedure

Which of the following procedures should a medical assistant perform on a soiled hemostat prior to autoclaving?

B. Sanitization

According to the CDC, which of the following is the minimum length of time recommended for using medical aseptic handwashing after using the restroom, before and after eating, or after seeing patients?

D. Washing for at least 20 seconds

A medical assistant is collecting a 24-hour urine specimen. Which of the following should the assistant document during a 24-hour urine specimen collection?

D. Volume

A medical assistant is assisting a patient from a wheelchair to an examination table. Which of the following assistive devices should the assistant use to ensure patient safety when transferring?

D. Gait belt

Which of the following conditions involves an overload of iron in the body?

A. Hemochromatosis

A medical assistant is reviewing treatment options with a patient who has Graves' disease. Which of the following treatments should the assistant expect the patient to receive?

C. Radiation to the thyroid gland

A medical assistant is performing a urine analysis on a patient and identifies the color of the urine as a greenish-yellow color. Which of the following can contribute to make the urine that color?

A. Infection

Which of the following is important when selecting codes to ensure accurate reimbursement for a patient's visit?

C. Medical necessity is supported

When processing incoming mail, which of the following steps should a medical assistant take if they are unsure how to process one of the items received?

B. Give the mail to the office manager and ask the manager to determine how to handle the item

When entering a new patient appointment, which of the following is an appropriate amount of time to block off?

A. 15 minutes

B. 30 minutes

C. 60 minutes

D. 80 minutes

C. 60 minutes

When coaching a patient, which of the following is an example of disease prevention?

B. Providing instructions about effective hand washing

When performing a prior authorization for durable medical equipment (DME) for a patient with Medicare, a medical assistant should understand that which of the following Medicare plans covers DME services?

B. Part B

When collecting demographic information from a new patient, which of the following ways can a patient provide this information?

B. Patient portal

Which of the following is the lay term that can be used in the place of the medical term verrucae?

D. Wart

Which of the following is the appropriate response for a medical assistant to take for a patient who is experiencing anaphylaxis due to an iodine allergy reaction?

D. Administer an epinephrine auto-injector immediately, if available, or call 911

A medical assistant is assisting with the examination of an older adult patient who has a forward, rounded curvature of the thoracic spine. Which of the following terms should the assistant use when documenting this finding in the patient's medical record?

C. Kyphosis

A patient calls a provider's office requesting their laboratory results. A medical assistant notes an authorization on the patient's medical record to give the patient the results when they call. Which of the following actions should the assistant take to maintain the patient's confidentiality?

A. Move to a private office

A medical assistant is performing venipuncture. At which of the following angles should the assistant insert the needle into the vein?

A. 15 degrees

Which of the following should a medical assistant ensure when obtaining prior authorization for a referral?

A. Follow guidelines of the patient's insurance company on how to obtain a referral

Which of the following statements made by a medical assistant demonstrates an understanding of required patient identification techniques?

B. "I will ask the patient to state and spell their full name and provide their date of birth before administering vaccines."

Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use to gather additional information from a patient who is having chest pain?

C. Ask open-ended questions

A medical assistant is preparing to apply a transdermal patch for a patient. Which of the following is the correct method?

A. Apply the patch directly to the skin to maintain effectiveness

A clinical medical assistant is communicating during a telehealth visit with a patient who has partial hearing loss. Which of the following methods should the medical assistant use?

B. Use real-time closed captioning

In Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development, which of the following stages is associated with an adolescent needing privacy and providing some independence?

A. Identity vs. role confusion

A medical assistant is reviewing a patient's recent medical history and notes they have a healing fracture of the distal femur. In which of the following locations on the patient's body should the assistant expect to find the injury?

D. Just above the knee

Which of the following provides informed treatment and encourages patients to take an active role in their individual health care, resulting in better compliance in treatment?

D. Patient education

When assisting a provider with a punch biopsy of a mole, which of the following tasks should a medical assistant anticipate?

A. Receive and prepare tissue specimens for processing

A provider places a sharp container in the linen hamper by mistake. Which of the following actions should the medical assistant take?

B. Dispose of the linen hamper's contents as a biohazard

The duodenum is located in which of the following abdominopelvic quadrants?

D. Right upper quadrant

A patient who has an acute illness calls to schedule an appointment. According to best practices, in which of the following time frames should the patient's appointment be scheduled for?

B. The same day

In which of the following situations is a medical assistant required to wear sterile gloves?

A. Performing a venipuncture to obtain blood culture samples

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends female patients who are considered at average risk of breast cancer to start having yearly mammograms at which of the following ages?

C. 45 years old

A medical assistant is performing a capillary puncture. Which of the following steps should the assistant take to promote blood flow?

C. Keep the patient's hand below heart level

A medical assistant is preparing to draw venous blood samples. OSHA regulations require the assistant to wear which of the following pieces of personal protective equipment while performing this procedure?

A. Gloves

A provider examines a patient who has a lesion on their arm that requires daily wound care treatment. The patient is unable to perform wound care themselves. A medical assistant should anticipate a referral for this patient to which of the following ancillary services?

B. Home health care

A medical assistant is speaking with a patient who has seasonal allergies. Which of the following health care providers should the assistant identify as being able to make a diagnosis and initiate the necessary treatment?

B. Physician Assistant

Which of the following techniques should a medical assistant use to put a 7-year-old child at ease prior to administering an injection?

D. Explain the procedure to the child in simple steps

Which of the following articles is allowed by the professional dress code for a medical assistant?

D. Watch

A medical assistant is caring for a child who has varicella zoster virus. The assistant should recognize that varicella is spread through which of the following modes of transmission?

A. Airborne

A medical assistant is preparing a patient to wear a Holter monitor. Which of the following instructions should the assistant include?

A. "You should avoid using an electric blanket during monitoring."

A patient who has night blindness might be experiencing which the following vitamin deficiencies?

C. Vitamin A

When performing a first aid procedure to control bleeding of a wound, which of the following actions should a medical assistant take?

B. Don sterile gloves

When scheduling a routine Papanicolaou (Pap) test and Human papillomavirus (HPV) test for a 55-year-old patient, which of the following guidelines should the medical assistant follow?

D. 3 to 5 years

A provider asks a medical assistant to assist with an orthopedic examination. Which of the following instruments should the assistant prepare for the examination?

D. Goniometer

When discharging a patient from a minor surgery, which of the following findings should a medical assistant instruct the patient to recognize as an expected part of the recovery process?

B. Slight discomfort at surgery site

Which of the following is an example of an involuntary movement by the patient that can lead to a somatic tremor artifact on a patient's EKG?

C. Shivering due to coldness

A medical assistant is preparing to use a glucometer to measure a patient's blood glucose level. Which of the following actions should the assistant take?

A. Obtain the blood sample after inserting the test strip into the glucometer

A medical assistant receives a prescription to administer an intramuscular injection to a patient. Which of the following angles should the assistant use to administer the injection?

D. 90 degrees

A provider prescribed oxygen therapy for a patient who is experiencing labored breathing. Which of the following actions should a medical assistant take?

A. Place a nasal cannula on the patient with a nasal prong in each nostril

A patient receives a referral to an oncologist. Which of the following types of office visit is this considered?

C. Consultation-office

A medical assistant is labeling a blood sample for anemia. Which of the following tests should the assistant label on the requisition form?

D. STAT-CRIT hematocrit

Which of the following should the medical assistant obtain from an insurance company prior to performing an outpatient surgery?

C. Preauthorization

A medical assistant is preparing to perform venipuncture for a patient. According to order of draw, which of the following tubes should the assistant draw after obtaining blood cultures?

A. Light blue

Based on The Joint Commission's (TJC) "Do Not Use" list, which of the following should the medical assistant recognize as easily mistaken and should avoid using when documenting in the electronic medical record?

D. QD

Which of the following types of allergy testing involves applying an allergen to the skin to help detect delayed allergic reactions?

B. Patch testing

Which of the following is a medical assistant's priority action when handling a call from a patient who is upset about a prescription refill?

C. Stay calm and talk to client in an empathetic tone

Which of the following strategies demonstrates empathy when a medical assistant is interacting with a patient who is upset?

C. Exhibiting active listening skills

A medical assistant is checking a patient in for a sex reassignment preoperative appointment. How should the assistant identify the patient's gender?

B. Address the patient as they wish

Which of the following members of the health care team specializes in serving as a guide to help patients with chronic illnesses through the health care system?

A. Patient navigator

Which of the following sterilization methods is being used with an autoclave device?

D. Moist heat

A temperature 37.6 degree C would equal which of the following when converted to Fahrenheit?

D. 99.6 degree F

A medical assistant is preparing to perform an EKG on a 3-year-old patient. Which of the following is an appropriate action for the assistant to take before the procedure?

B. Tell the child the procedure will not hurt

Which of the following types of masks is considered a respirator and required when caring for a patient who has COVID-19?

B. N-95 mask

A medical assistant is preparing to calculate a patient's heart rate from an EKG tracing. Which of the following methods should the assistant use for this calculation?

C. Divide 1,500 by the number of small boxes between two R waves

Which of the following conditions refers to when the internal environment functions properly and all the organs are performing appropriately?

C. Homeostasis

Which of the following is a component of a patient's electronic health record (EHR)?

C. Laboratory test results

A provider has ordered hematology testing for a patient. Which of the following tube colors should a medical assistant use?

D. Lavender

Aside from verifying a patient's full name and date of birth, which of the following patient identifiers would a medical assistant recognize as unique to an individual patient?

C. Medical record number

A medical assistant is reporting a patient fall that occurred in the front lobby of the clinic. When considering patient safety guidelines, which of the following is the purpose of completing an incident report?

B. To avoid future reoccurrences

Which of the following conditions places the patient at the highest risk for stroke or transient ischemic attack?

D. Carotid artery disease

A patient weighs 78 kg. Which of the following represents the patient's weight converted to pounds?

B. 171.6 lb

A medical assistant should assist an adult patient into which of the following positions when obtaining the patient's height measurement?

C. Standing with their back to the scale

Which of the following can cause a hemolyzed specimen?

C. Shaking the collection tube vigorously

When working in a culturally diverse practice, which of the following actions should a medical assistant take to overcome diversity and communication barriers?

B. Examine personal religious, cultural values, and beliefs to identify any biases

Which of the following routes for taking a patient's temperature is the most accurate?

B. Rectal

The abbreviation "ac" stands for which of the following?

D. Before eating

Which of the following eating disorders is demonstrated by purging, use of laxatives, and mood swings?

D. Bulimia nervosa

A medical assistant is preparing the autoclave for the sterilization process. Which of the following temperatures is recommended to effectively perform sterilization?

B. 121 degrees to 123 degrees C (250 degrees to 255 degrees F)

Which of the following organs in the urinary system triggers micturition?

D. Bladder

Which of the following procedures take into consideration the 3 Ds - depth, diameter, and direction?

B. Venipuncture procedure

A medical assistant is preparing a patient for a vaginal examination and Papanicolaou (Pap) test. In which of the following positions should the assistant place the patient for this procedure?

D. Lithotomy position

Which of the following is the term for the allergy test that involves small injections just under the skin?

C. Intradermal test

Which of the following patient conditions is appropriate for a telehealth visit with a provider?

D. Diabetes

According to the CDC, which of the following information must be included on a vaccine inventory log?

A. Refrigerator temperature

Which of the following examinations assesses a patient's color perception and aids in detecting color blindness?

B. Ishihara test

Which of the following medical asepsis techniques should a medical assistant use to ensure work surfaces are free of infectious diseases?

A. Disinfection