Patient intake and vitals is 14 of the 150 scored items on the NHA CCMA. Answer 10 exam style questions on patient intake and exam assisting and see exactly which concepts would cost you points on test day.
Start the 10 questions →Which position places the patient on the left side with the right knee drawn up, and is commonly used for rectal examinations?
These questions cover patient positioning, exam techniques, exam instruments, patient history and pain assessment. Each one shows the correct answer and why every other option is wrong, so a miss tells you exactly what to review before the CCMA.
Prefer to read first? Every question from the practice set above, with the correct answer and why each wrong option is wrong.
Answer: B. Sims' (left lateral) position has the patient lying on the left side with the left arm behind the body and the right knee flexed toward the chest. It provides access for rectal exams, enemas, and temperature measurement.
Why not A: Prone is face down.
Why not C: Fowler's is sitting up.
Why not D: Lithotomy is on the back with feet in stirrups.
Exam tactic: Sims' = left side, right knee up.
Answer: C. The four basic exam techniques are inspection (looking), palpation (feeling with the hands), percussion (tapping to assess underlying structures), and auscultation (listening, usually with a stethoscope).
Why not A: Palpation is feeling with the hands.
Why not B: Percussion is tapping to produce sounds.
Why not D: Inspection is visual examination.
Exam tactic: Look, feel, tap, listen: inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation.
Answer: B. The otoscope has a light and a speculum to view the ear canal and tympanic membrane. The ophthalmoscope examines the interior of the eye, the sphygmomanometer measures blood pressure, and the tuning fork tests hearing and vibration sense.
Why not A: The tuning fork tests hearing and vibration, not visualization.
Why not C: The sphygmomanometer measures blood pressure.
Why not D: The ophthalmoscope is used for the eye.
Exam tactic: Oto = ear. Ophthalmo = eye.
Answer: D. The chief complaint is the main reason for the visit, recorded concisely and ideally in the patient's words (for example, 'sore throat for 3 days'). Diagnosing and coding are not part of recording the chief complaint.
Why not A: Assigning a diagnosis code at intake presumes a diagnosis.
Why not B: Diagnosis is the provider's role.
Why not C: The full history is documented separately; the chief complaint is brief.
Exam tactic: Chief complaint: short, their words, how long.
Answer: A. Faces scales show expressions from no hurt to worst hurt, letting young children point to how they feel. Numeric scales work for older children and adults who understand numbers.
Why not B: The Snellen chart tests visual acuity.
Why not C: A peak flow meter measures airflow in asthma.
Why not D: Young children often cannot rate pain accurately with numbers.
Exam tactic: Match the pain scale to the patient's ability to communicate.
Answer: A. The medical assistant tells the patient which clothing to remove and how to wear the gown, provides a drape, and steps out, knocking before re-entering. Only the area being examined is exposed.
Why not B: Remaining in the room while the patient changes violates privacy unless assistance is requested.
Why not C: An open door exposes the patient.
Why not D: Patients are always offered a drape.
Exam tactic: Explain, gown, drape, step out, knock.
Answer: C. A chaperone protects both the patient and the provider by being present in the room for the entire sensitive exam, assisting and providing reassurance. Many practices document the chaperone's name in the record.
Why not A: Performing a provider's exam is outside scope.
Why not B: A chaperone must be in the room to observe.
Why not D: Leaving defeats the purpose of a chaperone.
Exam tactic: Chaperone = in the room, the whole time, documented.
Answer: B. The specimen is handled according to the lab's method (liquid-based vial or fixed slide), labeled with patient identifiers, and sent with a completed requisition including relevant history such as last menstrual period.
Why not A: Unlabeled specimens are rejected and risk mix-ups.
Why not C: The laboratory needs a requisition to process the test.
Why not D: The specimen is sent for laboratory evaluation, not discarded.
Exam tactic: Right medium, right label, complete requisition.
Answer: B. Accurate height requires no shoes, heels together, back straight, eyes looking forward, and the headpiece brought down gently to rest on the top of the head. The reading is taken at eye level.
Why not A: Self-reported height is often inaccurate.
Why not C: Seated measurement does not give standing height.
Why not D: Shoes and tiptoes add height, and a tilted head changes the measurement.
Exam tactic: No shoes, heels back, eyes forward, headpiece down.
Answer: A. Fall prevention includes stabilizing the table, using the step and handrail, keeping the walker nearby, and staying with the patient to assist. Many practices use lowered or powered tables for patients with mobility limitations.
Why not B: Lifting a patient without proper technique risks injury to both.
Why not C: Leaving a patient with limited mobility to climb alone risks a fall.
Why not D: The footrest can tip and is not a safe step.
Exam tactic: Mobility-limited patient: stabilize, assist, stay.
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