CCMA Foundational Knowledge & Basic Science Practice Questions
Foundational Knowledge & Basic Science makes up 5 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest CCMA practice test. Here are 10 of the 20 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Weighted to the NHA CCMA test plan (3.0). Scope of practice varies by state.
1. A provider's note says a patient has hepatomegaly. The medical assistant understands this term means:
- A.Pain localized in the liver
- B.Enlargement of the liver
- C.Inflammation of the liver
- D.Surgical removal of part of the liver
Answer: B. Hepat/o means liver and -megaly means enlargement, so hepatomegaly is an enlarged liver. Inflammation of the liver would be hepatitis (-itis), and removal would end in -ectomy.
2. A patient is scheduled for a cholecystectomy. The suffix "-ectomy" tells the medical assistant the procedure involves:
- A.Visual examination with a scope
- B.Surgical repair of a structure
- C.Creating a permanent surgical opening
- D.Surgical removal
Answer: D. The suffix -ectomy means excision or surgical removal, so a cholecystectomy removes the gallbladder. A permanent opening is -stomy, viewing with a scope is -scopy, and surgical repair is -plasty or -rrhaphy.
3. A patient's chart lists bradycardia as a current problem. The prefix "brady-" in this term means:
- A.Slow
- B.Weak or faint
- C.Fast
- D.Irregular
Answer: A. Brady- means slow, so bradycardia is an adult heart rate under 60 beats per minute. Fast is tachy-, as in tachycardia over 100 beats per minute.
4. A provider tells a patient to remain NPO after midnight before a morning procedure. The medical assistant explains that NPO means:
- A.Clear liquids only until morning
- B.No physical activity before arrival
- C.Nothing by mouth
- D.No pain medication overnight
Answer: C. NPO comes from the Latin nil per os, meaning nothing by mouth, including food and drink unless the provider gives specific exceptions. A clear liquid diet is a different order and cannot be substituted without the provider's instruction.
5. The Joint Commission "Do Not Use" list includes the abbreviation QD. Which notation should the office use instead?
- A."QOD" written in capital letters
- B."q.d." with periods added
- C.Write out the word "daily"
- D."OD" for once daily
Answer: C. QD is easily mistaken for QOD (every other day) or QID (four times a day), so the word daily must be written out. OD is also unsafe because it can be read as right eye.
6. A patient's medication list includes Lipitor. The medical assistant recognizes its generic name and drug class as:
- A.Atorvastatin, a statin
- B.Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor
- C.Omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor
- D.Sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
Answer: A. Lipitor is the brand name for atorvastatin, a statin that lowers LDL cholesterol; generic names are nonproprietary while brand names are capitalized trademarks. Lisinopril is an antihypertensive, omeprazole is a PPI for acid reflux, and sertraline is an SSRI antidepressant.
7. A provider prescribes oxycodone, which has a high potential for abuse but an accepted medical use. Under the Controlled Substances Act, it is classified as:
- A.Schedule I
- B.Schedule IV
- C.Schedule V
- D.Schedule II
Answer: D. Schedule II drugs such as oxycodone and fentanyl have high abuse potential with accepted medical use and cannot be refilled. Schedule I drugs have no accepted medical use, while Schedules IV and V carry progressively lower abuse potential.
8. A patient is prescribed nitroglycerin sublingual tablets for chest pain. The medical assistant reinforces the provider's instruction that the tablet should be:
- A.Chewed thoroughly before swallowing
- B.Placed under the tongue to dissolve
- C.Placed between the cheek and gum
- D.Swallowed whole with a full glass of water
Answer: B. Sublingual means under the tongue, where the tablet dissolves and is absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream. Placing it between the cheek and gum is the buccal route, and swallowing it slows absorption through the digestive tract.
9. A patient taking diphenhydramine reports mild drowsiness, a known and expected effect listed on the label. The medical assistant should document this as:
- A.A drug interaction
- B.A side effect
- C.An allergic reaction
- D.An adverse reaction
Answer: B. A side effect is a predictable, usually mild effect other than the intended one, like drowsiness from an antihistamine. An allergic reaction involves the immune system with hives or swelling, and an adverse reaction is an unintended harmful or severe response.
10. A medical assistant needs the official dosage, contraindications, and warnings for a newly prescribed drug. The most authoritative reference is the:
- A.Manufacturer's television advertisement
- B.Patient's online review site
- C.Pharmacy's social media page
- D.Package insert or PDR
Answer: D. The package insert contains the FDA-approved prescribing information, and the Physicians' Desk Reference compiles these inserts. Advertisements, reviews, and social media posts are neither complete nor authoritative.
Practice all 20 foundational knowledge & basic science questions, and the rest of the 200-question bank, in the free CCMA training sets. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
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