CMA (AAMA) Practice Test

CMA (AAMA) Procedures, Instruments & Anatomy Practice Questions

Procedures, Instruments & Anatomy makes up 6 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest CMA (AAMA) practice test. Here are 10 of the 24 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.

Updated 2026-11-10 by the Tigertest team. Based on the AAMA Content Outline for the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam. Original questions; 50 per test, weighted like the real exam. Not affiliated with the AAMA.

1. 1. The provider taps over the patient's abdomen with the fingers to hear whether it sounds hollow or dull. Which examination method is this?

   • A.Inspection
   • B.Percussion
   • C.Palpation
   • D.Auscultation

   Answer: B. Percussion is tapping to produce sounds that show whether underlying tissue is air-filled, fluid-filled or solid. Palpation is feeling with the hands.

2. 2. Measuring a patient's height and the range of motion of a joint are examples of which examination method?

   • A.Percussion
   • B.Auscultation
   • C.Manipulation
   • D.Mensuration

   Answer: D. Mensuration means measuring, for example height, weight, head circumference or a joint's angle. Auscultation is listening, usually with a stethoscope.

3. 3. The provider presses gently on the abdomen to feel for tenderness and enlarged organs. Which method is this?

   • A.Palpation
   • B.Mensuration
   • C.Inspection
   • D.Percussion

   Answer: A. Palpation uses the hands to feel texture, size, temperature and tenderness. Inspection uses the eyes only.

4. 4. The patient kneels on the table with the chest down and hips raised for a sigmoidoscopy. Which position is this?

   • A.Prone
   • B.Dorsal recumbent
   • C.Knee-chest
   • D.Lithotomy

   Answer: C. Knee-chest gives access to the rectum and lower colon. It is hard to hold, so the patient is helped into it only when the provider is ready.

5. 5. The provider needs to examine the back of a patient's spine. Which position places the patient face down?

   • A.Sims'
   • B.Fowler's
   • C.Prone
   • D.Supine

   Answer: C. Prone means lying flat on the abdomen. Supine is flat on the back.

6. 6. How is a patient placed in the dorsal recumbent position?

   • A.On the back, knees bent
   • B.Face down with arms at sides
   • C.On the back, feet in stirrups
   • D.On the left side, right knee bent

   Answer: A. Dorsal recumbent is supine with knees flexed and feet flat on the table, which relaxes the abdomen. With the feet in stirrups it becomes lithotomy.

7. 7. The provider orders skin staples removed from a healed incision. How is the staple remover used?

   • A.Lift with forceps and twist
   • B.Upper jaw under, then pull up
   • C.Cut the staple in the middle
   • D.Lower jaw under, then squeeze

   Answer: D. The lower jaw slides under the staple's center and squeezing the handles bends it so both prongs lift out of the skin. Staples are not pulled straight up.

8. 8. A patient with a new arm cast asks what to watch for at home. Which sign should be reported right away?

   • A.Dry skin at the cast edge
   • B.Numb or cold fingers
   • C.Mild itching under the cast
   • D.A heavier feeling arm

   Answer: B. Numbness, tingling, coldness, pale or blue fingers or rising pain can mean the cast is cutting off circulation or pressing on a nerve. Mild itching is common.

9. 9. When an arm sling is applied, where should the hand be?

   • A.Resting low on the opposite hip
   • B.Slightly higher than the elbow
   • C.Hanging below the elbow
   • D.Level with the shoulder

   Answer: B. Keeping the hand a little above the elbow reduces swelling and supports the wrist. A hand hanging below the elbow collects fluid.

10. 10. How does surgical asepsis differ from medical asepsis?

    • A.It is used for routine exams
    • B.It needs no sterile supplies
    • C.It only reduces microbe numbers
    • D.It keeps an area free of all microbes

    Answer: D. Surgical (sterile) technique keeps an area free of all microorganisms, as for minor surgery. Medical asepsis, such as hand hygiene and cleaning, reduces their number and spread.