CRAT EXAM AND PRACTICE EXAM LATEST 2026 QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS / CERTIFIED RHYTHM
ANALYSIS TECHNICIAN EXAM (GUARANTEED PASS)
1. While a patient was wearing a 24-hour monitoring device, there
was a period of time when the patient had passed out and was in
the company of their spouse who had HIPAA clearance. When
reviewing the patient diary it is noted that the details are very
limited during that period of time. What would be the BEST next
step when compiling the results of the monitor?
A. Alter the verbiage of the patient diary entries
B. Limit the information to only the details that are listed on the diary
C. Request that a replacement monitor be worn and educate patient on
keeping diary
D. Contact the patient/spouse and review the information listed and try
to get more details
• VERIFIED ANSWER: D. Contact the patient/spouse and review
the information listed and try to get more details
• Rationale: The goal of Holter monitoring is to correlate the
patient's symptoms with their cardiac rhythm. Since the spouse
is authorized (HIPAA clearance) and was present during a critical
event (syncope), they are a valuable source of information.
Contacting them to gather more details provides the most
complete clinical picture for the physician.
,2. A PVC that occurs during the relative refractory period is
referred to as...
A. Bigeminy
B. A couplet
C. Bundle branch block
D. R-on-T phenomenon
• VERIFIED ANSWER: D. R-on-T phenomenon
• Rationale: The relative refractory period corresponds to the
downslope of the T wave, when the ventricles are partially
repolarized. A PVC that falls on the T wave (the "R" wave of the
PVC falls on the "T" wave of the previous beat) is known as R-on-
T phenomenon. This is a dangerous finding as it can precipitate
ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.
3. Which of the ECG strips in the provided image demonstrate
sinus arrest?
A. Irregular, dropped beat.
B. Irregular, dropped beat.
C. Regular with a long pause.
D. Irregular with a dropped beat.
• VERIFIED ANSWER: C. Regular with a long pause.
• Rationale: Sinus arrest occurs when the SA node fails to fire,
causing a pause in the rhythm. The key characteristic is a long
pause where the underlying rhythm is regular, and the pause
length is not a multiple of the normal R-R interval. The rhythm
, before and after the pause should be regular, distinguishing it
from a non-compensatory pause.
4. The BEST interpretation of the rhythm in the image provided is
sinus rhythm with a... (Regular with an early beat)
A. PAC
B. PAV
C. PJC
D. PVC
• VERIFIED ANSWER: A. PAC
• Rationale: The rhythm is regular except for one early beat. The
early beat has a P wave preceding it (even if the shape is
different) and a narrow QRS complex. This indicates the early
impulse originated in the atria (a Premature Atrial Contraction),
was conducted normally through the ventricles, and then the
rhythm resumed.
5. The dysrhythmia in the image provided is... (Irregular, no
distinguishable P waves)
A. Atrial flutter
B. Atrial fibrillation
C. Ventricular flutter
D. Ventricular fibrillation
• VERIFIED ANSWER: B. Atrial fibrillation
• Rationale: The rhythm strip shows an irregularly irregular
ventricular rate and an absence of distinct P waves, which are
, replaced by a chaotic, fibrillatory baseline. These are the
hallmark characteristics of Atrial Fibrillation.
6. Which of the following BEST describes idioventricular rhythm?
A. Heart rate 40-60 bpm, irregular, no P waves preceding a wide QRS
B. Heart rate 20-40 bpm, irregular, no P waves preceding a narrow
QRS
C. Heart rate 20-40 bpm, almost always regular, no P waves preceding
a wide QRS
D. Heart rate 40-60 bpm, almost always regular, no P waves preceding
a narrow QRS
• VERIFIED ANSWER: C. Heart rate 20-40 bpm, almost always
regular, no P waves preceding a wide QRS
• Rationale: Idioventricular rhythm is an escape rhythm that
originates in the ventricles. Therefore, there are no P waves, and
the QRS complex is wide (>0.12 sec) because the impulse is
traveling slowly through the myocardium. The inherent firing rate
of ventricular cells is very slow (20-40 bpm), and the rhythm is
usually regular.
7. Patient education in self-monitoring includes which of the
following? Choose three responses.
A. When to disconnect the device
B. Who to call in case of an emergency
C. How to wear the device while driving
D. What to do when the device emits an alert sound
E. What type of symptoms to record during the monitoring period
CORRECT DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS / CERTIFIED RHYTHM
ANALYSIS TECHNICIAN EXAM (GUARANTEED PASS)
1. While a patient was wearing a 24-hour monitoring device, there
was a period of time when the patient had passed out and was in
the company of their spouse who had HIPAA clearance. When
reviewing the patient diary it is noted that the details are very
limited during that period of time. What would be the BEST next
step when compiling the results of the monitor?
A. Alter the verbiage of the patient diary entries
B. Limit the information to only the details that are listed on the diary
C. Request that a replacement monitor be worn and educate patient on
keeping diary
D. Contact the patient/spouse and review the information listed and try
to get more details
• VERIFIED ANSWER: D. Contact the patient/spouse and review
the information listed and try to get more details
• Rationale: The goal of Holter monitoring is to correlate the
patient's symptoms with their cardiac rhythm. Since the spouse
is authorized (HIPAA clearance) and was present during a critical
event (syncope), they are a valuable source of information.
Contacting them to gather more details provides the most
complete clinical picture for the physician.
,2. A PVC that occurs during the relative refractory period is
referred to as...
A. Bigeminy
B. A couplet
C. Bundle branch block
D. R-on-T phenomenon
• VERIFIED ANSWER: D. R-on-T phenomenon
• Rationale: The relative refractory period corresponds to the
downslope of the T wave, when the ventricles are partially
repolarized. A PVC that falls on the T wave (the "R" wave of the
PVC falls on the "T" wave of the previous beat) is known as R-on-
T phenomenon. This is a dangerous finding as it can precipitate
ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation.
3. Which of the ECG strips in the provided image demonstrate
sinus arrest?
A. Irregular, dropped beat.
B. Irregular, dropped beat.
C. Regular with a long pause.
D. Irregular with a dropped beat.
• VERIFIED ANSWER: C. Regular with a long pause.
• Rationale: Sinus arrest occurs when the SA node fails to fire,
causing a pause in the rhythm. The key characteristic is a long
pause where the underlying rhythm is regular, and the pause
length is not a multiple of the normal R-R interval. The rhythm
, before and after the pause should be regular, distinguishing it
from a non-compensatory pause.
4. The BEST interpretation of the rhythm in the image provided is
sinus rhythm with a... (Regular with an early beat)
A. PAC
B. PAV
C. PJC
D. PVC
• VERIFIED ANSWER: A. PAC
• Rationale: The rhythm is regular except for one early beat. The
early beat has a P wave preceding it (even if the shape is
different) and a narrow QRS complex. This indicates the early
impulse originated in the atria (a Premature Atrial Contraction),
was conducted normally through the ventricles, and then the
rhythm resumed.
5. The dysrhythmia in the image provided is... (Irregular, no
distinguishable P waves)
A. Atrial flutter
B. Atrial fibrillation
C. Ventricular flutter
D. Ventricular fibrillation
• VERIFIED ANSWER: B. Atrial fibrillation
• Rationale: The rhythm strip shows an irregularly irregular
ventricular rate and an absence of distinct P waves, which are
, replaced by a chaotic, fibrillatory baseline. These are the
hallmark characteristics of Atrial Fibrillation.
6. Which of the following BEST describes idioventricular rhythm?
A. Heart rate 40-60 bpm, irregular, no P waves preceding a wide QRS
B. Heart rate 20-40 bpm, irregular, no P waves preceding a narrow
QRS
C. Heart rate 20-40 bpm, almost always regular, no P waves preceding
a wide QRS
D. Heart rate 40-60 bpm, almost always regular, no P waves preceding
a narrow QRS
• VERIFIED ANSWER: C. Heart rate 20-40 bpm, almost always
regular, no P waves preceding a wide QRS
• Rationale: Idioventricular rhythm is an escape rhythm that
originates in the ventricles. Therefore, there are no P waves, and
the QRS complex is wide (>0.12 sec) because the impulse is
traveling slowly through the myocardium. The inherent firing rate
of ventricular cells is very slow (20-40 bpm), and the rhythm is
usually regular.
7. Patient education in self-monitoring includes which of the
following? Choose three responses.
A. When to disconnect the device
B. Who to call in case of an emergency
C. How to wear the device while driving
D. What to do when the device emits an alert sound
E. What type of symptoms to record during the monitoring period
