Advanced Nursing Practice Exam:
Evidence-Based Questions & Verified
Solutions (2026 Update)”
**1.** A nurse researcher plans a study to examine cause-and-effect
relationships between a new wound care protocol and healing time.
Which research design is most appropriate?
A. Cross-sectional
B. Case study
C. Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
D. Qualitative descriptive
**Verified Solution:** C. RCT is the gold standard for determining
causality.
**2.** In a systematic review, the GRADE system is used to:
A. Rank the strength of a body of evidence
B. Calculate inter-rater reliability
C. Perform meta-analysis
D. Identify publication bias
**Verified Solution:** A. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations,
Assessment, Development and Evaluations) rates evidence quality.
,**3.** A PICO question includes which of the following components?
A. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome
B. Problem, Implementation, Control, Observation
C. Patient, Indicator, Clinical, Objective
D. Plan, Intervention, Control, Outcome
**Verified Solution:** A. PICO = Population/Problem, Intervention,
Comparison, Outcome.
**4.** Which type of validity refers to the extent to which study results
can be generalized to other populations?
A. Internal validity
B. Construct validity
C. External validity
D. Face validity
**Verified Solution:** C. External validity concerns generalizability.
**5.** A meta-analysis differs from a systematic review because it:
A. Includes only qualitative studies
B. Statistically combines results from multiple studies
C. Does not require a literature search
,D. Is always retrospective
**Verified Solution:** B. Meta-analysis uses quantitative pooling of
data.
**6.** The highest level of evidence for treatment effectiveness
according to evidence hierarchies is:
A. Expert opinion
B. Case-control study
C. Systematic review of RCTs
D. Cohort study
**Verified Solution:** C. Systematic reviews of RCTs are Level I
evidence.
**7.** Publication bias occurs when:
A. Studies with positive results are more likely to be published
B. Peer reviewers disagree
C. Sample sizes are too small
D. Researchers falsify data
**Verified Solution:** A. Positive results bias threatens meta-analysis
validity.
, **8.** The “JBI Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare” emphasizes:
A. Only randomized trials
B. Feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness, effectiveness
C. Cost reduction as primary outcome
D. Exclusion of qualitative research
**Verified Solution:** B. JBI uses FAME (Feasibility, Appropriateness,
Meaningfulness, Effectiveness).
**9.** A nurse critically appraises a study and notes that the
intervention group and control group were not comparable at baseline.
This threatens:
A. Statistical power
B. Internal validity
C. External validity
D. Reliability
**Verified Solution:** B. Lack of baseline comparability introduces
selection bias, threatening internal validity.
**10.** Which statistical test would be appropriate to compare mean
blood pressure between two independent groups?
Evidence-Based Questions & Verified
Solutions (2026 Update)”
**1.** A nurse researcher plans a study to examine cause-and-effect
relationships between a new wound care protocol and healing time.
Which research design is most appropriate?
A. Cross-sectional
B. Case study
C. Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
D. Qualitative descriptive
**Verified Solution:** C. RCT is the gold standard for determining
causality.
**2.** In a systematic review, the GRADE system is used to:
A. Rank the strength of a body of evidence
B. Calculate inter-rater reliability
C. Perform meta-analysis
D. Identify publication bias
**Verified Solution:** A. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations,
Assessment, Development and Evaluations) rates evidence quality.
,**3.** A PICO question includes which of the following components?
A. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome
B. Problem, Implementation, Control, Observation
C. Patient, Indicator, Clinical, Objective
D. Plan, Intervention, Control, Outcome
**Verified Solution:** A. PICO = Population/Problem, Intervention,
Comparison, Outcome.
**4.** Which type of validity refers to the extent to which study results
can be generalized to other populations?
A. Internal validity
B. Construct validity
C. External validity
D. Face validity
**Verified Solution:** C. External validity concerns generalizability.
**5.** A meta-analysis differs from a systematic review because it:
A. Includes only qualitative studies
B. Statistically combines results from multiple studies
C. Does not require a literature search
,D. Is always retrospective
**Verified Solution:** B. Meta-analysis uses quantitative pooling of
data.
**6.** The highest level of evidence for treatment effectiveness
according to evidence hierarchies is:
A. Expert opinion
B. Case-control study
C. Systematic review of RCTs
D. Cohort study
**Verified Solution:** C. Systematic reviews of RCTs are Level I
evidence.
**7.** Publication bias occurs when:
A. Studies with positive results are more likely to be published
B. Peer reviewers disagree
C. Sample sizes are too small
D. Researchers falsify data
**Verified Solution:** A. Positive results bias threatens meta-analysis
validity.
, **8.** The “JBI Model of Evidence-Based Healthcare” emphasizes:
A. Only randomized trials
B. Feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness, effectiveness
C. Cost reduction as primary outcome
D. Exclusion of qualitative research
**Verified Solution:** B. JBI uses FAME (Feasibility, Appropriateness,
Meaningfulness, Effectiveness).
**9.** A nurse critically appraises a study and notes that the
intervention group and control group were not comparable at baseline.
This threatens:
A. Statistical power
B. Internal validity
C. External validity
D. Reliability
**Verified Solution:** B. Lack of baseline comparability introduces
selection bias, threatening internal validity.
**10.** Which statistical test would be appropriate to compare mean
blood pressure between two independent groups?
