CNIM 2026 CORE EXAM TEST 2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔It is important to put a note in the chart:
a. as an attestation that you actually were present doing the monitoring
b. so a professional fee can be billed
c. to prove you looked at the chart
d. in case the circulating nurse doesn't remember your name - ✔✔a. as an attestation
that you actually were present doing the monitoring
✔✔Which of the following statement sis true of microembolic signals?
a. they occur only in the systolic phase of the cardiac cycle
b. they have a short duration of <0.1 seconds
c. they have lower intensity reflection than blood
d. they are usually bidirectional - ✔✔b. they have a short duration of <0.1 seconds
✔✔What mixed nerve contains only a small motor component to the stylopharyngeus
muscle can be monitored by placing recording electrodes in the lateral aspect of the soft
palate?
a. trochlear nerve (cn IV)
b. vagus nerve (cn X)
c. Oculomotor Nerve (CN III)
d. Glossopharyngeal Nerve (CN IX) - ✔✔d. glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
✔✔When monitoring somatosensory evoked potentials during a critical moment in an
intraoperative study, changing the setting of the high-frequency filter:
a. may increase the number of single trial events required to resolve the evoked
response
b. may help isolate a true signal from background noise
c. may lead to a false interpretation of the data
d. will be of limited consequence to the outcome of the study - ✔✔c. may lead to a false
interpretation of the data
✔✔A shift of the compressed spectral arrays spectral edge indicates _______
a. an increase or decrease of EEG frequency
b. a significant change that always should be communicated to the surgeon
c. artifact from a fluid warmer is detected
d. an increase or decrease of EEG amplitude - ✔✔a. an increase or decrease of EEG
frequency
✔✔The mental protruberance is located ________
a. in the brain
b. on the chin
c. at the vertex of the skull
d. in the cervical spine
,e. on the forehead - ✔✔b. on the chin
✔✔Your intraoperative date is admitted into evidence because: (select all that apply)
a. it indicates inappropriate monitoring was performed
b. it implies liability on the part of the surgeon
c. it indicates a problem was observed but not communicated to surgeon
d. it indicates appropriate monitoring was performed by the technologist - ✔✔all of the
above
✔✔a unit of resistance or impedance is symbolized by:
a. u.
b. A.
c. E.
d. Hz.
e. O (Omega symbol) - ✔✔e. O (Omega symbol)
✔✔Ketamine has which of the following side effects that is of concern to some
anesthesiologists? (select all that apply)
a. very expensive and in short supply
b. can cause hallucinations
c. can increase intracranial pressure
d. can produce seizure like activity - ✔✔b. can cause hallucinations
c. can increase intracranial pressure
d. can produce seizure like activity
✔✔What are common numbers of stimuli in a train of stimulation during TcMEPs?
a. 3-5
b. 5-9
c. 1-6
d. 1-2 - ✔✔b. 5-9
✔✔The monitoring modality most likely to be affected by a large bolus of muscle
relaxant is the:
a. BAEP
b. Myogenic evoked potential
c. NMEP
d. Cortical SSEP - ✔✔b. Myogenic evoked potential
✔✔Which of the following anesthetic agents is not a potent inhalational agent?
a. isoflurane
b. dexmeditomidine
c. sevoflurane
d. desflurane - ✔✔b. dexmeditomidine
,✔✔A systolic blood pressure lower than 100 and diastolic lower than 60 would indicate
_________
a. severe hypertension
b. mild hypertension
c. hypotension
d. moderate hypertension - ✔✔c. hypotension
✔✔With a sampling rate of 10 kHz the shortest sine wave resolved would be:
a. 2 msec
b. 0.4 msec
c. 0.2 msec
d. 0.02 msec - ✔✔c. 0.2 msec
✔✔Capacitors are electronic devices used to:
a. measure electrode impedance at the scalp
b. stop current flow when some critical power level is exceeded
c. enhance current flow
d. store electrical energy - ✔✔c. enhance current flow
✔✔Roccuronium is an example of what type of muscle relaxant?
a. long acting
b. nondepolarizing
c. depolarizing
d. it is not a muscle relaxant - ✔✔b. nondepolarizing
✔✔Mixing electrodes made of various electrode metals is discouraged because:
a. creates a lower averaged current density
b. it creates a lower averages current density
c. introduces artifact because it introduces a "difference" in the inputs that can be
amplified by the differential amplifier - ✔✔c. introduces artifact because it introduces a
"difference" in the inputs that can be amplified by the differential amplifier
✔✔In order to stimulate both tibial nerves asynchronously, you need:
a. to delay the first stimulator
b. a positive trace delay
c. to delay the second stimulator
d. a negative trace delay - ✔✔c. to delay the second stimulator
✔✔Perfusion pressure to the central nervous system (select all that apply)
a. may be varied by disease processes
b. may be compromised by occlusive disease
c. may vary during daily activities
d. may be varied by drugs - ✔✔all of the above
, ✔✔Which type of EMG response is suggestive of some degree of neural insult?
a. train
b. burst
c. silence - ✔✔a. train
✔✔The effect of severe hypotension on the evoked potential includes:
a. a decrease in amplitude and an increase latency
b. an increase in amplitude and a decrease in latency
c. a decrease in amplitude and variable changes in latency
d. variable changes in amplitude and an increase in latency - ✔✔a. a decrease in
amplitude and an increase latency
✔✔What are common alarm ccriteria for changes in SSEPs?
a. 50% decrease in amplitude, 10% decrease in latency
b. 50% increase in amplitude, 10% decrease in latency
c. 50% increase in amplitude, 10% increase in latency
d. 50% decrease in amplitude, 10% increase in latency - ✔✔d. 50% decrease in
amplitude, 10% increase in latency
✔✔Monitoring modalities most likely affected by a large bolus of muscle relaxant is:
a. subcortical SSEPs
b. Cortical SSEPs
c. EEG
d. TCeMEP - ✔✔d. TCeMEP
✔✔The most common mode rejection ratio of amplifiers used for EP recording should
be at least:
a. 100,000: 1
b. 100:1
c. 1,000:1
d. 10,000:1 - ✔✔d. 10,000:1
✔✔Where are compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) recorded?
a. spine
b. muscle
c. nerve
d. brain - ✔✔b. muscle
✔✔Severe hypothermia:
a. has no effect on EP latencies
b. has a variable effect on EP latencies
c. increases evoked potential latencies
d. decreases EP latencies - ✔✔c. increases evoked potential latencies
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔It is important to put a note in the chart:
a. as an attestation that you actually were present doing the monitoring
b. so a professional fee can be billed
c. to prove you looked at the chart
d. in case the circulating nurse doesn't remember your name - ✔✔a. as an attestation
that you actually were present doing the monitoring
✔✔Which of the following statement sis true of microembolic signals?
a. they occur only in the systolic phase of the cardiac cycle
b. they have a short duration of <0.1 seconds
c. they have lower intensity reflection than blood
d. they are usually bidirectional - ✔✔b. they have a short duration of <0.1 seconds
✔✔What mixed nerve contains only a small motor component to the stylopharyngeus
muscle can be monitored by placing recording electrodes in the lateral aspect of the soft
palate?
a. trochlear nerve (cn IV)
b. vagus nerve (cn X)
c. Oculomotor Nerve (CN III)
d. Glossopharyngeal Nerve (CN IX) - ✔✔d. glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
✔✔When monitoring somatosensory evoked potentials during a critical moment in an
intraoperative study, changing the setting of the high-frequency filter:
a. may increase the number of single trial events required to resolve the evoked
response
b. may help isolate a true signal from background noise
c. may lead to a false interpretation of the data
d. will be of limited consequence to the outcome of the study - ✔✔c. may lead to a false
interpretation of the data
✔✔A shift of the compressed spectral arrays spectral edge indicates _______
a. an increase or decrease of EEG frequency
b. a significant change that always should be communicated to the surgeon
c. artifact from a fluid warmer is detected
d. an increase or decrease of EEG amplitude - ✔✔a. an increase or decrease of EEG
frequency
✔✔The mental protruberance is located ________
a. in the brain
b. on the chin
c. at the vertex of the skull
d. in the cervical spine
,e. on the forehead - ✔✔b. on the chin
✔✔Your intraoperative date is admitted into evidence because: (select all that apply)
a. it indicates inappropriate monitoring was performed
b. it implies liability on the part of the surgeon
c. it indicates a problem was observed but not communicated to surgeon
d. it indicates appropriate monitoring was performed by the technologist - ✔✔all of the
above
✔✔a unit of resistance or impedance is symbolized by:
a. u.
b. A.
c. E.
d. Hz.
e. O (Omega symbol) - ✔✔e. O (Omega symbol)
✔✔Ketamine has which of the following side effects that is of concern to some
anesthesiologists? (select all that apply)
a. very expensive and in short supply
b. can cause hallucinations
c. can increase intracranial pressure
d. can produce seizure like activity - ✔✔b. can cause hallucinations
c. can increase intracranial pressure
d. can produce seizure like activity
✔✔What are common numbers of stimuli in a train of stimulation during TcMEPs?
a. 3-5
b. 5-9
c. 1-6
d. 1-2 - ✔✔b. 5-9
✔✔The monitoring modality most likely to be affected by a large bolus of muscle
relaxant is the:
a. BAEP
b. Myogenic evoked potential
c. NMEP
d. Cortical SSEP - ✔✔b. Myogenic evoked potential
✔✔Which of the following anesthetic agents is not a potent inhalational agent?
a. isoflurane
b. dexmeditomidine
c. sevoflurane
d. desflurane - ✔✔b. dexmeditomidine
,✔✔A systolic blood pressure lower than 100 and diastolic lower than 60 would indicate
_________
a. severe hypertension
b. mild hypertension
c. hypotension
d. moderate hypertension - ✔✔c. hypotension
✔✔With a sampling rate of 10 kHz the shortest sine wave resolved would be:
a. 2 msec
b. 0.4 msec
c. 0.2 msec
d. 0.02 msec - ✔✔c. 0.2 msec
✔✔Capacitors are electronic devices used to:
a. measure electrode impedance at the scalp
b. stop current flow when some critical power level is exceeded
c. enhance current flow
d. store electrical energy - ✔✔c. enhance current flow
✔✔Roccuronium is an example of what type of muscle relaxant?
a. long acting
b. nondepolarizing
c. depolarizing
d. it is not a muscle relaxant - ✔✔b. nondepolarizing
✔✔Mixing electrodes made of various electrode metals is discouraged because:
a. creates a lower averaged current density
b. it creates a lower averages current density
c. introduces artifact because it introduces a "difference" in the inputs that can be
amplified by the differential amplifier - ✔✔c. introduces artifact because it introduces a
"difference" in the inputs that can be amplified by the differential amplifier
✔✔In order to stimulate both tibial nerves asynchronously, you need:
a. to delay the first stimulator
b. a positive trace delay
c. to delay the second stimulator
d. a negative trace delay - ✔✔c. to delay the second stimulator
✔✔Perfusion pressure to the central nervous system (select all that apply)
a. may be varied by disease processes
b. may be compromised by occlusive disease
c. may vary during daily activities
d. may be varied by drugs - ✔✔all of the above
, ✔✔Which type of EMG response is suggestive of some degree of neural insult?
a. train
b. burst
c. silence - ✔✔a. train
✔✔The effect of severe hypotension on the evoked potential includes:
a. a decrease in amplitude and an increase latency
b. an increase in amplitude and a decrease in latency
c. a decrease in amplitude and variable changes in latency
d. variable changes in amplitude and an increase in latency - ✔✔a. a decrease in
amplitude and an increase latency
✔✔What are common alarm ccriteria for changes in SSEPs?
a. 50% decrease in amplitude, 10% decrease in latency
b. 50% increase in amplitude, 10% decrease in latency
c. 50% increase in amplitude, 10% increase in latency
d. 50% decrease in amplitude, 10% increase in latency - ✔✔d. 50% decrease in
amplitude, 10% increase in latency
✔✔Monitoring modalities most likely affected by a large bolus of muscle relaxant is:
a. subcortical SSEPs
b. Cortical SSEPs
c. EEG
d. TCeMEP - ✔✔d. TCeMEP
✔✔The most common mode rejection ratio of amplifiers used for EP recording should
be at least:
a. 100,000: 1
b. 100:1
c. 1,000:1
d. 10,000:1 - ✔✔d. 10,000:1
✔✔Where are compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) recorded?
a. spine
b. muscle
c. nerve
d. brain - ✔✔b. muscle
✔✔Severe hypothermia:
a. has no effect on EP latencies
b. has a variable effect on EP latencies
c. increases evoked potential latencies
d. decreases EP latencies - ✔✔c. increases evoked potential latencies
