EVIDENCE BASED PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
PRACTICE EXAM 2026 COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY SOLUTIONS
◉ What are the three types of physical examinations? Answer:
Comprehensive, focused, and ongoing.
◉ What is a comprehensive physical examination? Answer: An
interview plus a complete head-to-toe examination.
◉ What does a focused physical examination entail? Answer: It
focuses on the presenting problem or system-specific issues.
◉ What is the purpose of an ongoing physical examination? Answer:
To assess the client's status and evaluate outcomes as needed.
◉ What are the key preparations for the environment before a
physical examination? Answer: Ensure privacy, control noise, and
provide adequate lighting.
◉ What should be done to prepare the client for a physical
examination? Answer: Promote comfort, develop rapport, explain
the procedure, and respect cultural differences.
, ◉ What are the four major skills used in physical assessment?
Answer: Inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
◉ What is inspection in the context of physical assessment? Answer:
The use of sight to gather data about the client's condition.
◉ What is palpation and how is it performed? Answer: The use of
touch to gather data, starting with light pressure and moving to deep
palpation.
◉ What is percussion and its purpose? Answer: Tapping on the skin
to elicit sound, useful for assessing underlying structures.
◉ What is auscultation? Answer: The use of hearing to gather
assessment data, either directly or with a stethoscope.
◉ What modifications may be needed for older adults during
physical assessment? Answer: Special positioning, adaptations for
vision/hearing deficits, and assessment of ADLs.
◉ What does the S.P.I.C.E.S. acronym stand for in assessing older
adults? Answer: Sleep disorders, Problems eating/feeding,
Incontinence, Confusion, Evidence of falls, Skin breakdown.
PRACTICE EXAM 2026 COMPREHENSIVE
STUDY SOLUTIONS
◉ What are the three types of physical examinations? Answer:
Comprehensive, focused, and ongoing.
◉ What is a comprehensive physical examination? Answer: An
interview plus a complete head-to-toe examination.
◉ What does a focused physical examination entail? Answer: It
focuses on the presenting problem or system-specific issues.
◉ What is the purpose of an ongoing physical examination? Answer:
To assess the client's status and evaluate outcomes as needed.
◉ What are the key preparations for the environment before a
physical examination? Answer: Ensure privacy, control noise, and
provide adequate lighting.
◉ What should be done to prepare the client for a physical
examination? Answer: Promote comfort, develop rapport, explain
the procedure, and respect cultural differences.
, ◉ What are the four major skills used in physical assessment?
Answer: Inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
◉ What is inspection in the context of physical assessment? Answer:
The use of sight to gather data about the client's condition.
◉ What is palpation and how is it performed? Answer: The use of
touch to gather data, starting with light pressure and moving to deep
palpation.
◉ What is percussion and its purpose? Answer: Tapping on the skin
to elicit sound, useful for assessing underlying structures.
◉ What is auscultation? Answer: The use of hearing to gather
assessment data, either directly or with a stethoscope.
◉ What modifications may be needed for older adults during
physical assessment? Answer: Special positioning, adaptations for
vision/hearing deficits, and assessment of ADLs.
◉ What does the S.P.I.C.E.S. acronym stand for in assessing older
adults? Answer: Sleep disorders, Problems eating/feeding,
Incontinence, Confusion, Evidence of falls, Skin breakdown.
