NR 305 Health Assessment Exam 5 Practice Questions 2026
|Chamberlain College
1. During a neurological exam, the nurse asks the patient to smile, frown, and
puff out their cheeks. Which cranial nerve is being assessed?
A. Cranial Nerve V
B. Cranial Nerve IX
C. Cranial Nerve VII
D. Cranial Nerve XII
Answer: C
Rationale: Cranial nerve VII (Facial) is responsible for facial expressions and symmetry
including smiling, frowning, and puffing cheeks.
2. A patient’s Glasgow Coma Scale score is calculated based on which three
categories?
A. Eye opening, motor response, and verbal response
B. Pupillary reaction, orientation, and hand grip
C. Deep tendon reflexes, gait, and speech
D. Blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate
Answer: A
Rationale: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) specifically measures eye opening, best motor
response, and best verbal response to assess level of consciousness.
,3. When performing the Romberg test, the nurse is primarily assessing for which
of the following?
A. Visual acuity
B. Muscle strength
C. Peripheral sensation
D. Equilibrium and cerebellar function
Answer: D
Rationale: The Romberg test assesses balance and equilibrium, which are functions of the
cerebellum and the inner ear.
4. What is the expected finding when testing the plantar reflex in an adult?
A. Dorsiflexion of the big toe
B. Plantar flexion of the toes
C. No movement of the foot
D. Fanning of all toes
Answer: B
Rationale: In adults, the normal response is plantar flexion (curling) of the toes.
Dorsiflexion (Babinski sign) is abnormal in adults and indicates UMN disease.
5. The nurse places a key in the patient’s hand and asks them to identify it with
their eyes closed. This is a test for:
A. Proprioception
B. Graphesthesia
C. Stereognosis
D. Two-point discrimination
Answer: C
Rationale: Stereognosis is the ability to recognize objects by feeling their form, size, and
weight while the eyes are closed.
, 6. What is the correct sequence for performing an abdominal physical
assessment?
A. Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
B. Auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
C. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
D. Percussion, auscultation, inspection, palpation
Answer: C
Rationale: Auscultation is performed second in the abdomen to avoid altering bowel
sounds through percussion or palpation.
7. The nurse identifies the S1 heart sound. This sound is caused by the closure of
which valves?
A. Aortic and Pulmonic
B. Aortic and Mitral
C. Mitral and Tricuspid
D. Tricuspid and Pulmonic
Answer: C
Rationale: S1 (the ‘lub’) occurs when the atrioventricular valves (Mitral and Tricuspid)
close at the beginning of systole.
8. The nurse hears soft, low-pitched sounds over the peripheral lung fields
where inspiration is longer than expiration. These are:
A. Bronchial sounds
B. Bronchovesicular sounds
C. Vesicular sounds
D. Adventitious sounds
Answer: C
Rationale: Vesicular breath sounds are soft and low-pitched, heard over most of the lung
fields, where inspiration lasts longer than expiration.
|Chamberlain College
1. During a neurological exam, the nurse asks the patient to smile, frown, and
puff out their cheeks. Which cranial nerve is being assessed?
A. Cranial Nerve V
B. Cranial Nerve IX
C. Cranial Nerve VII
D. Cranial Nerve XII
Answer: C
Rationale: Cranial nerve VII (Facial) is responsible for facial expressions and symmetry
including smiling, frowning, and puffing cheeks.
2. A patient’s Glasgow Coma Scale score is calculated based on which three
categories?
A. Eye opening, motor response, and verbal response
B. Pupillary reaction, orientation, and hand grip
C. Deep tendon reflexes, gait, and speech
D. Blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate
Answer: A
Rationale: The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) specifically measures eye opening, best motor
response, and best verbal response to assess level of consciousness.
,3. When performing the Romberg test, the nurse is primarily assessing for which
of the following?
A. Visual acuity
B. Muscle strength
C. Peripheral sensation
D. Equilibrium and cerebellar function
Answer: D
Rationale: The Romberg test assesses balance and equilibrium, which are functions of the
cerebellum and the inner ear.
4. What is the expected finding when testing the plantar reflex in an adult?
A. Dorsiflexion of the big toe
B. Plantar flexion of the toes
C. No movement of the foot
D. Fanning of all toes
Answer: B
Rationale: In adults, the normal response is plantar flexion (curling) of the toes.
Dorsiflexion (Babinski sign) is abnormal in adults and indicates UMN disease.
5. The nurse places a key in the patient’s hand and asks them to identify it with
their eyes closed. This is a test for:
A. Proprioception
B. Graphesthesia
C. Stereognosis
D. Two-point discrimination
Answer: C
Rationale: Stereognosis is the ability to recognize objects by feeling their form, size, and
weight while the eyes are closed.
, 6. What is the correct sequence for performing an abdominal physical
assessment?
A. Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
B. Auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
C. Inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation
D. Percussion, auscultation, inspection, palpation
Answer: C
Rationale: Auscultation is performed second in the abdomen to avoid altering bowel
sounds through percussion or palpation.
7. The nurse identifies the S1 heart sound. This sound is caused by the closure of
which valves?
A. Aortic and Pulmonic
B. Aortic and Mitral
C. Mitral and Tricuspid
D. Tricuspid and Pulmonic
Answer: C
Rationale: S1 (the ‘lub’) occurs when the atrioventricular valves (Mitral and Tricuspid)
close at the beginning of systole.
8. The nurse hears soft, low-pitched sounds over the peripheral lung fields
where inspiration is longer than expiration. These are:
A. Bronchial sounds
B. Bronchovesicular sounds
C. Vesicular sounds
D. Adventitious sounds
Answer: C
Rationale: Vesicular breath sounds are soft and low-pitched, heard over most of the lung
fields, where inspiration lasts longer than expiration.
