ABRET EEG Exam Prep – 125 High-Yield Questions with Correct Answers and Detailed Explanations | EEG Board Certification Test Bank | Latest 2026/2027 Edition

ABRET EEG Exam Prep – 125 High-Yield Questions with Correct
Answers and Detailed Explanations | EEG Board Certification Test
Bank | Latest 2026/2027 Edition
✅ 125 original, high-yield multiple-choice questions
✅ Correct answers marked with ✅
✅ Detailed explanations in italics for every question
✅ Covers all ABRET EEG Board Exam content areas:

 Normal EEG Patterns & Rhythms (Alpha, Mu, Lambda, Beta)
 Benign Variants (Wicket Spikes, 14 & 6 Hz, BETS, RMTD, SREDA)
 Sleep Architecture (Vertex Waves, Spindles, K-Complexes, REM)
 Artifact Recognition & Correction (60 Hz, Muscle, Eye, Sweat, Pulse, Electrode Pop)
 Epileptiform Patterns (Spike-Wave, Polyspike-Wave, PLEDs, BIPLEDs, Triphasic Waves)
 Seizure Types (Absence, Myoclonic, Tonic-Clonic, Focal, Infantile Spasms)
 Pediatric & Neonatal EEG (Trace Alternans, Delta Brushes, Hypsarrhythmia)
 Epilepsy Syndromes (BECTS, JME, Lennox-Gastaut, West, Landau-Kleffner, CSWS)
 Activation Procedures (Hyperventilation, Photic, Sleep Deprivation)
 Instrumentation & Electronics (10-20 System, Amplifiers, Filters, Impedance, Montages)

Based on official ABRET EEG Board Exam content outline – latest edition 2026




Section 1: Normal Variants & Benign Patterns (Q1-20)

Q1 A 22-year-old healthy male has an EEG during hyperventilation. You see generalized, high-
amplitude, monorhythmic 5-7 Hz activity that abruptly appears and disappears. This is most
consistent with

 A Generalized epileptiform discharges
 B Hypersensitivity to hyperventilation ✅
 C Early absence seizure
 D Breach rhythm

, *Explanation: Hypersensitivity to hyperventilation is a normal response in young adults,
especially those with anxiety or hypoglycemia. It produces high-amplitude rhythmic slowing that is
reactive and not epileptiform. It does not outlast hyperventilation by more than 60 seconds*




Q2 Which normal variant is maximal in the temporal regions, has a "mu-like" arciform appearance,
and is often mistaken for epileptiform sharp waves by inexperienced readers

 A Wicket spikes ✅
 B Small sharp spikes (SSS)
 C 14 & 6 Hz positive bursts
 D Rhythmic mid-temporal theta (RMTD)

Explanation: Wicket spikes are benign temporal sharp transients that resemble epileptiform spikes
but lack a slow wave after them. They are typically seen in drowsiness and light sleep in adults over
30. They are monomorphic and do not disrupt background




Q3 A 16-year-old female has an EEG during drowsiness. You see brief bursts of 6 Hz positive
spikes maximal in the posterior temporal regions. This pattern is most consistent with

 A Epileptiform discharges
 B 14 & 6 Hz positive bursts ✅
 C Breach rhythm
 D Photoparoxysmal response

Explanation: 14 & 6 Hz positive bursts (also called "ctenoids" or "comb" rhythm) are a normal
variant seen in drowsiness and light sleep, typically in adolescents and young adults. They are
most prominent in posterior temporal leads (T5, T6) and have no pathologic significance

, Q4 Which benign pattern is characterized by runs of 4-7 Hz theta activity that is maximal in the mid-
temporal regions, often unilateral, and seen in drowsy adolescents and young adults

 A Wicket spikes
 B Rhythmic mid-temporal theta (RMTD) ✅
 C 6 Hz spike-wave
 D Phantom spike-wave

*Explanation: Rhythmic mid-temporal theta (RMTD), also called "psychomotor variant," is a
benign pattern seen in drowsiness. It consists of runs of 4-7 Hz theta that may have notched or
sharp appearances but is not epileptiform. It is often unilateral or asynchronous*




Q5 A 35-year-old patient has an EEG in drowsiness. You see low-amplitude, very brief (30-50 ms)
sharp waves in the temporal regions that are monophasic and not followed by a slow wave. They
occur in runs and are NOT associated with clinical events. This pattern is

 A Benign epileptiform transients of sleep (BETS) ✅
 B Interictal epileptiform discharges
 C Temporal intermittent rhythmic delta activity (TIRDA)
 D Lateralized periodic discharges

Explanation: BETS (also called small sharp spikes or SSS) are benign, low-amplitude, very brief
sharp waves seen in light sleep. They are maximal in temporal regions, monophasic, and not
followed by a slow wave. They have no epileptic significance

, Q6 Which of the following is TRUE regarding the 6 Hz spike-wave pattern ("phantom spike-wave")

 A It is always associated with absence seizures
 B It is a normal variant when it has a "WHAM" configuration (waking, high-amplitude, anterior,
male) ✅
 C It is always abnormal regardless of configuration
 D It is seen exclusively in children under 5 years

*Explanation: The 6 Hz spike-wave (phantom spike-wave) pattern is a normal variant when it
has the WHAM configuration (Waking, High-amplitude, Anterior, Male). The FOLD configuration
(Female, Occipital, Low-amplitude, Drowsy) is more often associated with epilepsy but remains
controversial*




Q7 Subclinical rhythmic electrographic discharge of adults (SREDA) is characterized by all of the
following EXCEPT

 A Sudden onset and termination
 B Maximal in posterior head regions
 C Associated with altered consciousness ✅
 D Frequency around 5-7 Hz

*Explanation: SREDA is a benign pattern seen in adults over 50. It is not associated with
clinical symptoms despite its dramatic appearance. The frequency is typically 5-7 Hz, often evolving
to slower frequencies. It is not epileptiform and has no pathologic significance*