NUR 2180 / NUR2180 Quiz 2: Physical Assessment
– Rasmussen Actual Exam Complete Questions &
Rationales | Head-to-Toe Skills | Pass Guaranteed -
A+ Graded
Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat (HEENT) Assessment
Q1: While inspecting the patient's head, you note that the skull is symmetric and the
head shape is round. You document this finding as:
A. Microcephaly
B. Normocephalic
C. Macrocephaly
D. Dolichocephaly
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The best answer is normocephalic because this is the standard medical term
used to describe a head that is normal in size and shape without any obvious
deformities or asymmetry.
Q2: You are assessing a patient's pupils and note that the left pupil is 6mm and the right
pupil is 3mm in a dimly lit room. The patient reports they had a traumatic brain injury a
year ago. How do you document this finding?
A. Anisocoria
B. Miosis
C. Mydriasis
D. Isocoria
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: This finding is consistent with anisocoria, which is the term for unequal pupil
size; while it can be normal for some people, in the context of trauma, it is a critical sign
to document.
Q3: A patient is unable to move their left eye laterally (outward toward the ear) when
asked to look to the left. Which cranial nerve is responsible for this deficit?
A. CN III (Oculomotor)
B. CN IV (Trochlear)
C. CN VI (Abducens)
D. CN II (Optic)
Correct Answer: C
, Rationale: The best answer is CN VI (Abducens) because this nerve specifically
controls the lateral rectus muscle, which is responsible for moving the eye outward
(abduction).
Q4: During an otoscopic examination, you are looking for the cone of light. In a healthy
ear, where should this reflection typically be located?
A. At the 6 o'clock position
B. At the 3 o'clock position in the right ear and 9 o'clock in the left ear
C. At the 12 o'clock position
D. The cone of light is not visible in a healthy ear
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Remember your landmarks for otoscopy; the cone of light is normally found
anteroinferiorly, which appears around 3 o'clock in the right ear and 9 o'clock in the left
ear.
Q5: You perform a Rinne test on a patient and find that air conduction (AC) is longer
than bone conduction (BC) in both ears. You then perform a Weber test and the patient
reports the sound lateralizes to the right ear. How do you interpret these results?
A. Conductive hearing loss in the left ear
B. Sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear
C. Sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear
D. Normal hearing bilaterally
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This is tricky but important; normal Rinne is AC > BC, so the inner ear
mechanism works. In Weber, the sound lateralizes to the good ear in sensorineural loss,
meaning the right ear is better than the left.
Q6: A patient comes to the clinic complaining of a "stuffy nose" and facial pain. You
gently palpate the maxillary sinuses and the patient winces in pain. What is the correct
term for this finding?
A. Tactile fremitus
B. Rhonchi
C. Sinus tenderness
D. Percussion tenderness
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The best answer is sinus tenderness because applying gentle pressure over
the frontal or maxillary sinuses helps identify inflammation (sinusitis), and pain upon
palpation is a positive sign.
– Rasmussen Actual Exam Complete Questions &
Rationales | Head-to-Toe Skills | Pass Guaranteed -
A+ Graded
Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat (HEENT) Assessment
Q1: While inspecting the patient's head, you note that the skull is symmetric and the
head shape is round. You document this finding as:
A. Microcephaly
B. Normocephalic
C. Macrocephaly
D. Dolichocephaly
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The best answer is normocephalic because this is the standard medical term
used to describe a head that is normal in size and shape without any obvious
deformities or asymmetry.
Q2: You are assessing a patient's pupils and note that the left pupil is 6mm and the right
pupil is 3mm in a dimly lit room. The patient reports they had a traumatic brain injury a
year ago. How do you document this finding?
A. Anisocoria
B. Miosis
C. Mydriasis
D. Isocoria
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: This finding is consistent with anisocoria, which is the term for unequal pupil
size; while it can be normal for some people, in the context of trauma, it is a critical sign
to document.
Q3: A patient is unable to move their left eye laterally (outward toward the ear) when
asked to look to the left. Which cranial nerve is responsible for this deficit?
A. CN III (Oculomotor)
B. CN IV (Trochlear)
C. CN VI (Abducens)
D. CN II (Optic)
Correct Answer: C
, Rationale: The best answer is CN VI (Abducens) because this nerve specifically
controls the lateral rectus muscle, which is responsible for moving the eye outward
(abduction).
Q4: During an otoscopic examination, you are looking for the cone of light. In a healthy
ear, where should this reflection typically be located?
A. At the 6 o'clock position
B. At the 3 o'clock position in the right ear and 9 o'clock in the left ear
C. At the 12 o'clock position
D. The cone of light is not visible in a healthy ear
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Remember your landmarks for otoscopy; the cone of light is normally found
anteroinferiorly, which appears around 3 o'clock in the right ear and 9 o'clock in the left
ear.
Q5: You perform a Rinne test on a patient and find that air conduction (AC) is longer
than bone conduction (BC) in both ears. You then perform a Weber test and the patient
reports the sound lateralizes to the right ear. How do you interpret these results?
A. Conductive hearing loss in the left ear
B. Sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear
C. Sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear
D. Normal hearing bilaterally
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: This is tricky but important; normal Rinne is AC > BC, so the inner ear
mechanism works. In Weber, the sound lateralizes to the good ear in sensorineural loss,
meaning the right ear is better than the left.
Q6: A patient comes to the clinic complaining of a "stuffy nose" and facial pain. You
gently palpate the maxillary sinuses and the patient winces in pain. What is the correct
term for this finding?
A. Tactile fremitus
B. Rhonchi
C. Sinus tenderness
D. Percussion tenderness
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The best answer is sinus tenderness because applying gentle pressure over
the frontal or maxillary sinuses helps identify inflammation (sinusitis), and pain upon
palpation is a positive sign.
