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Health Assessment Exam 1 Rasmussen
College Practice Exam 2026/2027.
Domain 1: The Comprehensive Health History & Interviewing (15 Questions)
1. A nurse is collecting a health history from a patient reporting chest pain. Which
question best assesses the "R" in the OLDCART mnemonic?
A. "What does the pain feel like?"
B. "Does the pain radiate to your jaw or left arm?"
C. "How long does the pain last?"
D. "What makes the pain worse?"
[CORRECT] B. The "R" in OLDCART stands for Radiation. Asking if pain travels
(radiates) to the jaw or left arm is a classic assessment for cardiac chest pain.
2. During the assessment of the present illness, the nurse asks, "When did the
headache start?" Which component of OLDCART is being assessed?
A. Duration
B. Onset
C. Timing
D. Severity
[CORRECT] B. "Onset" refers to when the symptoms first began. Asking "When did
it start?" directly addresses the onset of the symptom.
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3. The nurse documents that a patient's abdominal pain is relieved by sitting
forward and aggravated by lying supine. Which part of the OLDCART mnemonic
does this represent?
A. Character
B. Radiation
C. Aggravating/Alleviating factors
D. Timing
[CORRECT] C. Aggravating and Alleviating factors determine what makes the
symptom worse or better. Documenting positions that change the pain intensity
falls under this category.
4. The nurse reviews the chart and sees a documented list of the patient's reported
symptoms regarding their respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems.
This is an example of:
A. Physical Examination
B. Review of Systems
C. Functional Assessment
D. Objective Data
[CORRECT] B. The Review of Systems (ROS) is a subjective, head-to-toe inventory of
symptoms reported by the patient, distinct from the hands-on Physical
Examination.
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5. During a physical assessment, the nurse uses a stethoscope to listen to the
patient's lung sounds. This action is classified as:
A. Subjective data collection
B. Review of Systems
C. Objective data collection
D. Health History interview
[CORRECT] C. The physical examination involves the collection of objective data
through inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. Listening to lung
sounds is an objective assessment.
6. A nurse is screening a patient for alcohol use disorder using the CAGE tool. Which
question corresponds to the "A" in CAGE?
A. "Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?"
B. "Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?"
C. "Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?"
D. "Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves?"
[CORRECT] B. The "A" in the CAGE questionnaire stands for "Annoyed." It asks if the
patient has felt annoyed by others criticizing their drinking.
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7. A patient admits to drinking a pint of whiskey daily. When asked if they have
tried to cut down, they say, "I tried once but got the shakes." Which letter of the
CAGE tool is the nurse addressing?
A. C - Cut down
B. A - Annoyed
C. G - Guilty
D. E - Eye-opener
[CORRECT] A. The "C" in CAGE stands for "Cut down." This question assesses
whether the patient has felt the need to cut down on their drinking.
8. When applying the CAGE screening tool, the "E" specifically asks the patient:
A. "Do you have enemies because of your drinking?"
B. "Have you ever needed an eye exam after drinking?"
C. "Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener)?"
D. "Do you enjoy drinking every evening?"
[CORRECT] C. The "E" in CAGE stands for "Eye-opener." It refers to drinking alcohol
first thing in the morning to steady nerves or get over a hangover.
9. A patient appears visibly anxious, fidgeting with their hands. Which therapeutic
communication technique is most appropriate to establish rapport?
A. "Why are you so nervous?"
Health Assessment Exam 1 Rasmussen
College Practice Exam 2026/2027.
Domain 1: The Comprehensive Health History & Interviewing (15 Questions)
1. A nurse is collecting a health history from a patient reporting chest pain. Which
question best assesses the "R" in the OLDCART mnemonic?
A. "What does the pain feel like?"
B. "Does the pain radiate to your jaw or left arm?"
C. "How long does the pain last?"
D. "What makes the pain worse?"
[CORRECT] B. The "R" in OLDCART stands for Radiation. Asking if pain travels
(radiates) to the jaw or left arm is a classic assessment for cardiac chest pain.
2. During the assessment of the present illness, the nurse asks, "When did the
headache start?" Which component of OLDCART is being assessed?
A. Duration
B. Onset
C. Timing
D. Severity
[CORRECT] B. "Onset" refers to when the symptoms first began. Asking "When did
it start?" directly addresses the onset of the symptom.
, 2
3. The nurse documents that a patient's abdominal pain is relieved by sitting
forward and aggravated by lying supine. Which part of the OLDCART mnemonic
does this represent?
A. Character
B. Radiation
C. Aggravating/Alleviating factors
D. Timing
[CORRECT] C. Aggravating and Alleviating factors determine what makes the
symptom worse or better. Documenting positions that change the pain intensity
falls under this category.
4. The nurse reviews the chart and sees a documented list of the patient's reported
symptoms regarding their respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems.
This is an example of:
A. Physical Examination
B. Review of Systems
C. Functional Assessment
D. Objective Data
[CORRECT] B. The Review of Systems (ROS) is a subjective, head-to-toe inventory of
symptoms reported by the patient, distinct from the hands-on Physical
Examination.
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5. During a physical assessment, the nurse uses a stethoscope to listen to the
patient's lung sounds. This action is classified as:
A. Subjective data collection
B. Review of Systems
C. Objective data collection
D. Health History interview
[CORRECT] C. The physical examination involves the collection of objective data
through inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. Listening to lung
sounds is an objective assessment.
6. A nurse is screening a patient for alcohol use disorder using the CAGE tool. Which
question corresponds to the "A" in CAGE?
A. "Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?"
B. "Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?"
C. "Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?"
D. "Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves?"
[CORRECT] B. The "A" in the CAGE questionnaire stands for "Annoyed." It asks if the
patient has felt annoyed by others criticizing their drinking.
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7. A patient admits to drinking a pint of whiskey daily. When asked if they have
tried to cut down, they say, "I tried once but got the shakes." Which letter of the
CAGE tool is the nurse addressing?
A. C - Cut down
B. A - Annoyed
C. G - Guilty
D. E - Eye-opener
[CORRECT] A. The "C" in CAGE stands for "Cut down." This question assesses
whether the patient has felt the need to cut down on their drinking.
8. When applying the CAGE screening tool, the "E" specifically asks the patient:
A. "Do you have enemies because of your drinking?"
B. "Have you ever needed an eye exam after drinking?"
C. "Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning (Eye-opener)?"
D. "Do you enjoy drinking every evening?"
[CORRECT] C. The "E" in CAGE stands for "Eye-opener." It refers to drinking alcohol
first thing in the morning to steady nerves or get over a hangover.
9. A patient appears visibly anxious, fidgeting with their hands. Which therapeutic
communication technique is most appropriate to establish rapport?
A. "Why are you so nervous?"
