2026
1. For which of the following patients would a comprehensive health history be appropriate?
A) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I sprained my ankle"
B) An established patient with the chief complaint of "I have an upper respiratory infection"
C) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I am here to establish care"
D) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I cut my hand" - Answers c) a new patient with the CC
of "I am here to establish care"
the patient is new to the provider so a comprehensive health history is needed
2. The components of the health history include all of the following except which one?
A) Review of systems
B) Thorax and lungs
C) Present illness
D) Personal and social items - Answers B) thorax and lungs
these are part of the physical examination
3. Is the following information subjective or objective?
Mr. M. has shortness of breath that has persisted for the past 10 days; it is worse with activity and
relieved by rest.
A) Subjective
B) Objective - Answers A) subjective
this is information given by the patient
4. Is the following information subjective or objective?
Mr. M. has a respiratory rate of 32 and a pulse rate of 120.
A) Subjective
B) Objective - Answers B) objective
this is information obtained by the examiner
5. The following information is recorded in the health history: "The patient has had abdominal pain
for 1 week. The pain lasts for 30 minutes at a time; it comes and goes. The severity is 7 to 9 on a scale
of 1 to 10. It is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It is located in the mid-epigastric area."
Which of these categories does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems - Answers B) Present illness
HPI
6. The following information is recorded in the health history: "The patient completed 8th grade. He
currently lives with his wife and two children. He works on old cars on the weekend. He works in a
glass factory during the week."
Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems - Answers C) personal and social history
7. The following information is recorded in the health history: "I feel really tired."
Which category does it belong to?
,A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems - Answers A) chief complaint
pt's own words
8. The following information is recorded in the health history: "Patient denies chest pain, palpitations,
orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea."
Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems - Answers D) review of systems
9. The following information is best placed in which category?
"The patient has had three cesarean sections."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric - Answers B) surgeries
10. The following information is best placed in which category?
"The patient had a stent placed in the left anterior descending artery (LAD) in 1999."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric - Answers A) adult illnesses
*a stent is a major procedure but does not involve a surgeon*
11. The following information is best placed in which category?
"The patient was treated for an asthma exacerbation in the hospital last year; the patient has never
been intubated."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric - Answers A) adult illnesses
A patient presents for evaluation of a sharp, aching chest pain which increases with breathing. Which
anatomic area would you localize the symptom to?
A) Musculoskeletal
B) Reproductive
C) Urinary
D) Endocrine - Answers A)musculoskeletal
A patient comes to the emergency room for evaluation of shortness of breath. To which anatomic
region would you assign the symptom?
A) Reproductive
B) Urinary
C) Cardiac
D) Hematologic - Answers C)cardiac
A patient presents for evaluation of a cough. Which of the following anatomic regions can be
responsible for a cough?
A) Ophthalmologic
B) Auditory
C) Cardiac
D) Endocrine - Answers C) cardiac
A 22-year-old advertising copywriter presents for evaluation of joint pain. The pain is new, located in
the wrists and fingers bilaterally, with some subjective fever. The patient denies a rash; she also
denies recent travel or camping activities. She has a family history significant for rheumatoid arthritis.
Based on this information, which of the following pathologic processes would be the most correct?
, A) Infectious
B) Inflammatory
C) Hematologic
D) Traumatic - Answers B) inflammatory
A 47-year-old contractor presents for evaluation of neck pain, which has been intermittent for several
years. He normally takes over-the-counter medications to ease the pain, but this time they haven't
worked as well and he still has discomfort. He recently wallpapered the entire second floor in his
house, which caused him great discomfort. The pain resolved with rest. He denies fever, chills, rash,
upper respiratory symptoms, trauma, or injury to the neck. Based on this description, what is the
most likely pathologic process?
A) Infectious
B) Neoplastic
C) Degenerative
D) Traumatic - Answers C) degenerative
A 15-year-old high school sophomore comes to the clinic for evaluation of a 3-week history of
sneezing; itchy, watery eyes; clear nasal discharge; ear pain; and nonproductive cough. Which is the
most likely pathologic process?
A) Infection
B) Inflammation
C) Allergic
D) Vascular - Answers C) allergic
*consistent with allergic rhinitis*
A 19-year old-college student presents to the emergency room with fever, headache, and neck
pain/stiffness. She is concerned about the possibility of meningococcal meningitis. Several of her
dorm mates have been vaccinated, but she hasn't been. Which of the following physical examination
descriptions is most consistent with meningitis?
A) Head is normocephalic and atraumatic, fundi with sharp discs, neck supple with full range of
motion
B) Head is normocephalic and atraumatic, fundi with sharp discs, neck with paraspinous muscle spasm
and limited range of motion to the right
C) Head is normocephalic and atraumatic, fundi with blurred disc margins, neck tender to palpation,
unable to perform range of motion
D) Head is normocephalic and atraumatic, fundi with blurred disc margins, neck supple with full range
of motion - Answers C)
A 37-year-old nurse comes for evaluation of colicky right upper quadrant abdominal pain. The pain is
associated with nausea and vomiting and occurs 1 to 2 hours after eating greasy foods. Which one of
the following physical examination descriptions would be most consistent with the diagnosis of
cholecystitis?
A) Abdomen is soft, nontender, and nondistended, without hepatosplenomegaly or masses.
B) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right lower quadrant, without rebound or guarding.
C) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right upper quadrant with inspiration, to the point
of stopping inspiration, and there is no rebound or guarding.
D) Abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the mid-epigastric area, without rebound or guarding. -
Answers C) tender to palpation in RUQ
A 55-year-old data entry operator comes to the clinic to establish care. She has the following
symptoms: headache, neck pain, sinus congestion, sore throat, ringing in ears, sharp brief chest pains
at rest, burning abdominal pain with spicy foods, constipation, urinary frequency that is worse with
coughing and sneezing, and swelling in legs. This cluster of symptoms is explained by:
A) One disease process
B) More than one disease process - Answers B) more than one disease process
A 62-year-old teacher presents to the clinic for evaluation of the following symptoms: fever,
headache, sinus congestion, sore throat, green nasal discharge, and cough. This cluster of symptoms
is best explained by:
A) One disease process
B) More than one disease process - Answers A) one disease process