EKG TECHNICIAN EXAM 180 QUESTIONS &
CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST 2026/2027
What action should be taken first when EKG tech notices the patient appears to be
hyperventilating during an exercise stress test?
check the patient's respiratory rate
Patient is wearing cardiac event monitor at home. What statement confirms
understanding of instructions?
"i will continue to do my daily walk to the grocery store"
What speed setting should be used for a patient experiencing accelerated junctional
rhythm?
25 mm/second
(a patient who is experiencing accelerated junctional rhythm has a heart rate of 60-
100/min)
What controls and regulates height of EKG wave-forms on a tracing?
gain
Appropriate position for patient doing a nuclear stress test?
supine with the arms above the head, so the camera can rotate around the patient to
produce a multidimensional image
what leads detect electrical activity of the septal wall?
leads V1 and V2
what is the expected shape and direction of the P wave in lead II for a healthy adult
patient?
rounded and upright
,(normal atrial depolarization moves in the direction of the left leg, or the positive
electrode, causing an upright and rounded wave. this is an expected finding in a
healthy adult patient)
patient exhibits ventricular fibrillation on the EKG tracing. What should the tech
do first?
determine if the patient is responsive
What signs are present with a patient experiencing ventricular tachycardia?
multiple premature ventricular contractions (3 or more) in a row
Differentiate accelerated idioventricular rhythm from junctional rhythm?
accelerated idioventricular rhythm has wide QRS complexes
Rhythm strip should be at least how many seconds long to accurately identify rate
and rhythm?
6 seconds
Term for pulse oximetry reading of 88%
hypoxemia (refers to low oxygen levels in the blood. range is 95%+)
Smallest box on EKG graph paper that represents what length of time?
0.04 seconds
What activity should a patient record in Holter monitor diary?
bike riding
How to resolve wandering baseline on a patient's EKG tracing?
relieve tension from the lead wires to ensure there is an effective connection to the
EKG machine
What position should the tech place the patient who is at 35 weeks of gestation?
slightly on the left side with a pillow supporting the right hip
What pulse rates is within expected reference range for a 2-year-old patient?
120/min
(a child that is 1-2 yrs old pulse ranges: 80-140/min)
, What should you tell a patient who is using a Holter monitor and runs 5 miles a
day?
"you should continue exercising as usual while wearing the monitor".
What statement made by an EKG tech correctly prepares the patient for telemetry
monitoring?
"i will clean your skin with an alcohol pad"
(or soap and water)
What action should be taken when performing an exercise stress test to evaluate a
patient for coronary vascular disease?
report unexpected dysrhymias during the test
What limb should the tech check first when noticing that none of the leads are
giving a reading?
right leg, because all leads share this electrode
what statement by the patient should the tech enter into the social history section?
"i have smoked cigarettes for a long time"
(social history pertains to a patient's lifestyle, including living situation, alcohol
use, nicotine use, and exercise habits)
when preparing a patient for a standard 12-lead EKG, an EKG tech should instruct
the patient to remove what?
jewelry
(it causes AC interference on the EKG tracing)
when taking an infant's pulse, what site is the most appropriate for an EKG tech to
use?
brachial artery
(easiest site to obtain a pulse in an infant because of it's proximity to the surface of
the skin)
Where should a tech place leads for a patient who is in an immobile fetal position?
on the patient's back
CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST 2026/2027
What action should be taken first when EKG tech notices the patient appears to be
hyperventilating during an exercise stress test?
check the patient's respiratory rate
Patient is wearing cardiac event monitor at home. What statement confirms
understanding of instructions?
"i will continue to do my daily walk to the grocery store"
What speed setting should be used for a patient experiencing accelerated junctional
rhythm?
25 mm/second
(a patient who is experiencing accelerated junctional rhythm has a heart rate of 60-
100/min)
What controls and regulates height of EKG wave-forms on a tracing?
gain
Appropriate position for patient doing a nuclear stress test?
supine with the arms above the head, so the camera can rotate around the patient to
produce a multidimensional image
what leads detect electrical activity of the septal wall?
leads V1 and V2
what is the expected shape and direction of the P wave in lead II for a healthy adult
patient?
rounded and upright
,(normal atrial depolarization moves in the direction of the left leg, or the positive
electrode, causing an upright and rounded wave. this is an expected finding in a
healthy adult patient)
patient exhibits ventricular fibrillation on the EKG tracing. What should the tech
do first?
determine if the patient is responsive
What signs are present with a patient experiencing ventricular tachycardia?
multiple premature ventricular contractions (3 or more) in a row
Differentiate accelerated idioventricular rhythm from junctional rhythm?
accelerated idioventricular rhythm has wide QRS complexes
Rhythm strip should be at least how many seconds long to accurately identify rate
and rhythm?
6 seconds
Term for pulse oximetry reading of 88%
hypoxemia (refers to low oxygen levels in the blood. range is 95%+)
Smallest box on EKG graph paper that represents what length of time?
0.04 seconds
What activity should a patient record in Holter monitor diary?
bike riding
How to resolve wandering baseline on a patient's EKG tracing?
relieve tension from the lead wires to ensure there is an effective connection to the
EKG machine
What position should the tech place the patient who is at 35 weeks of gestation?
slightly on the left side with a pillow supporting the right hip
What pulse rates is within expected reference range for a 2-year-old patient?
120/min
(a child that is 1-2 yrs old pulse ranges: 80-140/min)
, What should you tell a patient who is using a Holter monitor and runs 5 miles a
day?
"you should continue exercising as usual while wearing the monitor".
What statement made by an EKG tech correctly prepares the patient for telemetry
monitoring?
"i will clean your skin with an alcohol pad"
(or soap and water)
What action should be taken when performing an exercise stress test to evaluate a
patient for coronary vascular disease?
report unexpected dysrhymias during the test
What limb should the tech check first when noticing that none of the leads are
giving a reading?
right leg, because all leads share this electrode
what statement by the patient should the tech enter into the social history section?
"i have smoked cigarettes for a long time"
(social history pertains to a patient's lifestyle, including living situation, alcohol
use, nicotine use, and exercise habits)
when preparing a patient for a standard 12-lead EKG, an EKG tech should instruct
the patient to remove what?
jewelry
(it causes AC interference on the EKG tracing)
when taking an infant's pulse, what site is the most appropriate for an EKG tech to
use?
brachial artery
(easiest site to obtain a pulse in an infant because of it's proximity to the surface of
the skin)
Where should a tech place leads for a patient who is in an immobile fetal position?
on the patient's back
