ADVANCED HEALTH ASSESSMENT
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SCRIPT 2026 FULL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ A patient tells the nurse practitioner that she has had abdominal
pain for the past week. What would be the best response by the
nurse practitioner?
A) We'll talk more about that later in the interview."
B) "Have you ever had any children?"
C) "What have you had to eat in the last 4 hours?"
D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Answer: D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Each principle symptom should be well-characterized, with
descriptions of location; along with the other seven attributes.
Location: Ask the patient to point to the pain because lay terms may
not be specific enough to localize the site of origin.
◉ A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating
pain" in her back. Which of the following would be an appropriate
response by the nurse to her statement?
,A) "How does your family react to your pain?"
B) "That must be terrible. You probably pinched a nerve."
C) "I've had back pain myself and it can be excruciating."
D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your daily
activities?"
Answer: D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do
your daily activities?"
Inquire about the effects of pain on the patient's daily activities,
mood, sleep, work, and sexual activity.
◉ In recording the childhood illnesses of a patient who denies
having had any, which of the following notes by the nurse would be
most accurate?
A) Patient denies usual childhood illnesses.
B) Patient states he was a "very healthy" child.
C) Patient states sister had measles, but he didn't.
D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pertussis,
rheumatic fever, and polio.
Answer: D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox,
pertussis, rheumatic fever, and polio.
,Childhood illnesses include measles, rubella, mumps, whooping
cough, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, and polio. They are included in
the past history.
◉ A patient tells the nurse that he is allergic to penicillin. What
would be the nurse's best response to this information?
A) "Are you allergic to any other drugs?"
B) "How often have you received penicillin?"
C) "I'll write your allergy on your chart so you won't receive any."
D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take penicillin."
Answer: D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take
penicillin."
Allergies, including specific reactions to each medication, such as
rash or nausea, must be recorded.
◉ The nurse is taking a family history. Important diseases or
problems to ask the patient about include:
A) emphysema.
B) head trauma.
C) mental illness.
D) fractured bones.
Answer: C) mental illness.
, Specifically ask for any family history of heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, blood disorders, ovarian cancer,
colon cancer, sickle cell anemia, arthritis, allergies, alcohol or drug
addiction, mental illness, suicide, seizure disorder, kidney disease,
and tuberculosis. The other answers are acquired.
◉ 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
Answer: D) Review of systems
Most review of systems questions pertain to systems. You may also
draw on Review of Systems questions related to the Chief Complaint
to establish positives and negatives that help clarify the diagnosis.
◉ Which of the following statements represents subjective data
obtained from the patient regarding his skin?
A) Skin appears dry.
B) No obvious lesions
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SCRIPT 2026 FULL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ A patient tells the nurse practitioner that she has had abdominal
pain for the past week. What would be the best response by the
nurse practitioner?
A) We'll talk more about that later in the interview."
B) "Have you ever had any children?"
C) "What have you had to eat in the last 4 hours?"
D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Answer: D) "Can you point to where it hurts?"
Each principle symptom should be well-characterized, with
descriptions of location; along with the other seven attributes.
Location: Ask the patient to point to the pain because lay terms may
not be specific enough to localize the site of origin.
◉ A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating
pain" in her back. Which of the following would be an appropriate
response by the nurse to her statement?
,A) "How does your family react to your pain?"
B) "That must be terrible. You probably pinched a nerve."
C) "I've had back pain myself and it can be excruciating."
D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do your daily
activities?"
Answer: D) "How would you say the pain affects your ability to do
your daily activities?"
Inquire about the effects of pain on the patient's daily activities,
mood, sleep, work, and sexual activity.
◉ In recording the childhood illnesses of a patient who denies
having had any, which of the following notes by the nurse would be
most accurate?
A) Patient denies usual childhood illnesses.
B) Patient states he was a "very healthy" child.
C) Patient states sister had measles, but he didn't.
D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, pertussis,
rheumatic fever, and polio.
Answer: D) Patient denies measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox,
pertussis, rheumatic fever, and polio.
,Childhood illnesses include measles, rubella, mumps, whooping
cough, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever, and polio. They are included in
the past history.
◉ A patient tells the nurse that he is allergic to penicillin. What
would be the nurse's best response to this information?
A) "Are you allergic to any other drugs?"
B) "How often have you received penicillin?"
C) "I'll write your allergy on your chart so you won't receive any."
D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take penicillin."
Answer: D) "Please describe what happens to you when you take
penicillin."
Allergies, including specific reactions to each medication, such as
rash or nausea, must be recorded.
◉ The nurse is taking a family history. Important diseases or
problems to ask the patient about include:
A) emphysema.
B) head trauma.
C) mental illness.
D) fractured bones.
Answer: C) mental illness.
, Specifically ask for any family history of heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, diabetes, obesity, blood disorders, ovarian cancer,
colon cancer, sickle cell anemia, arthritis, allergies, alcohol or drug
addiction, mental illness, suicide, seizure disorder, kidney disease,
and tuberculosis. The other answers are acquired.
◉ 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
Answer: D) Review of systems
Most review of systems questions pertain to systems. You may also
draw on Review of Systems questions related to the Chief Complaint
to establish positives and negatives that help clarify the diagnosis.
◉ Which of the following statements represents subjective data
obtained from the patient regarding his skin?
A) Skin appears dry.
B) No obvious lesions
