NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) Answer Key 2025 |
Groups A–F, Patients 1–6 | 100% Verified &
Printable
🧠 Patient 1 – Test Group A
1. Level of Consciousness (LOC)
Question: When asked the current month and their age, the patient responds incorrectly to both.
What LOC question score should be recorded?
a. 0 – Answers both correctly
b. 1 – Answers one correctly
c. 2 – Answers both incorrectly
d. 3 – Unresponsive
✅ Correct Answer: c. 2 – Answers both incorrectly
🧠 Patient 2 – Test Group B
2. Best Gaze
Question: The patient is unable to follow commands to look left or right and shows spontaneous
deviation of the eyes to the left. What is the correct score?
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Partial gaze palsy
c. 2 – Forced deviation
d. 3 – Complete gaze paralysis
✅ Correct Answer: c. 2 – Forced deviation
🧠 Patient 3 – Test Group C
3. Visual Fields
Question: The patient reports not seeing fingers in the left visual field in both eyes. What score
should be recorded?
a. 0 – No visual loss
b. 1 – Partial hemianopia
,c. 2 – Complete hemianopia
d. 3 – Bilateral blindness
✅ Correct Answer: c. 2 – Complete hemianopia
🧠 Patient 4 – Test Group D
4. Facial Palsy
Question: Patient has complete paralysis of the lower face on one side and partial on the upper
face. What is the correct score?
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Minor paralysis
c. 2 – Partial paralysis
d. 3 – Complete paralysis on one or both sides
✅ Correct Answer: d. 3 – Complete paralysis
🧠 Patient 5 – Test Group E
5. Motor Arm (Right)
Question: Arm drifts down but does not hit the bed and shows effort against gravity. What is the
score?
a. 0 – No drift
b. 1 – Drift
c. 2 – Some effort against gravity
d. 3 – No effort against gravity
✅ Correct Answer: b. 1 – Drift
🧠 Patient 6 – Test Group F
6. Language
Question: The patient has noticeable difficulty finding words but communicates ideas clearly.
What is the correct score?
a. 0 – No aphasia
b. 1 – Mild to moderate aphasia
c. 2 – Severe aphasia
d. 3 – Mute or global aphasia
✅ Correct Answer: b. 1 – Mild to moderate aphasia
, 7. LOC Commands
The patient is asked to open and close their eyes, and to grip and release the examiner’s fingers.
They follow both correctly.
a. 0 – Correct
b. 1 – One correct
c. 2 – Neither correct
✅ Correct Answer: a
8. Best Gaze
Eyes move past midline but not fully to one side.
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Partial gaze palsy
c. 2 – Forced deviation
✅ Correct Answer: b
9. Visual Fields
The patient is blind in the left half of both eyes.
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Partial hemianopia
c. 2 – Complete hemianopia
d. 3 – Bilateral blindness
✅ Correct Answer: c
10. Facial Palsy
Only the lower face is weak on the right.
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Minor paralysis
c. 2 – Partial paralysis
✅ Correct Answer: c
11. Motor Arm (Left)
The arm drifts but doesn’t hit the bed.
a. 0 – No drift
b. 1 – Drift
c. 2 – Some effort against gravity
d. 3 – No effort against gravity
✅ Correct Answer: b
Groups A–F, Patients 1–6 | 100% Verified &
Printable
🧠 Patient 1 – Test Group A
1. Level of Consciousness (LOC)
Question: When asked the current month and their age, the patient responds incorrectly to both.
What LOC question score should be recorded?
a. 0 – Answers both correctly
b. 1 – Answers one correctly
c. 2 – Answers both incorrectly
d. 3 – Unresponsive
✅ Correct Answer: c. 2 – Answers both incorrectly
🧠 Patient 2 – Test Group B
2. Best Gaze
Question: The patient is unable to follow commands to look left or right and shows spontaneous
deviation of the eyes to the left. What is the correct score?
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Partial gaze palsy
c. 2 – Forced deviation
d. 3 – Complete gaze paralysis
✅ Correct Answer: c. 2 – Forced deviation
🧠 Patient 3 – Test Group C
3. Visual Fields
Question: The patient reports not seeing fingers in the left visual field in both eyes. What score
should be recorded?
a. 0 – No visual loss
b. 1 – Partial hemianopia
,c. 2 – Complete hemianopia
d. 3 – Bilateral blindness
✅ Correct Answer: c. 2 – Complete hemianopia
🧠 Patient 4 – Test Group D
4. Facial Palsy
Question: Patient has complete paralysis of the lower face on one side and partial on the upper
face. What is the correct score?
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Minor paralysis
c. 2 – Partial paralysis
d. 3 – Complete paralysis on one or both sides
✅ Correct Answer: d. 3 – Complete paralysis
🧠 Patient 5 – Test Group E
5. Motor Arm (Right)
Question: Arm drifts down but does not hit the bed and shows effort against gravity. What is the
score?
a. 0 – No drift
b. 1 – Drift
c. 2 – Some effort against gravity
d. 3 – No effort against gravity
✅ Correct Answer: b. 1 – Drift
🧠 Patient 6 – Test Group F
6. Language
Question: The patient has noticeable difficulty finding words but communicates ideas clearly.
What is the correct score?
a. 0 – No aphasia
b. 1 – Mild to moderate aphasia
c. 2 – Severe aphasia
d. 3 – Mute or global aphasia
✅ Correct Answer: b. 1 – Mild to moderate aphasia
, 7. LOC Commands
The patient is asked to open and close their eyes, and to grip and release the examiner’s fingers.
They follow both correctly.
a. 0 – Correct
b. 1 – One correct
c. 2 – Neither correct
✅ Correct Answer: a
8. Best Gaze
Eyes move past midline but not fully to one side.
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Partial gaze palsy
c. 2 – Forced deviation
✅ Correct Answer: b
9. Visual Fields
The patient is blind in the left half of both eyes.
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Partial hemianopia
c. 2 – Complete hemianopia
d. 3 – Bilateral blindness
✅ Correct Answer: c
10. Facial Palsy
Only the lower face is weak on the right.
a. 0 – Normal
b. 1 – Minor paralysis
c. 2 – Partial paralysis
✅ Correct Answer: c
11. Motor Arm (Left)
The arm drifts but doesn’t hit the bed.
a. 0 – No drift
b. 1 – Drift
c. 2 – Some effort against gravity
d. 3 – No effort against gravity
✅ Correct Answer: b
