NCCAOM FOUNDATIONS EXAM
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS ALREADY PASSED
A patient has sensations of oppression in the chest and epigastric area, feelings of
heaviness and greasy white tongue coat. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-damp-cold
invading spleen
A patient has epigastric pain, dry mouth, and peeled tongue in the central part or
rootless coat in the central part. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-Stomach yin
deficiency
A patient has aversion to cold, sneezing and a floating tight pulse. What is the
diagnosis? - Answer-Wind-cold invading lungs
A patient has red cheeks mental restlessness throat dryness at night dizziness tinnitus
hot sensations in the afternoon and red peeled tongue. What is the diagnosis? -
Answer-Kidney yin deficiency with empty fire blazing
A patient has edema in the ankles thin and watery-frothy sputum pale and swollen
tongue and deep-weak pulse. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-kidney yang deficiency
with water overflowing to lung
A patient has fever fullness in the chest and hypochondriac area nausea greasy yellow
coat and slippery pulse. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-damp heat in liver and gall
bladder
A patient has a facial tic severe dizziness headache and hypertension dry throat and
eyes limb numbness a normal colored tongue without coat and a wiry-fine pulse. What
is the diagnosis? - Answer-liver yang rising causing wind
A patient has high temperature, convulsions and deep red stiff tongue. What is the
diagnosis? - Answer-extreme heat generating wind
A patient has palpitations night sweats insomnia and red peeled tongue with a midline
crack. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-kidney and heart not harmonized
A patient has weak knees hair loss and a weak sex drive. What is the diagnosis? -
Answer-kidney essence deficiency
, A patient has dry eyes dry throat night sweats scanty menses and a peeled tongue.
What is the diagnosis? - Answer-kidney and liver yin deficiency
A patient has poor appetite fatigue and loose stools. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-
spleen qi deficiency
A patient has shortness of breath during exertion low back pain and clear urination.
What is the diagnosis? - Answer-kidneys fail to receive qi
A patient has cough with white frothy watery sputum. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-
phlegm fluids obstructing lungs
A patient has belching sour regurgitation irritability and distention in the epigastric and
hypochondriac areas. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-liver invading stomach
A 36 year old woman had been suffering from chronic menorrhagia. The bleeding was
irregular and constant for months. She bled every day and did not know when her
periods occurred. She has tiredness poor appetite and shortness of breath. She often
felt thirsty her cheeks were occasionally flushed and her tongue had a slight redness on
the sides. The pulse was slightly fast. What is the root pattern for her bleeding? -
Answer-Blood heat
A72 year old man has had low back pain. It began after he had contracted polio at the
age of 12. His right leg was paralyzed and then the back pain followed. He has knee
pain frequent night urination which is profuse and clear. He has dizziness and feels
cold. The tongue is pale. The pulse is weak and slow. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-
kidney yang deficiency
A patient has back pain and night sweats. What is the possible diagnosis - Answer-
Kidney yin deficiency
A patient has dizziness, loose stools, scanty menses, and pales sides of tongue. What
is the diagnosis - Answer-Spleen and liver blood deficiency
A patient has palpitations mental restlessness, feeling of heat, malar flush and a peeled
red tongue with a redder tip. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-Heart Yin deficiency
Sudden abdominal pain, diarrhea, and cold feelings. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-
Cold invading the large intestine
A patient has epigastric fullness, sour regurgitation, thick coating. What is the
diagnosis? - Answer-Retention of food in the stomach
A patient has acute edema of the face aversion to wind and superficial slippery pulse.
What is the diagnosis? - Answer-Invasion of lungs by wind water
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS ALREADY PASSED
A patient has sensations of oppression in the chest and epigastric area, feelings of
heaviness and greasy white tongue coat. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-damp-cold
invading spleen
A patient has epigastric pain, dry mouth, and peeled tongue in the central part or
rootless coat in the central part. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-Stomach yin
deficiency
A patient has aversion to cold, sneezing and a floating tight pulse. What is the
diagnosis? - Answer-Wind-cold invading lungs
A patient has red cheeks mental restlessness throat dryness at night dizziness tinnitus
hot sensations in the afternoon and red peeled tongue. What is the diagnosis? -
Answer-Kidney yin deficiency with empty fire blazing
A patient has edema in the ankles thin and watery-frothy sputum pale and swollen
tongue and deep-weak pulse. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-kidney yang deficiency
with water overflowing to lung
A patient has fever fullness in the chest and hypochondriac area nausea greasy yellow
coat and slippery pulse. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-damp heat in liver and gall
bladder
A patient has a facial tic severe dizziness headache and hypertension dry throat and
eyes limb numbness a normal colored tongue without coat and a wiry-fine pulse. What
is the diagnosis? - Answer-liver yang rising causing wind
A patient has high temperature, convulsions and deep red stiff tongue. What is the
diagnosis? - Answer-extreme heat generating wind
A patient has palpitations night sweats insomnia and red peeled tongue with a midline
crack. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-kidney and heart not harmonized
A patient has weak knees hair loss and a weak sex drive. What is the diagnosis? -
Answer-kidney essence deficiency
, A patient has dry eyes dry throat night sweats scanty menses and a peeled tongue.
What is the diagnosis? - Answer-kidney and liver yin deficiency
A patient has poor appetite fatigue and loose stools. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-
spleen qi deficiency
A patient has shortness of breath during exertion low back pain and clear urination.
What is the diagnosis? - Answer-kidneys fail to receive qi
A patient has cough with white frothy watery sputum. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-
phlegm fluids obstructing lungs
A patient has belching sour regurgitation irritability and distention in the epigastric and
hypochondriac areas. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-liver invading stomach
A 36 year old woman had been suffering from chronic menorrhagia. The bleeding was
irregular and constant for months. She bled every day and did not know when her
periods occurred. She has tiredness poor appetite and shortness of breath. She often
felt thirsty her cheeks were occasionally flushed and her tongue had a slight redness on
the sides. The pulse was slightly fast. What is the root pattern for her bleeding? -
Answer-Blood heat
A72 year old man has had low back pain. It began after he had contracted polio at the
age of 12. His right leg was paralyzed and then the back pain followed. He has knee
pain frequent night urination which is profuse and clear. He has dizziness and feels
cold. The tongue is pale. The pulse is weak and slow. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-
kidney yang deficiency
A patient has back pain and night sweats. What is the possible diagnosis - Answer-
Kidney yin deficiency
A patient has dizziness, loose stools, scanty menses, and pales sides of tongue. What
is the diagnosis - Answer-Spleen and liver blood deficiency
A patient has palpitations mental restlessness, feeling of heat, malar flush and a peeled
red tongue with a redder tip. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-Heart Yin deficiency
Sudden abdominal pain, diarrhea, and cold feelings. What is the diagnosis? - Answer-
Cold invading the large intestine
A patient has epigastric fullness, sour regurgitation, thick coating. What is the
diagnosis? - Answer-Retention of food in the stomach
A patient has acute edema of the face aversion to wind and superficial slippery pulse.
What is the diagnosis? - Answer-Invasion of lungs by wind water
