2026 New Practice Test for the CPPS Exam with 120
Questions and Correct Answers with Rationales/ CPPS –
Certified Professional in Patient Safety Practice Exam 2026
A patient safety professional is leading a process improvement team to enhance
communication hand-offs between hospital units. Which of the following is the
best question to ask at the first team meeting?
A. "What process change should be the focus?"
B. "When should direct observations begin?"
C. "What are we trying to accomplish?"
D. "When should we spread best practices?" - ANSWER-C. "What are we trying
to accomplish?"
On studying the results of a root cause analysis, it is recognized that an RN missed
steps in a protocol. The RN is regarded as highly competent by colleagues and unit
leaders. The patient safety professional should determine the RN's behavior in this
error to be considered
A. workaround.
B. reckless.
C. high risk.
D. drift. - ANSWER-D. drift.
Which of the following is most important in building a culture of safety?
A. measuring safety outcomes
B. addressing burnout
C. establishing shared values
D. utilizing electronic health records - ANSWER-C. establishing shared values
pg. 1
,A practitioner reads a groundbreaking study on a condition seen frequently in their
practice. Coincidentally, the next patient that the practitioner sees has symptoms
commonly seen with that condition. Which of the following biases or heuristics
best describes this phenomena?
A. anchoring
B. availability
C. premature closure
D. risk aversion - ANSWER-B. availability
While investigating a near miss medication event, a manager identifies a pattern of
work arounds by a clinician that violates policies and procedures. To determine
accountability, the manager's next step should be to
A. conduct a focus group with work area staff.
B. perform a substitution test.
C. escalate the workarounds to leadership.
D. amend procedures to support the workarounds. - ANSWER-B. perform a
substitution test.
A physician is planning to discharge a patient. The nurse knew that the patient
needed additional equipment at home. Together they reached out to the social
worker and discharge planner for a safe care transition. Which feature of the
culture of safety did they practice?
A. activation of transfer protocols
B. utilization of open communication
C. measurement of patient safety
D. ensuring health literacy - ANSWER-B. utilization of open communication
pg. 2
,From a human factors standpoint, which of the following is true about harm during
healthcare?
A. It is either due to system errors or intentional human choice.
B. It would not occur if healthcare workers followed rules.
C. It is prevented by healthcare workers adapting to changes.
D. It is always preventable; the goal is zero harm. - ANSWER-C. It is prevented
by healthcare workers adapting to changes.
A patient safety professional notes an increase in safety events involving insulin.
Which of the following strategies is most likely to result in improvement?
A. The quality committee requires monthly progress reports on departmental
insulin safety plans.
B. The pharmacy and therapeutics committee introduces two insulin products to
the formulary.
C. The pharmacy educates on insulin safety by distributing a tip sheet to nursing
and providers.
D. The medication safety committee monitors reports on insulin administration
errors. - ANSWER-A. The quality committee requires monthly progress reports
on departmental insulin safety plans.
Of the following steps, which should be done first when conducting an FMEA?
A. Identify a high-risk process to evaluate.
B. Formulate solutions for a high-risk process.
C. Develop a ranking method to prioritize actions.
D. Facilitate error management strategies. - ANSWER-A. Identify a high-risk
process to evaluate.
pg. 3
, In preparation for new antimicrobial stewardship regulatory requirements, a
hospital is creating an antimicrobial stewardship committee. What should be the
first step in supporting this new patient safety initiative?
A. Reach out to subject matter experts to gain insight on different compliance
issues.
B. Work with information technology (IT) to build antibiotic indication and time-
out screens.
C. Partner with key stakeholders to perform a gap analysis of current state to ideal
state.
D. Review the past year's data to identify the most commonly grown pathogens. -
ANSWER-C. Partner with key stakeholders to perform a gap analysis of current
state to ideal state.
After implementing a new product recall system, a hospital was alerted to a high-
risk medication recall. This medication is in stock in the emergency department
and oncology unit. To ensure the effectiveness of the new system, a patient safety
professional should:
A. require individual departments to verify that a search for the recalled medication
was performed.
B. ensure an on-site visit verifies that the recalled medication was sequestered.
C. reconcile the number of doses administered to the number of doses purchased.
D. notify the affected units via fax to remove recalled meds and to post recall
notices in the units - ANSWER-B. ensure an on-site visit verifies that the recalled
medication was sequestered.
An organization is implementing a standardized surgical safety checklist and
encounters resistance from the perioperative staff. To improve staff engagement, a
patient safety professional should:
A. prepare a business case for the implementation of the checklist.
B. present evidence that checklist use reduces practice variability.
pg. 4
Questions and Correct Answers with Rationales/ CPPS –
Certified Professional in Patient Safety Practice Exam 2026
A patient safety professional is leading a process improvement team to enhance
communication hand-offs between hospital units. Which of the following is the
best question to ask at the first team meeting?
A. "What process change should be the focus?"
B. "When should direct observations begin?"
C. "What are we trying to accomplish?"
D. "When should we spread best practices?" - ANSWER-C. "What are we trying
to accomplish?"
On studying the results of a root cause analysis, it is recognized that an RN missed
steps in a protocol. The RN is regarded as highly competent by colleagues and unit
leaders. The patient safety professional should determine the RN's behavior in this
error to be considered
A. workaround.
B. reckless.
C. high risk.
D. drift. - ANSWER-D. drift.
Which of the following is most important in building a culture of safety?
A. measuring safety outcomes
B. addressing burnout
C. establishing shared values
D. utilizing electronic health records - ANSWER-C. establishing shared values
pg. 1
,A practitioner reads a groundbreaking study on a condition seen frequently in their
practice. Coincidentally, the next patient that the practitioner sees has symptoms
commonly seen with that condition. Which of the following biases or heuristics
best describes this phenomena?
A. anchoring
B. availability
C. premature closure
D. risk aversion - ANSWER-B. availability
While investigating a near miss medication event, a manager identifies a pattern of
work arounds by a clinician that violates policies and procedures. To determine
accountability, the manager's next step should be to
A. conduct a focus group with work area staff.
B. perform a substitution test.
C. escalate the workarounds to leadership.
D. amend procedures to support the workarounds. - ANSWER-B. perform a
substitution test.
A physician is planning to discharge a patient. The nurse knew that the patient
needed additional equipment at home. Together they reached out to the social
worker and discharge planner for a safe care transition. Which feature of the
culture of safety did they practice?
A. activation of transfer protocols
B. utilization of open communication
C. measurement of patient safety
D. ensuring health literacy - ANSWER-B. utilization of open communication
pg. 2
,From a human factors standpoint, which of the following is true about harm during
healthcare?
A. It is either due to system errors or intentional human choice.
B. It would not occur if healthcare workers followed rules.
C. It is prevented by healthcare workers adapting to changes.
D. It is always preventable; the goal is zero harm. - ANSWER-C. It is prevented
by healthcare workers adapting to changes.
A patient safety professional notes an increase in safety events involving insulin.
Which of the following strategies is most likely to result in improvement?
A. The quality committee requires monthly progress reports on departmental
insulin safety plans.
B. The pharmacy and therapeutics committee introduces two insulin products to
the formulary.
C. The pharmacy educates on insulin safety by distributing a tip sheet to nursing
and providers.
D. The medication safety committee monitors reports on insulin administration
errors. - ANSWER-A. The quality committee requires monthly progress reports
on departmental insulin safety plans.
Of the following steps, which should be done first when conducting an FMEA?
A. Identify a high-risk process to evaluate.
B. Formulate solutions for a high-risk process.
C. Develop a ranking method to prioritize actions.
D. Facilitate error management strategies. - ANSWER-A. Identify a high-risk
process to evaluate.
pg. 3
, In preparation for new antimicrobial stewardship regulatory requirements, a
hospital is creating an antimicrobial stewardship committee. What should be the
first step in supporting this new patient safety initiative?
A. Reach out to subject matter experts to gain insight on different compliance
issues.
B. Work with information technology (IT) to build antibiotic indication and time-
out screens.
C. Partner with key stakeholders to perform a gap analysis of current state to ideal
state.
D. Review the past year's data to identify the most commonly grown pathogens. -
ANSWER-C. Partner with key stakeholders to perform a gap analysis of current
state to ideal state.
After implementing a new product recall system, a hospital was alerted to a high-
risk medication recall. This medication is in stock in the emergency department
and oncology unit. To ensure the effectiveness of the new system, a patient safety
professional should:
A. require individual departments to verify that a search for the recalled medication
was performed.
B. ensure an on-site visit verifies that the recalled medication was sequestered.
C. reconcile the number of doses administered to the number of doses purchased.
D. notify the affected units via fax to remove recalled meds and to post recall
notices in the units - ANSWER-B. ensure an on-site visit verifies that the recalled
medication was sequestered.
An organization is implementing a standardized surgical safety checklist and
encounters resistance from the perioperative staff. To improve staff engagement, a
patient safety professional should:
A. prepare a business case for the implementation of the checklist.
B. present evidence that checklist use reduces practice variability.
pg. 4
