CMA (AAMA) Medical Assistant practice questions with answers

Answer: A) With both weights at zero, confirm the beam balances at the midpoint

Before each weighing, set both beam weights to zero and confirm the beam balances. Have the patient remove shoes and heavy clothing so the weight is accurate.

• ACorrect. With nothing on the platform and both sliding weights at zero, the beam should balance level. If it doesn't, adjust the counterweight first. An unbalanced scale makes every reading inaccurate.
• BIncorrect. The weights should start at zero. Presetting them skips the zero check and can bias the reading toward the earlier value.
• CIncorrect. Patients should remove shoes and heavy outer clothing. Subtracting an estimated amount is guesswork, not an accurate measurement.
• DIncorrect. Regular maintenance helps, but beam scales can drift, so the zero balance should be checked before each patient is weighed.

Answer: A) Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) bone density scan

A DEXA bone density scan measures bone mineral content and is the standard test for screening and diagnosing osteoporosis. Blood tests such as calcium or vitamin D may be added later to confirm a diagnosis or monitor treatment.

• ACorrect. A DEXA scan is a low-dose x-ray that measures calcium and other minerals in bone. It is used to diagnose osteoporosis and is recommended for screening women 65 and older and people at higher risk.
• BIncorrect. A provider may order a calcium blood test after a bone density scan to help confirm a diagnosis or check treatment. It does not measure bone density, so it is not the screening test.
• CIncorrect. A chest x-ray looks at the heart and lungs. It does not measure bone mineral density, so it cannot screen for low bone mass.
• DIncorrect. A urinalysis checks urine for signs of kidney, urinary tract, and metabolic conditions. It does not measure bone mineral density.

Answer: B) What the patient reports

• AIncorrect. These are objective.
• BCorrect. Subjective data are the patient's own statements.
• CIncorrect. That is the assessment.
• DIncorrect. That is the plan.

Answer: A) Blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions except sweat, from every patient

CDC standard precautions assume that all blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions (except sweat), nonintact skin, and mucous membranes may be infectious, and they apply to all patients regardless of infection status.

• ACorrect. The CDC states that all blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions except sweat, nonintact skin, and mucous membranes may contain transmissible agents. Standard precautions apply to all patients regardless of suspected or confirmed infection status.
• BIncorrect. Standard precautions apply to every patient, not only to patients whose infection status is known or suspected.
• CIncorrect. Standard precautions cover body fluids, secretions, and excretions as well as blood. Transmission-based precautions are an added layer for specific infections and do not replace standard precautions.
• DIncorrect. Sweat is the stated exception, and standard precautions are not limited to patients on isolation; they apply to all patients.

Answer: C) Heat stroke

• AIncorrect. That is low body temperature.
• BIncorrect. These signs are severe.
• CCorrect. Heat stroke is an emergency; call 911 and cool the patient.
• DIncorrect. This is unrelated.

Answer: B) Prediabetes range

CDC fasting blood sugar ranges are 99 mg/dL or below for normal, 100–125 mg/dL for prediabetes, and 126 mg/dL or above for diabetes. A result of 112 mg/dL is therefore in the prediabetes range.

• AIncorrect. CDC classifies a fasting result of 99 mg/dL or below as normal, and 112 mg/dL is above that.
• BCorrect. CDC places fasting blood sugar of 100–125 mg/dL in the prediabetes range, and 112 mg/dL falls within it.
• CIncorrect. CDC's diabetes threshold for fasting blood sugar is 126 mg/dL or above, which 112 mg/dL does not reach.
• DIncorrect. Hypoglycemia means low blood glucose, below the normal range. 112 mg/dL is above normal, not below it.

Answer: B) It is below normal, consistent with thrombocytopenia

Normal adult platelets run about 150,000–400,000 per microliter. A count of 95,000 is low (thrombocytopenia), which can raise bleeding risk.

• AIncorrect. The normal adult platelet count is about 150,000 to 400,000 per microliter, so 95,000 is below normal.
• BCorrect. A count below 150,000 per microliter is low (thrombocytopenia). Bleeding risk rises further if the count falls below 50,000.
• CIncorrect. Thrombocytosis means a count of 400,000 or more per microliter, which can raise the risk of clotting. 95,000 is low, not high.
• DIncorrect. The value is a platelet count, not a white blood cell count. White blood cell counts run in the thousands per microliter, so 95,000 would be far too high for a WBC anyway.

Answer: B) Moist and pink

• AIncorrect. This suggests poor blood supply.
• BCorrect. A healthy stoma is moist and pink to red.
• CIncorrect. This suggests poor blood supply.
• DIncorrect. This suggests poor circulation.

Answer: D) Trouble breathing

• AIncorrect. This is not typical of anaphylaxis.
• BIncorrect. This is a common minor reaction.
• CIncorrect. This is usually minor.
• DCorrect. Airway swelling, wheezing and hives signal anaphylaxis; act immediately.

Answer: A) Side effect

• ACorrect. Side effects are predictable secondary effects.
• BIncorrect. That is a reason not to give a drug.
• CIncorrect. That is a reason to give a drug.
• DIncorrect. That is an immune reaction.

Answer: A) Explains the standard of care

• ACorrect. They have specialized knowledge.
• BIncorrect. The jury or judge decides.
• CIncorrect. That's an attorney.
• DIncorrect. That isn't their role.

Answer: D) Within 30 days

• AIncorrect. Patients have a right of access.
• BIncorrect. That's too long.
• CIncorrect. That's not required.
• DCorrect. One 30-day extension may be allowed.

Answer: A) Patient's full name, date of birth, medication name and strength, and preferred pharmacy

A refill request needs enough detail to identify the right patient (name and date of birth), the exact medication and strength, and the pharmacy that should receive the approved refill, so the provider can review it against the chart.

• ACorrect. Name and date of birth identify the right patient and chart. The drug name and strength tell the provider exactly what is being requested, and the pharmacy tells the office where to send an approved refill.
• BIncorrect. The provider can't review the request without knowing which medication and strength the patient wants.
• CIncorrect. It leaves out the patient's name, the dose, and the pharmacy. The patient's employer has nothing to do with a refill.
• DIncorrect. It has no second identifier such as date of birth, and no strength or pharmacy. The copay and emergency contact aren't needed for a refill request.

Answer: D) By medical decision making or the practitioner's total time on the visit date

Since 2021, the office/outpatient E/M level is based on medical decision making or the practitioner's total time on the date of service. History and exam are done as medically appropriate but no longer set the level.

• AIncorrect. This was the method before 2021. CMS now states that history and exam no longer affect visit level selection; they are performed only as medically appropriate.
• BIncorrect. Time-based selection counts the time the physician or NPP spends on the patient's care that day. Time the patient spends waiting does not count.
• CIncorrect. The number of problems addressed is one factor within medical decision making, but simply counting the diagnosis codes on the claim does not set the visit level.
• DCorrect. Practitioners choose the office/outpatient E/M level based on the level of medical decision making or the total time the physician or NPP spends on the date of the encounter.

Answer: D) Have nothing to eat or drink except water for the specified hours

For outpatient lab orders, the medical assistant gives the patient preparation instructions. For a fasting test, that means only water for the ordered period while continuing medicines unless the provider says otherwise.

• AIncorrect. Patients should not stop prescribed medicines before a lab test unless their provider specifically tells them to.
• BIncorrect. Fasting usually means nothing to eat or drink except water. Coffee and juice can affect the results.
• CIncorrect. Eating before a fasting test changes lipid values, especially triglycerides, and makes the results unreliable.
• DCorrect. For a fasting test, the patient has only water for the ordered period, often overnight. The medical assistant should also explain where to go and how long to fast.