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RMA · 7% of the exam

Minor Surgical Procedures practice questions

10 free Minor Surgical Procedures questions for the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) Exam exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question RMA quiz

What this domain covers

Assisting with minor office procedures: preparing the patient and sterile field, handling instruments and caring for wounds afterwards.

Exam weight
7%
On a real exam
≈ 15 questions
In our bank
41 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Setting up and maintaining a sterile field
  • Surgical instruments by type and use
  • Skin preparation and local anaesthetics
  • Wound care, dressings and bandaging
  • Suture and staple removal

How to study it

Learn what breaks a sterile field and how to correct it; many questions describe a set-up step and ask whether sterility has been kept.

Sample Minor Surgical Procedures questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    Used scalpel blades should be discarded:

    • AIn the sink
    • BIn the regular trash
    • CIn a biohazard bag
    • DIn a sharps container
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) In a sharps container

    • AIncorrect. This is unsafe.
    • BIncorrect. This risks injury.
    • CIncorrect. Bags can be punctured.
    • DCorrect. All sharps go into puncture-resistant containers.

  2. Question 2

    Which sutures dissolve on their own?

    • ASurgical staples
    • BNonabsorbable nylon sutures
    • CSilk sutures
    • DAbsorbable sutures
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Absorbable sutures

    • AIncorrect. They must be removed.
    • BIncorrect. They must be removed.
    • CIncorrect. They're nonabsorbable.
    • DCorrect. They're often used internally.

  3. Question 3

    Before minor surgery, the provider usually applies an antiseptic such as:

    • AAn iodine prep
    • BBleach
    • CLidocaine
    • DSaline only
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) An iodine prep

    • ACorrect. Antiseptics like povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine prep the skin.
    • BIncorrect. This is for surfaces, not skin.
    • CIncorrect. This is an anesthetic.
    • DIncorrect. This cleans but is not antiseptic.

  4. Question 4

    What does incision and drainage (I&D) treat?

    • AA cataract
    • BA fracture
    • CA sprain
    • DAn abscess
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) An abscess

    • AIncorrect. That's eye surgery.
    • BIncorrect. That's set and immobilized.
    • CIncorrect. That's treated with rest and ice.
    • DCorrect. Pus is drained.

  5. Question 5

    What are sterile transfer forceps used for?

    • AClamping bleeding vessels during a minor surgical procedure
    • BMoving sterile items without touching them
    • CCutting sutures
    • DHolding a needle
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) Moving sterile items without touching them

    • AIncorrect. That's a hemostat.
    • BCorrect. They keep the field sterile.
    • CIncorrect. That's suture scissors.
    • DIncorrect. That's a needle holder.

  6. Question 6

    What are iris scissors used for?

    • AFine, delicate cutting
    • BCutting heavy tissue
    • CRemoving staples
    • DHolding needles
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Fine, delicate cutting

    • ACorrect. They're small and sharp.
    • BIncorrect. That's Mayo scissors.
    • CIncorrect. That's a staple remover.
    • DIncorrect. That's a needle holder.

  7. Question 7

    What instrument holds a curved needle during suturing?

    • AA retractor
    • BA tissue forceps
    • CA towel clamp
    • DA needle holder
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) A needle holder

    • AIncorrect. It holds wound edges open.
    • BIncorrect. It holds tissue.
    • CIncorrect. It holds drapes.
    • DCorrect. Its jaws grip the needle firmly.

  8. Question 8

    Which is a common source of sterile field contamination?

    • AKeeping hands above waist
    • BUsing sterile forceps
    • CFacing the field
    • DReaching over the field
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Reaching over the field

    • AIncorrect. This is correct practice.
    • BIncorrect. This maintains sterility.
    • CIncorrect. This is correct practice.
    • DCorrect. Reaching over can drop particles onto the field.

  9. Question 9

    What is a curette used for?

    • ACutting sutures
    • BClamping blood vessels
    • CScraping tissue from a surface
    • DHolding a wound open
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) Scraping tissue from a surface

    • AIncorrect. That's scissors.
    • BIncorrect. That's a hemostat.
    • CCorrect. It has a spoon-shaped tip.
    • DIncorrect. That's a retractor.

  10. Question 10

    A medical assistant is removing interrupted skin sutures. Which technique is correct for each stitch?

    • ACut the suture on one side of the knot well above the skin, then pull the stitch out by its longer end
    • BLift the knot, cut one side close to the skin, then pull the suture out by the knot
    • CCut the suture on both sides of the knot, then lift the knot away and discard it
    • DCut one side close to the skin, then pull the suture from the cut end so the knot passes through
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) Lift the knot, cut one side close to the skin, then pull the suture out by the knot

    For each stitch, lift the knot, cut one side at skin level, and pull the suture out by the knot. This keeps contaminated surface suture and the knot from passing through the tissue.

    • AIncorrect. Cutting high above the skin means the suture that sat on the skin surface gets pulled down through the tissue, which can carry contamination into the wound.
    • BCorrect. Cutting right at skin level under the lifted knot means only the clean part that was below the skin passes back through the tissue as the stitch is pulled out by the knot.
    • CIncorrect. Cutting both sides frees the knot but leaves the buried part of the stitch with nothing to grasp, so suture material may stay in the tissue.
    • DIncorrect. Pulling the knot through the tissue causes trauma and drags contaminated surface suture through the wound. The suture should be pulled out by the knot.

Minor Surgical Procedures: FAQs

How much of the RMA exam is Minor Surgical Procedures?

Minor Surgical Procedures is 7% of the RMA exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 210-question form works out to roughly 15 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Minor Surgical Procedures domain cover?

Assisting with minor office procedures: preparing the patient and sterile field, handling instruments and caring for wounds afterwards.

How should I study Minor Surgical Procedures for RMA?

Learn what breaks a sterile field and how to correct it; many questions describe a set-up step and ask whether sterility has been kept.

Where can I practise more Minor Surgical Procedures questions?

This page has 10 free Minor Surgical Procedures questions with answers. The ExamWize RMA question bank has 41 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other RMA topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the RMA cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Minor Surgical Procedures exam-ready

The full RMA bank has 41 Minor Surgical Procedures questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full RMA practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with AMT; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.