CCMA Practice Test 3 | Free Online NHA Exam Preparation

Practice CCMA Test 3 contains 40 questions, providing realistic scenario-type practice. These questions are provided to take the types of decisions you may face and have to make on the exam and in real life. Throughout the question sections, you will face the same necessity of applying your knowledge, weighing options, and making choices reflective of safe and effective patient care.

40 Questions

1. While drawing blood, the patient says they feel lightheaded. What should the medical assistant do first?

Remove the needle and have the patient sit or lie down

Continue the draw quickly

Offer them water

Call the provider immediately

2. When preparing to take an oral temperature, which action is correct?

Place the probe under the tongue in the front

Have the patient bite the probe lightly

Place the probe under the tongue toward the back

Position the probe between the cheek and teeth

3. You are assisting with a sterile wound dressing change. Which step helps maintain sterility?

Touching the sterile gauze with clean gloves

Opening the sterile package away from your body first

Placing sterile items on the bed sheet

Holding sterile forceps below waist level

4. A patient’s blood glucose reads 52 mg/dL. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Offer orange juice or glucose tablets

Recheck in 30 minutes without intervention

Call emergency services right away

Document and inform the provider at the end of the shift

5. When giving an intramuscular injection in the deltoid, where should the needle be inserted?

Two inches below the shoulder joint

At the mid-point of the upper arm

One inch below the elbow

Three finger widths below the acromion process

6. While performing an ECG, the patient’s skin is oily. What should you do before placing electrodes?

Apply lotion

Shave all chest hair

Clean the skin with alcohol

Apply petroleum jelly

7. A patient arrives with heavy bleeding from a forearm laceration. What is the first action?

Apply direct pressure with a clean cloth

Apply a tourniquet above the wound

Elevate the arm above the head

Rinse the wound with water

8. During a urine drug screen collection, which step maintains chain of custody?

Allowing the patient to leave the sample unattended

Placing the sample in a fridge before labeling

Having the patient sign the consent after the sample is sent

Labeling the specimen in the patient’s presence

9. While taking a manual blood pressure, you cannot hear the Korotkoff sounds. What should you do next?

Inflate the cuff to maximum

Check the stethoscope position and earpiece direction

Assume the blood pressure is normal

Use the patient’s last recorded blood pressure

10. Which PPE is essential when cleaning a room after a patient with Clostridioides difficile infection?

Gloves only

Gloves and mask

Gloves and gown

Mask only

11. You need to perform a capillary puncture on an adult. Which site is most appropriate?

Tip of the thumb

Earlobe

Center of the index finger

Side of the middle or ring finger

12. The provider asks you to prepare 2% lidocaine for a procedure, but the vial says 1%. What should you do?

Inform the provider that the correct concentration is not available

Give double the volume

Use it anyway

Mix it with saline to make 2%

13. When scheduling a patient for a fasting blood glucose test, what instruction should be given?

“Avoid caffeine for 12 hours.”

“Do not eat or drink anything except water for 8–12 hours.”

“Skip your morning medications.”

“Drink juice in the morning.”

14. Which action is correct when handling a reagent test strip for urinalysis?

Dip the strip and read results at the specified time

Touch the reagent pads with your fingers

Leave the strip in the urine until ready to record

Store strips in an open container

15. A patient refuses a procedure after signing consent. What should you do?

Proceed since they already signed

Call security

Ignore and move on to the next patient

Explain the consequences of refusal and document

16. You notice an error in a patient’s paper chart. What is the correct way to correct it?

Erase it completely

Use correction fluid

Draw a single line through it, write “error,” initial, and date

Cross it out completely with multiple lines

17. While positioning a patient for a lumbar puncture, what is your main role?

Assist the patient to maintain proper posture

Administer local anesthesia

Maintain a sterile field

Interpret the test results

18. A sharps container is ¾ full. What should you do?

Continue to use it until full

Replace it immediately

Empty it into another container

Shake it down to make more room

19. Which step helps reduce patient anxiety before a procedure?

Avoid discussing the procedure

Tell the patient it will not hurt

Rush through preparation quickly

Explain the steps clearly and answer questions

20. While collecting a throat swab for strep testing, which action is correct?

Touch the tongue and cheeks for better coverage

Swab both tonsillar areas without touching other surfaces

Swab only the back of the throat

Use the swab after it has touched a countertop

21. During venipuncture, blood stops flowing into the tube after the first few seconds. What should you check first?

Patient’s hydration status

The type of needle used

Needle position in the vein

If the tourniquet is too loose

22. You are preparing a patient for ear irrigation. What instruction is correct?

“Tilt your head away from the ear being irrigated.”

“Tilt your head toward the ear being irrigated.”

“Keep your head level during the procedure.”

“Lie completely flat on the table.”

23. Which action is most important when using a blood glucose meter?

Store it next to a heater

Use expired test strips for accuracy

Match the code on the meter with the strip container (if required)

Wipe the strip after inserting it

24. While transferring a patient from wheelchair to exam table, where should you place your feet?

Shoulder-width apart, slightly staggered

Together, directly in front of the patient

Far apart to block patient movement

Directly behind the patient

25. When preparing an injection from a multi-dose vial, what should you do before inserting the needle?

Shake the vial vigorously

Wipe the rubber stopper with alcohol

Draw air into the syringe equal to the medication dose

Both B and C

26. During a routine EKG, the patient starts coughing. What should you do?

Continue without stopping

Stop the EKG and repeat the tracing

Tell them to cough more

Ignore it since it won’t affect results

27. Which is the correct order of draw for blood collection?

Light blue, red, green, lavender, gray

Red, light blue, green, gray, lavender

Lavender, red, light blue, green, gray

Green, red, light blue, lavender, gray

28. If a patient begins to fall during transfer, what is the safest action?

Hold them upright no matter what

Try to catch them fully

Let them fall freely to avoid injury to yourself

Ease them to the floor while protecting their head

29. When documenting the chief complaint, which is the best method?

Patient reports chest pain for two hours

“Chest pain for two hours” in the patient’s own words

Chest pain for two hours

Complaint of chest pain for two hours

30. A patient with a latex allergy is scheduled for a dressing change. What should you do?

Proceed with standard gloves

Cancel the procedure

Only avoid latex tape

Use non-latex gloves and supplies

31. When measuring a patient’s weight, what is the first step?

Zero the scale before the patient steps on

Have the patient face away from the scale

Weigh the patient with their shoes on

Record weight before adjusting

32. While taking a tympanic temperature, where should the probe be aimed?

Straight into the ear canal

Toward the top of the ear

Toward the center of the forehead

Toward the tympanic membrane

33. You need to clean up a small blood spill in an exam room. What solution is recommended?

Soap and water only

1:10 bleach solution

Alcohol wipes

Vinegar and water

34. Which action prevents needlestick injuries after an injection?

Activate the needle’s safety device immediately

Recap the needle carefully

Bend the needle before disposal

Leave the needle in the tray for disposal later

35. During a Snellen chart exam, the patient misses several letters on the 20/40 line. What should you do next?

Document the vision as 20/40

Have them read the 20/50 line

Repeat the 20/40 line

End the test

36. When taking an apical pulse, where should the stethoscope be placed?

Left midclavicular line, fifth intercostal space

Right midclavicular line, fifth intercostal space

Over the carotid artery

Over the sternum

37. Which step is correct when performing hand hygiene with soap and water?

Wash for at least 10 seconds

Rinse before applying soap

Keep hands lower than elbows while rinsing

Wash for at least 20 seconds

38. If a patient faints after venipuncture, what is the first action?

Call emergency services immediately

Lay the patient flat and elevate legs

Give them food and water

Continue with the next patient

39. During specimen transport to the lab, which specimens should be kept in an ice slurry?

Blood cultures

Urinalysis samples

Ammonia and lactic acid samples

Glucose tolerance test samples

40. A patient’s insurance card shows expired coverage. What should you do?

Ask the patient for updated insurance information

Refuse care immediately

Continue as if coverage is valid

Charge them the highest rate automatically

Practice CCMA Test 3 is the time when practice involves more than simple preparation. The focus shifts from a recall mode to a judgment mode as the scenarios become increasingly realistic.

Continue recording the strategies that provide you with confidence in your answers; you will soon be practicing the CCMA Test 4 with even more complicated scenarios

Next: CCMA Practice Test 4

Author
Recent Posts

Lucas Bennett

I’m Lucas Bennett, the creator of PracticeCCMATest.com. I built this site to give aspiring medical assistants a reliable place to practice and prepare for the CCMA exam. My focus is on making exam prep clear and stress-free so you can study with confidence.

If you would like to discuss any practice questions in more detail or if you ever face an issue with the site, you can contact me at lucas@practiceccmatest.com. I’ll be happy to hear from you.