10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The NCMA exam has 150 questions and runs 3 hours.
These 10 free NCMA questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Nationally Certified Medical Assistant blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A North Carolina nursing-home medication aide has completed the required competency validation. Each task below has a current medication order. Which task is within the aide's authorized routes when appropriately delegated by the RN?
Correct answer: D - Giving the resident a prescribed suppository by the rectal route.
A newly hired medication aide has passed the North Carolina nursing-home examination. The employer has verified the required registry listings and the absence of disqualifying findings. Before assigning medication-administration duties, the facility still needs which evidence?
Correct answer: D - An RN's clinical skills validation for the medication tasks to be performed.
"I already took that tablet," says a resident with memory impairment. The morning medication administration record (MAR) entry is blank, and the aide taking over the medication pass did not observe the earlier care. What is the most appropriate way to resolve this discrepancy?
Correct answer: B - Have the nurse verify whether the dose was given before administering another dose.
The order for an oral suspension remains 300 mg per dose. The previous supply contained 125 mg/5 mL; the replacement bottle contains 250 mg/5 mL. The pharmacist and nurse have verified the replacement, and the current MAR reflects its concentration. Using the replacement bottle, what volume delivers the ordered dose?
Correct answer: C - 6 mL
Five minutes after swallowing a newly prescribed medication without coughing, a resident develops swollen lips, wheezing, and a hoarse voice. No rash is visible. Which interpretation and response best fit these findings?
Correct answer: A - Suspected anaphylaxis: activate the emergency response and summon the nurse immediately.
During an inhaler demonstration, a resident sprays both prescribed puffs from a metered-dose inhaler into the spacer, then takes one quick breath. The resident can follow instructions and inhale deeply. Which coaching most directly corrects the dose-delivery problem?
Correct answer: B - Use one puff at a time, inhaling slowly and deeply for each puff.
A five-year-old resident agrees to take a prescribed oral liquid but dislikes its taste. The dose has been verified, and the child can swallow safely. Which method best supports delivery of the full dose without forcing liquid toward the airway?
Correct answer: A - With the child upright, slowly give small amounts inside the cheek using an oral syringe.
At a controlled-medication handoff, the record shows an opening balance of 32 tablets and receipt of 10 more. Seven whole tablets were administered. One additional tablet was split as authorized: half was administered and half was wasted with the required witness. There were no other transactions. The physical count is 34 whole tablets. Which reconciliation is accurate?
Correct answer: B - Expected balance: 34 tablets; the count reconciles.
Preprocedure instructions state, "NPO except scheduled oral medications with sips of water." A scheduled tablet is due, and the nurse has confirmed that it should be given under this order. The resident is alert and swallows safely. How does the NPO instruction apply?
Correct answer: C - The tablet may be administered with the permitted sips of water.
Over several days, an older resident becomes increasingly drowsy. The nurse finds no medication changes or administration errors but reports declining kidney function. The medication associated with the drowsiness is normally cleared through the kidneys. Which explanation best accounts for its increasing effect?
Correct answer: A - Reduced excretion has allowed successive medication doses to accumulate.
The NCMA exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:
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