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Medical Terminology practice questions for the CCMA exam

Medical Terminology is part of Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science, which is 15 of the 150 scored questions on the CCMA exam. Try 5 free questions below; open each one to see the answer, why the other options are wrong and the sources.

Question 1

A medication order reads "1 tablet PO QID." How often should the patient take the medication?

  1. Once a day
  2. Four times a day
  3. Every other day
  4. Every 4 hours
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Four times a day

QID means four times a day. It is different from q4h (every 4 hours), which would be six doses in 24 hours.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Once a day: Once a day is written out as "daily."
  • C. Every other day: Every other day must be written out; QOD is prohibited.
  • D. Every 4 hours: Every 4 hours is q4h, which is 6 doses a day.

Sources

Question 2

Per The Joint Commission, what should be written instead of "Q.D."?

  1. OD
  2. QDay
  3. q1d
  4. daily
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. daily

Q.D. (and QD, qd) is prohibited because it can be mistaken for Q.O.D. or q.i.d.; the required replacement is the word "daily."

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. OD: ISMP warns that OD for once daily can be misread as "right eye."
  • B. QDay: QDay is still an abbreviation of daily; the required form is the word "daily."
  • C. q1d: ISMP lists q1d as error-prone because it can be misread as q.i.d.

Sources

Question 3

A prescription label reads "Take 1 tablet PRN for pain." What does PRN mean?

  1. Every night
  2. Four times a day
  3. As needed
  4. Twice a day
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. As needed

PRN means as needed; the patient takes the medication only when the symptom (here, pain) occurs, within the prescribed limits.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Every night: PRN sets no fixed time; it depends on when the symptom occurs.
  • B. Four times a day: Four times a day is QID.
  • D. Twice a day: Twice a day is BID.

Sources

Question 4

In anatomical position, how is the thumb described in relation to the other fingers?

  1. Proximal
  2. Deep
  3. Lateral
  4. Medial
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Lateral

In anatomical position the palms face forward, so the thumb is on the side away from the midline: lateral to the other fingers.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Proximal: Proximal compares distance from a limb's attachment point, not side to side.
  • B. Deep: Deep compares distance from the body surface.
  • D. Medial: Medial means closer to the midline, which describes the little finger.

Sources

Question 5

A provider prescribes amoxicillin 500 mg PO TID for 10 days. How many doses will the patient take in total?

  1. 10 doses
  2. 20 doses
  3. 30 doses
  4. 40 doses
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. 30 doses

TID means three times a day. 3 doses/day x 10 days = 30 doses.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. 10 doses: 10 doses would be once a day for 10 days.
  • B. 20 doses: 20 doses would be BID (twice a day) for 10 days.
  • D. 40 doses: 40 doses would be QID (four times a day) for 10 days.

Sources

Cheat sheets for this topic

Medical Terminology terms

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