CPT (NHA) Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: D

Mask: The mask comes off last, after the gown, by its ties or straps, to avoid touching the contaminated front.

Goggles: Goggles are removed second, after the gloves, by the headband or earpieces.

Gown: The gown is removed after the gloves and eye protection in the usual sequence.

Gloves: In the CDC sequence, the most contaminated item, the gloves, comes off first, followed by goggles or face shield, then gown, then mask, with hand hygiene afterward.

Doffing: gloves, goggles, gown, mask, then hand hygiene. The dirtiest item comes off first.

Answer: C

Use alcohol-based hand rub, which kills C. difficile spores: Alcohol does not kill bacterial spores, so the hand rub is not adequate here.

Skip hand hygiene, since she wore gloves the whole time: Hand hygiene is always required after glove removal; gloves can have tiny leaks and hands are contaminated during removal.

Wash with soap and water rather than using alcohol rub: Alcohol-based rub does not reliably remove C. difficile spores; CDC guidance favors soap and water with friction after caring for these patients, in addition to gown and gloves.

Wipe her hands with a dry paper towel only: Wiping without soap and water does not remove spores or other organisms.

C. difficile spores resist alcohol: use gown and gloves, then wash hands with soap and water.

Answer: A

Wash the site with soap and water: The first step in post-exposure care is to wash a needlestick site with soap and water (CDC guidance), then report the exposure at once and get a medical evaluation under the exposure control plan.

Squeeze the finger hard to force out blood: Squeezing or “milking” the wound is not recommended and does not reduce infection risk.

Soak the finger in household bleach: Caustic agents such as bleach are not recommended on skin and can damage tissue.

Finish her shift and report it the next day: Exposures must be reported right away so evaluation and any post-exposure treatment start promptly.

Needlestick: wash with soap and water, report immediately, get a prompt medical evaluation.

Answer: A

Decline, because the coworker has no work need for the information: Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, protected health information is shared only as needed for treatment, payment or operations; curiosity is not a valid reason.

Share the information, because the coworker is also a facility employee: Employment at the facility does not give access to PHI; access is limited to those who need it for their work.

Share it only if the coworker promises to keep it private: A promise of secrecy does not make an unauthorized disclosure permissible.

Share the test names but not the diagnosis codes: The names of ordered tests are protected health information too and reveal clinical details.

HIPAA: access and share PHI only on a need-to-know basis for the job, regardless of who the patient is.

Answer: D

Basilic: it is the most prominent and the easiest to anchor: The basilic is the last choice because it rolls easily and lies near the brachial artery and median nerve.

Dorsal hand vein: it carries the lowest risk of a hematoma: Hand veins are an alternative when antecubital veins are unsuitable, and they bruise easily.

Cephalic: it is the deepest vein and so the least painful to use: The cephalic is the second choice; it is often harder to feel, not the deepest or least painful.

Median cubital: large, well anchored and away from major nerves: The median cubital vein is usually large, stable and least painful, with fewer nerves and arteries nearby, so it is the first choice.

Antecubital vein preference: median cubital first, then cephalic, with the basilic last.

Answer: C

Standing at the counter with the arm resting on its surface: Patients are never drawn while standing because of the risk of falling.

Seated on a rolling stool with the arm resting across the lap: A stool lacks support, and a bent arm on the lap makes the vein harder to reach and anchor.

Seated in a draw chair with an arm support, arm extended slightly down: A draw chair with an arm support keeps the arm extended and steady and prevents a fall if the patient feels faint.

Sitting on the edge of an exam table with the legs dangling: The table edge offers no support if the patient faints, and the patient could fall forward.

Outpatients are drawn seated in a chair with arm support (or lying down), never standing or on an unsupported seat.

Answer: B

Ask, "Are you Maria Lopez, born March 4, 1980?" and wait for her answer: Reading the identifiers aloud lets an anxious or hard-of-hearing patient simply agree; the patient must state them.

Ask her to state her full name and date of birth and compare them with the requisition: Having the patient state two identifiers and matching them to the requisition meets the NPSG two-identifier rule.

Confirm that the name on the sign-in sheet matches the requisition: The sign-in sheet is a single, unverified source and does not involve the patient stating identifiers.

Ask for her full name and the booth number she was assigned: A location or booth number is never a patient identifier.

Use at least two patient-specific identifiers, stated by the patient, and never a room or location number (NPSG.01.01.01).

Answer: D

Finish filling the second tube before helping: Continuing puts the patient at risk of falling with a needle in the arm.

Leave the room to find a nurse to assist: Never leave a fainting patient alone; call for help while staying with the patient.

Hold an ammonia inhalant under the patient’s nose: Most current protocols avoid ammonia inhalants (airway irritation, sudden movement); lower the head and use a cold compress instead.

Stop the draw and remove the needle at once: Correct. Signs of syncope mean stop the draw immediately: release the tourniquet, remove the needle, engage the safety device, then support and protect the patient.

For syncope: stop the draw, remove the needle, protect the patient from falling, stay with them and document.

Answer: C

Red, then green, then lavender: This follows the venous logic (serum before heparin before EDTA); the capillary order is different.

Green, then lavender, then red: Delaying the EDTA tube lets platelets aggregate at the wound, falsely lowering the platelet count.

Lavender, then green, then red: Correct. The capillary order (CLSI GP42) puts EDTA first so platelets do not clump at the puncture, then other additive tubes, then serum last.

Red, then lavender, then green: Serum is collected last in capillary collection, because clotting begins as soon as blood reaches the skin.

Capillary order: EDTA first, then other additives, then serum. Never apply the venous order to microcollection.

Answer: D

Clot activator carryover released potassium from cells: Clot activator affects coagulation tests when carried into citrate; it does not raise K⁺ and lower Ca²⁺.

Fluoride carryover stopped the cells using glucose: Fluoride inhibits glycolysis; it was not drawn before the SST and would not produce this pattern.

Heparin carryover bound calcium in the serum: No heparin tube was involved, and heparin does not chelate calcium or add potassium.

EDTA carryover added potassium and bound calcium: Correct. Lavender tubes contain K₂EDTA. Carryover into a later serum tube adds potassium and chelates calcium, which is why EDTA comes after serum and heparin tubes in the CLSI GP41 order.

The order of draw exists to prevent additive carryover; EDTA carried into a chemistry tube gives falsely high potassium and falsely low calcium.

Answer: A

Light blue, gold, lavender, gray: Correct. CLSI GP41 order: sterile/blood culture → citrate (light blue) → serum (gold) → heparin → EDTA (lavender) → fluoride/oxalate (gray).

Gold, light blue, lavender, gray: A gold SST contains clot activator, which can carry over and interfere with coagulation testing if drawn before citrate.

Light blue, lavender, gold, gray: EDTA before the serum tube can carry potassium EDTA into the chemistry sample (falsely high K⁺, low Ca²⁺).

Lavender, light blue, gold, gray: EDTA first is part of the capillary order, not the venous order; here it contaminates every later tube.

Venous order of draw (CLSI GP41): blood culture → light blue → red/gold → green → lavender → gray. Do not confuse it with the capillary order, where EDTA comes first.

Answer: A

A non-alcohol antiseptic such as povidone-iodine, per protocol: Correct. An alcohol-free antiseptic prevents the site prep from contaminating the specimen and falsely raising the result.

A chlorhexidine-alcohol applicator scrubbed for 30 seconds: Chlorhexidine applicators usually contain alcohol, which must be avoided for this test.

No antiseptic, to avoid any chance of interference: Skipping antisepsis risks infection; an alcohol-free antiseptic is used instead.

A 70% isopropyl alcohol pad, allowed to air-dry first: Even after drying, alcohol prep could contaminate the sample and challenge the result.

For blood alcohol testing, never use an alcohol-based antiseptic; use an alcohol-free agent per facility protocol.

Answer: A

1. Find the timing start point named in the protocol: the drink was finished at 0725.
2. Add 2 hours: 0725 + 2:00 = 0925.
3. Check: the fasting draw (0700) and drink start (0720) are not the timing start under this protocol.

0925: Correct. 0725 (drink finished) + 2 hours = 0925.

0900: This times the draw from the fasting specimen, which is not when the glucose load was taken.

0920: This times the draw from the start of the drink, but this facility times from when it is finished.

0825: This is the 1-hour draw time, not the 2-hour draw.

Timed tolerance draws are counted from the point the protocol names (here, finishing the drink), not from the fasting draw.

Answer: C

Wipe off the antiseptic with sterile gauze to speed drying: Wiping removes the antiseptic before it has finished working and can reintroduce skin flora.

Re-palpate the vein with a gloved finger to confirm location: Touching the prepared site, even with a glove, contaminates it unless the finger was also prepped per protocol.

Let the site air-dry completely and do not touch it again: Correct. The antiseptic needs full contact and drying time to kill skin flora; re-palpating would re-contaminate the prepared site.

Fan the site to dry it, then follow with a povidone-iodine swab: Fanning can spread airborne contaminants, and adding a second agent after the first is not the protocol here.

Blood culture contamination comes mostly from skin flora, so scrub with the approved antiseptic, let it dry fully, and do not re-touch the site.

Answer: B

Keep it at body temperature in a 37 °C heat block until testing: 37 °C handling is for cold agglutinins and cryoglobulins; warmth makes ammonia rise.

Chill it in an ice-water slurry and deliver it at once: Correct. Ammonia rises in standing blood, so it is chilled in ice water and tested quickly.

Wrap it in foil and leave it at room temperature: Light protection is for bilirubin; ammonia needs chilling, not foil.

Batch it with routine tubes for the next courier: Delay falsely raises ammonia; it needs immediate transport on ice.

Ammonia, lactic acid and delayed blood gases are chilled in an ice-water slurry and delivered promptly.