A wound is documented as being on the lateral aspect of the right leg, 3 cm distal to the knee. Where is the wound?

On the outer side of the leg, just below the knee

On the inner side of the leg, just below the knee

On the outer side of the leg, just above the knee

On the front of the leg, just above the knee

For a patient treated as a minor, how long are medical records commonly kept?

Until the age of majority plus the statute of limitations

Seven years after the last visit, then destroyed

Two years after the final immunization dose is given

Until the patient's eighteenth birthday only

While running an ECG, a medical assistant sees which rhythm that requires calling for help and starting emergency care at once?

Sinus bradycardia in a fit runner

Sinus arrhythmia with breathing

An adult patient finished a cup of hot coffee in the waiting room just before being roomed. What should the medical assistant do before taking an oral temperature?

Wait 15 to 30 minutes before taking it orally

Take it orally now and record it without changes

Switch to a rectal reading and subtract 1 F

Take it orally now and subtract 1 F from it

Which pairing of body cavity and organ is correct?

Cranial cavity: the spinal cord

A woman is scheduled for a transabdominal pelvic ultrasound. What preparation is usually needed?

Drink water and do not empty the bladder

Avoid all fluids for 8 hours before arrival

Take a laxative the night before

Receive a barium drink on arrival

RMA Exam

Free RMA Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the RMA Exam, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: Infection Control, Laboratory Procedures, Medical Law and Ethics, Human Relations and Communication, Insurance, Coding and Billing, Instruments, Physical Examinations and ECG, Minor Surgical Procedures, Vital Signs and Measurements, Clinical Pharmacology, Therapeutic Modalities, First Aid and Emergencies.

Question 1 · Infection Control
A wound is documented as being on the lateral aspect of the right leg, 3 cm distal to the knee. Where is the wound?
- A.On the inner side of the leg, just below the knee
- B.On the outer side of the leg, just above the knee
- C.On the outer side of the leg, just below the knee
- D.On the front of the leg, just above the knee
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. On the outer side of the leg, just below the knee
Lateral means away from the midline (the outer side of the leg), and distal means farther from where the limb attaches to the trunk, so 3 cm distal to the knee is just below it. The inner side would be medial, just above the knee would be proximal, and the front of the leg would be anterior.
Question 2 · Medical Law and Ethics
In a negligence lawsuit, the plaintiff must prove the four Ds. Which of the four Ds refers to the provider failing to meet the standard of care?
- A.Damages
- B.Duty
- C.Direct cause
- D.Dereliction
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Dereliction
Dereliction of duty means the provider or employee failed to perform as a reasonably careful professional would. Duty is the existence of a provider-patient relationship, direct cause links the failure to the injury, and damages are the harm the patient actually suffered.
Question 3 · Insurance, Coding and Billing
For a patient treated as a minor, how long are medical records commonly kept?
- A.Seven years after the last visit, then destroyed
- B.Two years after the final immunization dose is given
- C.Until the age of majority plus the statute of limitations
- D.Until the patient's eighteenth birthday only
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Until the age of majority plus the statute of limitations
Because a minor can bring a claim after reaching adulthood, minors' records are generally kept until the age of majority plus the state's statute of limitations. A flat seven years may end too soon, and stopping at the eighteenth birthday ignores the limitations period. Immunization records are commonly kept permanently.
Question 4 · Instruments, Physical Examinations and ECG
While running an ECG, a medical assistant sees which rhythm that requires calling for help and starting emergency care at once?
- A.Sinus bradycardia in a fit runner
- B.Normal sinus rhythm
- C.Ventricular fibrillation
- D.Sinus arrhythmia with breathing
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Ventricular fibrillation
Ventricular fibrillation is chaotic electrical activity with no effective pumping, so the patient has no pulse and needs CPR and defibrillation immediately. Normal sinus rhythm, breathing-related sinus arrhythmia and resting bradycardia in a trained athlete are usually benign.
Question 5 · Vital Signs and Measurements
An adult patient finished a cup of hot coffee in the waiting room just before being roomed. What should the medical assistant do before taking an oral temperature?
- A.Take it orally now and record it without changes
- B.Wait 15 to 30 minutes before taking it orally
- C.Switch to a rectal reading and subtract 1 F
- D.Take it orally now and subtract 1 F from it
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Wait 15 to 30 minutes before taking it orally
Hot or cold drinks, eating and smoking change mouth temperature, so the MA waits 15 to 30 minutes or uses another appropriate site. Adjusting the number by 1 F is not an accepted correction, and recording a falsely high reading is inaccurate. A rectal reading is unnecessary for an alert adult.
Question 6 · Infection Control
Which pairing of body cavity and organ is correct?
- A.Pelvic cavity: urinary bladder
- B.Thoracic cavity: spleen
- C.Cranial cavity: the spinal cord
- D.Abdominal cavity: lungs
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Pelvic cavity: urinary bladder
The pelvic cavity holds the urinary bladder, the internal reproductive organs and the end of the large intestine. The spleen lies in the abdominal cavity, the spinal cord lies in the spinal (vertebral) cavity, and the lungs lie in the thoracic cavity.
Question 7 · Medical Law and Ethics
A surgical sponge is found in a patient's abdomen after an operation. Which legal doctrine allows the injury to be presumed negligence without expert testimony?
- A.Locum tenens
- B.Subpoena duces tecum
- C.Respondeat superior
- D.Res ipsa loquitur
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Res ipsa loquitur
Res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself) applies when an injury could not have happened without negligence, such as an object left inside a patient. Respondeat superior makes employers liable for employees, locum tenens is a substitute physician, and a subpoena duces tecum orders records to court.
Question 8 · Insurance, Coding and Billing
A small fire starts in the wiring of a copy machine. Which fire extinguisher class is designed for it?
- A.Class K
- B.Class A
- C.Class B
- D.Class C
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Class C
Class C extinguishers are for energized electrical equipment. Class A is for ordinary combustibles such as paper and cloth, Class B for flammable liquids and gases, and Class K for kitchen cooking oils and grease. Water-based extinguishers on live electrical fires risk shock.
Question 9 · Instruments, Physical Examinations and ECG
A woman is scheduled for a transabdominal pelvic ultrasound. What preparation is usually needed?
- A.Avoid all fluids for 8 hours before arrival
- B.Drink water and do not empty the bladder
- C.Take a laxative the night before
- D.Receive a barium drink on arrival
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Drink water and do not empty the bladder
A full bladder lifts the bowel out of the way and acts as a window for sound waves to reach the pelvic organs. Laxatives and barium are preparations for bowel and contrast studies, and avoiding fluids would leave the bladder empty.
Question 10 · Vital Signs and Measurements
A patient's blood pressure is 148/92 mm Hg. What is the pulse pressure?
- A.62 mm Hg
- B.44 mm Hg
- C.56 mm Hg
- D.52 mm Hg
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. 56 mm Hg
Pulse pressure is systolic minus diastolic: 148 - 92 = 56 mm Hg. A normal pulse pressure is about 40 mm Hg, so this value is wider than normal. The other values result from subtraction errors.

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