Practice Questions
B1 C8 2
1. A physical therapy plan of care for a child with spastic
cerebral palsy who is three years-old chronologically and
cognitively, but at a six month-old gross developmental
level would include:
A. reaching for a black and white object while in the
supine position.
B. reaching for a multicolored object while in an
unsupported standing position.
C. reaching for a multicolored object while in an
unsupported, guarded sitting position.
D. visually tracking a black and white object held nine
inches from his face.
B2 C1 2
2. A patient is receiving grade III mobilizations to regain
normal midthoracic extension. After three sessions he
complains of localized pain that persists for greater than 24
hours. Your treatment should:
A. change to grade II mobilizations to reduce the joint
and soft tissue irritation.
B. change to grade IV mobilizations to stretch through
the pain.
C. change to self stretching activities because the
patient does not tolerate mobilization.
D. continue with grade III mobilizations followed by a
cold pack to the thoracic spine.
B3 C7 3
3. A therapist wishes to use behavior modification techniques
as part of her treatment to help shape the behavioral
responses of a 22 year-old patient recovering from
traumatic brain injury. The BEST choice is to:
A. allow the patient enough time for self correction of the
behavior.
B. encourage the staff to tell the patient which behaviors
are correct and which are not.
C. reprimand the patient every time an undesirable
behavior occurs.
D. use frequent reinforcements for all desired behaviors.
B4 C2 3
4. Which is NOT a useful intervention for a patient with
multiple sclerosis who presents with a primary deficit of
dysmetria?
A. isokinetic training using low resistance at fast
movement speeds.
B. PNF patterns using carefully graded resistance and
slow reversals.
C. pool therapy using moderate water temperatures.
D. weight cuffs to distal extremities during functional
training.
B5 C6 3
5. A 16 year old patient suffered fractures of C4 and C5
following trauma received in a motor vehicle accident.
Maximum stabilization of his cervical spine can BEST be
achieved with:
A. four-poster orthosis.
B. halo orthosis.
C. Milwaukee orthosis.
D. soft collar.
B6 C3 2
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6. A patient had been on oxygen, but it was discontinued by
physician order yesterday. During physical therapy, the
patient becomes short of breath and requests
supplemental oxygen. The patient’s SaO2 is measured at
90%. The decision that is NOT appropriate is:
A. administer supplemental O2.
B. allow the patient to rest.
C. continue to monitor SaO2.
D. encourage an efficient breathing pattern.
B7 C2 1
7. A 26 year-old presents with weakness and atrophy of the
biceps brachii resulting from an open fracture of the
humerus. Your examination includes needle
electromyography of the biceps. The muscle response you
would anticipate after the needle was inserted and prior to
asking the patient to contract the muscle is:
A. electrical silence.
B. fibrillation potentials.
C. interference patterns.
D. polyphasic potentials.
B8 C4 2
8. You are a new staff member on the oncology unit of a large
medical center. Your first referral is for strengthening and
ambulation for a 42 year-old women with ovarian cancer.
She is undergoing radiation therapy following a surgical
hysterectomy. Her current platelet count is 17,000. The
MOST appropriate treatment activity for this patient at this
time is:
A. passive ROM exercise.
B. progressive stair climbing using weighted belts.
C. resistance training at 30% one repetition max.
D. resistance training at 50 % one repetition max.
B9 C1 2
9. A forty-three year-old male office worker who is a long term
smoker now with emphysema has been referred to
physical therapy. He complains of increased pain and
tingling in both hands after sitting at his desk for longer
than one hour. The MOST effective physical therapy
intervention is:
A. mobilization of the first rib and stretching of middle
trapezius muscle due to long term postural changes.
B. strengthening of the upper trapezius and pectoralis
major muscles for early thoracic outlet syndrome
symptoms.
C. stretching of scalenes and sternocleidomastoid
muscles for early thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms.
D. stretching of the pectoralis major and rhomboid
muscles due to long term postural changes.
B10 C8 2
10. A 68 year-old patient with diabetes is exercising in your P.T.
clinic. He reports feeling weak, dizzy, and somewhat
nauseous. You notice that he is sweating profusely and is
unsteady on his feet. He then becomes confused about
where he is. You determine his problems are most likely
due to and your immediate course of action should be:
A. an insulin reaction; you call for emergency services.
B. fatigue; you insist that he rest until his symptoms
resolve.
C. hyperglycemia; you have a nurse administer an
insulin injection.
D. hypoglycemia; you immediately administer orange
juice and notify his physician.
2 Practice Questions
B11 C2 2
11. A patient with postpolio syndrome has started attending an
aerobic exercise program as an outpatient. When she does
not show up for her scheduled session, you telephone to
find out what is the matter. She tells you that she is very
tired and has not been able to get out of bed for the last
two days. Her muscles ache and she is afraid to continue
with the exercise class. You decide to:
A. discharge her from the program since exercise is
counterproductive in postpolio syndrome.
B. modify her exercise prescription to decrease the
frequency to once a week for an hour session,
keeping the intensity moderate.
C. modify her exercise prescription to decrease the
intensity and duration but maintain a frequency of 3
times/week.
D. reschedule her workouts for early morning when she
feels refreshed.
B12 C7 3
12. You are the primary clinical instructor for a final affiliation
physical therapy student. As you work with this student you
become aware that she tends to process information all at
once, not in an ordered step-by-step manner. Your best
strategy to ensure adequate learning for this student is to:
A. focus the student on learning important relationships
and concepts.
B. focus the student on objective information and
interrelationships.
C. provide real-life examples that link learning to her
personal experiences.
D. redirect her to process information in a step-by-step
manner.
B13 C7 2
13. A 69 year-old male falls and breaks his hip. He undergoes
a total hip replacement at the local medical center. The
physician orders physical therapy two days after surgery.
The patient is covered by Medicare and is still a patient in
an acute care facility. The appropriate frequency of
treatment would be:
A. as often as possible, for the first two weeks based on
the therapist’s caseload.
B. daily, following the initial examination.
C. every other day.
D. three to four times per day to facilitate early
discharge.
B14 C3 1
14. A patient is taking a drug from the sympathomimetic group,
Albuterol. Which is NOT an expected effect of this drug?
A. bronchodilation.
B. exercise-induced bronchospasm.
C. hypertension
D. tachycardia.
B15 C5 2
15. A 48 year-old female patient is recovering from a total knee
replacement. Following her surgery, you receive a referral
to teach therapeutic exercises and a home program. The
intervention not appropriate during the early postoperative
phase is:
A. ankle pumps.
B. isotonic exercises using ankle weights.
C. seated knee extension.
D. straight leg raising.
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B16 C6 2
16. You determine that a patient is walking with a backward
trunk lean as he takes full weight on his right leg. He also
demonstrates great difficulty going up ramps. The BEST
intervention to remediate his problem is to:
A. strengthen hip extensors through bridging.
B. strengthen knee extensors with weights, using 80%
one repetition maximum.
C. stretch hip abductors through sidelying positioning.
D. stretch hip flexors through prone lying.
B17 C4 2
17. If a patient has developed a thick eschar secondary to a full
thickness burn, the antibacterial agent MOST effective for
infection control is:
A. silver nitrate.
B. Sulfamylon.
C. Travase.
D. nitrofurazone.
B18 C8 1
18. An 89 year-old has gradually lost much of his functional
vision over the last 4 years. He complains his vision is
“foggy” and he has difficulty reading. He mistakes images
directly in front of him, especially in bright light. He does
better walking across a room and is able to locate items in
his environment with his peripheral vision when items are
located to both sides. Based on his descriptions, you
suspect he may be presenting with:
A. cataracts.
B. glaucoma.
C. homonymous hemianopsia.
D. tunnel vision secondary to overdoses of steroid
medications.
B19 C2 2
19. Following a traumatic brain injury, a 26 year-old woman is
inconsistently oriented to time and place. She is unable to
remember recent events and shows little or no carry-over
for new learning. The PRIMARY goal of rehabilitation at
this stage of recovery is to promote:
A. an environmental and daily structure in which the
patient is best able to process stimuli cognitively.
B. functional independence in bed mobility and
transfers.
C. increased arousal and attention through the use of
sensory stimulation techniques.
D. independence in problem solving skills in variable
environments.
B20 C2 2
20. A 65 year-old woman suffered a right CVA one month ago.
She demonstrates moderate tone in her left upper
extremity (predominantly flexor tone). Her major problem at
this time is a lack of voluntary movement control and her
left upper extremity shows minimal active movement with
1/4 inch subluxation of the shoulder. An appropriate initial
activity would be:
A. PNF D2 flexion pattern, left upper extremity.
B. quadruped, rocking from side to side.
C. sitting, left active shoulder protraction with extended
arm.
D. sitting, weight bearing on extended left arm, weight
shifting.
B21 C7 3

21. A therapist conducts a study of the effectiveness of hot and
cold in treating patients with pain. He recruits 200 patients
for each treatment group. The pain instrument he uses has
a possible total score of 50, with 50 being the worst pain.
His data analysis reveals that Group A (heat modalities)
has a mean score of 33 with a standard deviation of 1.0
while Group B (cold modalities) had a mean of 35 with a
standard deviation of 6.0. Based on this data the
conclusion one should reach is:
A. cold has a greater effect on pain relief than heat.
B. heat has a greater effect on pain relief than cold.
C. the spread of scores with cold treatment
demonstrates variability is greater.
D. the spread of scores with heat treatment
demonstrates variability is greater.
B22 C1 1
22. The therapist in the photograph is testing which muscle?
A. anterior deltoid.
B. middle deltoid.
C. supraspinatus.
D. upper trapezius.
B23 C6 2
23. A patient presents with pain and instability of the left
foot/ankle secondary to poliomyelitis with more recent
development of progressive post-polio muscle atrophy. In
this case, a plastic solid ankle-foot orthosis is an
appropriate prescription in order to:
A. control excessive amounts of knee flexion during
swing.
B. maintain dorsiflexion throughout swing.
C. provide modest assistance to dorsiflexion while
restricting plantar flexion.
D. restrict all movement.
B24 C1 1
24. A patient is referred to physical therapy following an
anterior dislocation of the right shoulder. A possible positive
examination finding as the result of this trauma would be:
A. positive drop arm test.
B. positive Neer test.
C. weak deltoids.
D. weak rhomboids.
B25 C8 1
25. A 3 month-old infant is being examined at an early
intervention program. The therapist is having difficulty
flexing the right upper extremity to remove the infant’s
clothing. This task is made more difficult if:
A. the infant is turned into sidelying on the left.
B. the infant sits up with support of the head in a neutral
position.
C. the infant’s head is turned to the left.
D. the infant’s head is turned to the right.
B26 C7 3
26. You have been asked to give an inservice presentation to
staff nurses on safe guarding techniques. In order to best
prepare for this talk, you should:
A. provide a questionnaire to a random sampling of
participants one week before the scheduled
presentation.
B. provide a questionnaire to all participants two weeks
before the scheduled session.
C. survey your audience at the scheduled session.
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Practice Questions 3
D. survey your audience just before the scheduled
session.
B27 C2 3
27. The patient with left hemiplegia would be least likely to
respond in therapy if the motor learning strategies
emphasized:
A. encouragement of the patient to slow down.
B. maximum use of demonstration and gesture.
C. maximum use of verbal cues.
D. simplification/restructuring of the environment
including removal of all clutter.
B28 C3 2
28. A two-week old infant born at 27 weeks gestation with
hyaline membrane disease is referred for a physical
therapy consult. Nursing reports that the child “desaturates
to 84% with handling” and has minimal secretions at
present. The physical therapist should:
A. delegate to a physical therapist assistant for a
maintenance program of manual techniques for
secretion clearance.
B. perform manual techniques for secretion clearance, 2
to 4 hours daily, to maintain airway patency.
C. provide suggestions to nursing for positioning for
optimal motor development.
D. put the PT consult on hold as the child is too ill to
tolerate exercise.
B29 C1 2
29. A thirty-four year-old male sustained a valgus stress to his
left knee while skiing. His orthopedist found a positive
McMurray’s test, and a positive Lachman stress test. He
has been sent to physical therapy for conservative
management of his dysfunction. The sub-acute phase of
physical therapy intervention should emphasize:
A. closed-chain functional strengthening of the
quadriceps femoris and hamstrings emphasizing
regaining terminal knee extension.
B. closed-chain functional strengthening of the
quadriceps femoris and hip abductors to promote
regaining terminal knee extension.
C. open-chain exercises of the hip extensors and
hamstrings to inhibit anterior translation of the femur
on the tibia.
D. open-chain strengthening of the quadriceps femoris
and hip adductors to inhibit anterior translation of the
tibia on the femur.
B30 C8 1
30. The most enthusiastic visual tracking by a neonate would
be elicited by:
A. a black and white face, with a red nose, held
approximately nine inches from the infant’s eyes,
moved horizontally.
B. a multicolored clown’s face, held 12 inches away and
moved horizontally.
C. a multicolored spinning top placed 15 inches from the
infant’s eyes.
D. a red ring on a string, held six inches away from the
infant’s eyes and moved horizontally.
B31 C2 2
31. A 14 year-old patient with traumatic brain injury has a
convulsive seizure during a therapy session. She loses
4 Practice Questions
consciousness and presents with tonic-clonic convulsions
of all extremities. Your BEST response is to:
A. initiate CPR immediately and call for help to restrain
her.
B. position in sidelying, check to see if the airway is
open, and immediately call for emergency assistance.
C. position in supine with head supported with a pillow
and wait out the seizure.
D. use straps to secure her limbs so she can’t hurt
herself.
B32 C7 2
32. A therapist wants to know whether NDT handling
techniques produces an improvement in independent
rolling that lasts longer than 30 minutes. In this study rolling
is the:
A. control variable.
B. dependent variable.
C. independent variable.
D. intervening variable.
B33 C3 1
33. A 45 year-old computer programmer, with no significant
past medical history, presents to the emergency room with
complaints of fever, shaking chills and a worsening
productive cough. He has chest pains over the posterior
base of his left thorax which is made worse on inspiration.
Which of the following is NOT an appropriate physical
finding for this patient?
A. asymmetrical breathing.
B. crackles over the posterior aspect of his left thorax.
C. limited chest excursion.
D. slowed respiratory rate.
B34 C6 2
34. A patient is demonstrating genu valgum during standing
and walking This problem can be effectively controlled by
prescribing a knee-ankle-foot orthosis with:
A. anterior knee cap strap.
B. posterior plastic shell.
C. pretibial and suprapatellar anterior bands.
D. quadrilateral brim.
B35 C4 1
35. You are called in to consult on a nursing home patient who,
following a severe stroke and congestive heart failure, is
confined to bed and is immobile. During a skin inspection
you note an area of erythema over her left sacrum which
persists longer than 50% of time pressure was applied to it.
You determine that this is MOST likely:
A. an indurated decubitus ulcer with signs of maceration.
B. poor circulation secondary to end stage congestive
heart failure.
C. Stage 1 ulcer formation.
D. Stage 2 ulcer formation.
B36 C5 3
36. Your patient strained the lower back muscles three weeks
ago. The patient complains of pain (6/10) and you note
bilateral muscle spasm from T11-L4. You elect to apply
interferential current. The BEST electrode configuration to
choose in this case would be:
A. four electrodes with current flow diagonal to the spinal
column.
B. four electrodes with current flow perpendicular to the
spinal column.
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C. two electrodes with current flow parallel to the spinal
column.
D. two electrodes with current flow perpendicular to the
spinal column.
B37 C8 1
37. An infant has just begun to pull-to-stand through kneeling,
still demonstrates plantar grasp in standing, and is
independent in sitting including all protective extension
reactions. This infant’s chronological age is approximately:
A. 5-6 months.
B. 7-8 months.
C. 9-10 months.
D. 12-14 months.
B38 C1 2
38. A sixty-five year old male retired bus driver has an
increasing frequency of low back pain over the last 10
years. He states that NSAIDs help to relieve his symptoms
but there is always a nagging type pain. He reports
significant stiffness in the morning which dissipates by
noon after exercising and walking his dog. Pain is
exacerbated with frequent lifting and bending activities as
well as sitting for long periods. Physical therapy
intervention should emphasize:
A. joint mobilization, soft tissue mobilization, and flexion
exercises.
B. modalities to reduce pain, joint mobilization, and
lumbar extension exercises.
C. modalities to reduce pain, postural reeducation and
dynamic stabilization exercises.
D. postural reeducation, soft tissue mobilization, and
dynamic stabilization.
B39 C7 3
39. You are orienting a new physical therapy aide in transfer
techniques. Your initial consideration should be to:
A. ask about previous work and other experiences
related to transferring individuals.
B. determine specific goals for teaching the techniques.
C. give a computer simulated instructional program
before actual “hands on” training takes place.
D. provide an organized series of talks dealing with
patient safety during transfers.
B40 C7 2
40. A 77 year-old patient with diabetes and bilateral lower
extremity amputation is to be discharged from an acute
care hospital two weeks post surgery. The incisions on his
residual limbs are not healed and continue to drain. He is
unable to transfer because the venous graft sites in his
upper extremities are painful and not fully healed. The
MOST appropriate discharge destination for this patient
would be:
A. custodial care facility.
B. home.
C. rehabilitation hospital.
D. skilled nursing facility.
B41 C2 1
41. A 54 year-old man awoke one morning with drooping left
facial muscles and excessive drooling. He was recovering
from a cold and had experienced an earache in his left ear
during the previous 2 days. You suspect a Bell’s Palsy
which can be confirmed by examining:
A. corneal reflex and stretch reflexes of facial muscles.

B. taste sensation over the anterior tongue as well as
motor function of facial muscles.
C. taste sensation over the posterior tongue as well as
motor function of masseter muscle.
D. trigger points for pain, especially over the TMJ joint.
B42 C6 1
42. You assign a physical therapist assistant to ambulate a 72
year-old patient with Parkinson’s disease. You instruct the
PTA to watch for:
A. an abnormally wide base of support.
B. decreased trunk rotation with shorter steps.
C. unsteady, uneven gait with staggering steps to one
side.
D. wider strides and increased double support time.
B43 C3 1
43. A patient with congestive heart failure is on a regimen of
diuretics and calcium channel blockers. The potential side-
effects of these medications that the physical therapist
should be alert for include:
A. decreased electrolytes and electrical instability
evidenced by increased arrhythmias.
B. gastrointestinal upset and extreme fatigue.
C. orthostatic hypotension and dizziness.
D. reflex tachycardia and unstable blood pressure.
B44 C1 2
44. A 42 year-old patient with a traumatic injury to her right
hand had a flexor tendon repair to the fingers. Physical
therapy intervention following this type of repair should
begin:
A. within a few days following surgery to preserve
tendon gliding.
B. within a few days following surgery to allow for early
initiation of strengthening exercises.
C. after the splint is removed in 2-3 weeks to allow full
active range of motion of all affected joints.
D. after the splint is removed in 4-6 weeks to allow
ample healing time for the repaired tendon.
B45 C8 1
45. An 89 year-old community dwelling elder fell in her home
and suffered multiple fractures of her right arm including
Colles’ fracture of her right wrist, and humeral fracture of
her right shoulder. She is hospitalized for open reduction,
internal fixation of her right radius. Which is NOT an
expected finding with this patient?
A. decreased pain and tenderness at the fracture sites.
B. increased likelihood of developing complications like
pneumonia.
C. mental confusion following hospitalization and
surgery.
D. slower healing time with prolonged rehabilitation.
B46 C2 1
46. A patient exhibits bitemporal hemianopsia. In order to
produce this condition, the lesion must be located at the:
A. left optic radiation.
B. left temporal lobe.
C. optic chiasm.
D. right parietal lobe.
B47 C6 1
47. Your patient is recovering from a left tibial amputation and
complains of numbness and tingling affecting his dorsal
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Practice Questions 5
foot and big toe. This is driving him crazy because he
knows the limb is gone. You recognize the source of his
discomfort is most likely pressure from residual limb
wrapping affecting the:
A. common peroneal nerve.
B. medial calcaneal nerve.
C. sural nerve.
D. tibial nerve.
B48 C7 2
48. A therapist investigated the accuracy of pulse oximeter
estimates during exercise. Correlational analysis measured
the strength of the relationship between two types of ear-
probe-equipped pulse oximeters during heavy cycle
exercise under hypoxic conditions. The investigator found
measured arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (%HbO2)
levels to have a correlation of .89 at high saturation but
only .68 at low saturation levels. The results of this study
suggest:
A. accuracy of the measurements increases at higher
saturation levels.
B. both machines are highly accurate at all saturation
levels.
C. both machines are only moderately accurate.
D. during heavy exercise, oxygen saturation levels
should be interpreted cautiously.
B49 C1 1
49. A twenty-one year old college soccer player sustained a
hyperextension knee injury when kicking the ball with his
other lower extremity. The patient was taken to the
emergency room of a local hospital and was diagnosed
with “knee sprain”. He was sent to physical therapy the
next day for aggressive rehabilitation. As part of the
examination to determine the type of treatment plan to
implement, the therapist conducted the test shown in the
figure. Based on the test picture, the therapist is examining
the integrity of the:
A. anterior cruciate ligament.
B. medial collateral ligament.
C. medial meniscus.
D. posterior cruciate ligament.
B50 C1 2
50. A 28 year-old male week-end athlete sustained a right
shoulder injury when he was hit from behind while throwing
a football. His right upper extremity was flexed, abducted
and externally rotated in preparation for throwing when he
was hit. Early physical therapy intervention should focus
on:
A. AROM which emphasizes abduction and external
rotation.
B. pendulum exercises.
C. strengthening of the middle trapezius muscle.
D. strengthening of the rotator cuff muscles.
B51 C5 1
51. You are to immerse an acutely sprained ankle into an ice
water bath. You should tell the patient to FIRST expect:
A. aching, numbness, and burning, followed by intense
cold.
B. burning, intense cold, and aching, followed by
numbness.
C. intense cold, burning, and aching, followed by
numbness.
D. numbness, aching, and intense cold, followed by
burning.
6 Practice Questions
B52 C8 3
52. Upon admission to a local hospital, a patient is given an
Advanced Care Medical Directive to review and sign.
Guidelines for this document would NOT include:
A. an individual can refuse treatment even if it leads to
death.
B. an individual must be mentally competent, with
signing witnessed by two adults.
C. individual facilities modifying its format and
implementation schedule.
D. patients, upon hospital admission, must be informed
of their right to make decisions regarding their
medical care.
B53 C2 2
53. Your patient is recovering from stroke. At 4 months he is
ambulating with a straight cane for household distances. In
the clinic, when you take his cane away and have him
practice ambulating with no assistive device, you observe
recurvatum that increases as the session continues. The
BEST strategy for you to take is to:
A. give him a KAFO to control the hyperextension and
have him use a hemi walker.
B. give him a small based quad cane to improve his
stability and have him practice AROM in supine.
C. practice isolated small range quadriceps eccentric
control work in standing and continue with the straight
cane.
D. put him on a Cybex and work on increasing
quadriceps torque output at higher loads and
increasing speeds.
B54 C6 2
54. Your patient tells you that he is having difficulty going down
ramps. He reports his knee wobbles and seems unsteady.
An appropriate intervention for this problem would be:
A. biofeedback training to reduce a knee extensor
spasticity.
B. progressive resistance training for the quadriceps.
C. prolonged icing to reduce hamstring pain.
D. stretching via a posterior resting splint for tight plantar
flexors.
B55 C7 3
55. It is illegal to release patient information without obtaining
the patient’s consent to:
A. another healthcare provider involved in the care of
the patient.
B. the insurance company that is paying for the patient’s
treatment.
C. the patient’s employer when the condition is work-
related.
D. the referring physician when there is a referral
relationship.
B56 C6 3
56. With respect to the worker’s sitting postures in the Figure,
the greatest reduction in lumbar spine compression forces
would be achieved by: (2002) The Kinematics of Sitting,
Herman Miller Co., with permission
A. combining the usage of a lumbar support, armrests,
and increase the angle between the seat pan and
backrest to between 90-110 degrees.
B. reclining the backrest of the chair at an angle
between 90-110 degrees.
C. using a lumbar support.
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D. using armrests on the chair.
B57 C1 1
57. A baseball pitcher has been sent to physical therapy with
progressive posterior shoulder pain and weakness of the
shoulder abductors and lateral rotators. You notice muscle
wasting superior and inferior to the scapular spine. The
patient’s problem is MOST LIKELY attributable to damage
involving the:
A. long head of the biceps brachii.
B. scalene muscles.
C. spinal accessory nerve.
D. suprascapular nerve.
B58 C7 3
58. Nursing homes that receive Medicare reimbursement for
eligible residents are required by law to provide for
rehabilitation services including physical therapy based on:
A. diagnostic categories (DRGs).
B. needs assessment performed by a physical therapist.
C. referral from a physician.
D. referral from the nurse case manager.
B59 C2 2
59. A 62 year-old patient is recovering from surgical resection
of an acoustic neuroma. She presents with symptoms of
dizziness, vertigo, horizontal nystagmus, and postural
instability. To address these problems, her physical therapy
plan of care should incorporate:
A. Hallpike exercises to improve speed in movement
transitions.
B. prolonged bed rest to allow vestibular recovery to
occur
C. repetition of movements and positions that provoke
dizziness and vertigo.
D. strengthening exercises focusing on spinal extensors.
B60 C6 1
60. Your patient is beginning her ambulation training with a
right above-knee prosthesis. You notice that during early
swing the heel rises excessively. Possible causes are:
A. amputee pain or discomfort.
B. inadequate knee friction or too little tension in the
extension aid.
C. too much knee friction or too little tension in the
extension aid.
D. too much tension in the extension aid.
B61 C4 2
61. You are treating an elderly 93 year-old in the home
environment. When you arrive you note that he is
somewhat confused and his color and skin turgor is poor.
He reports that he has had an intestinal bug the last few
days with frequent vomiting and diarrhea. Your BEST
course of action is to:
A. cancel therapy for today and carefully document your
findings in his chart.
B. give him some water to drink and report your findings
to his physician immediately.
C. monitor his vital signs as you get him up and
ambulating.
D. notify the family, request they keep him company until
he gets over his illness.
B62 C3 2

62. For patients with coronary artery disease participating in a
cardiac rehabilitation class an indicator that the exercise
intensity is too great and should be reduced would be:
A. a systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mm Hg or
diastolic BP greater than 80 mm Hg.
B. appearance of a PVC on the ECG.
C. greater than 1 mm ST segment depression, horizontal
or downsloping.
D. peak exercise HR greater than 140.
B63 C8 2
63. An infant who was 33 weeks gestational age at birth and is
now 3 weeks chronological age demonstrates colic. In this
case, the BEST intervention the physical therapist could
teach the mother is:
A. fast vestibular stimulation.
B. neutral warmth.
C. stroking and tapping.
D. visual stimulation with a colored object.
B64 C2 1
64. You are treating a 24 year-old man who exhibits Brown-
Sequard syndrome as a result of a gun shot wound. Your
examination should reveal:
A. ipsilateral weakness and loss of position sense and
vibration below the lesion level with contralateral loss
of pain & temperature sensation.
B. loss of motor function and pain and temperature
sensation with preservation of light touch and position
sense below the level of the lesion.
C. loss of upper extremity function, (cervical tract
involvement) with preservation of lower extremity
function (lumbosacral tract involvement).
D. sparing of tracts to sacral segments with preservation
of perianal sensation, and active toe flexion.
B65 C7 2
65. A 62 year-old man is recovering from stroke and presents
with moderate impairments of the left upper and lower
extremities. Your goal today is to instruct him in a stand-
pivot transfer to his affected side so he can go home on a
weekend pass. His wife is attending today’s session and
will be assisting him on the weekend. Your BEST choice for
instruction is:
A. demonstrate the task, then have the caregiver
practice with the patient.
B. demonstrate the task, then practice with the patient.
C. practice first with the caregiver, then with the patient.
D. practice first with the patient, then with the caregiver.
B66 C7 3
66. Your patient is a 78 year-old male currently in an acute
care facility recovering from fractures of the spine and hip.
His Medicare Part A benefits have come to an end and he
is soon to be discharged. Medicare Part B will NOT cover:
A. durable medical equipment needed for the patient in
his home.
B. home health agency rehabilitation services.
C. outpatient therapy services in a private therapy
practice.
D. outpatient therapy services in an acute care facility.
B67 C6 1
67. When using a patellar-tendon bearing prosthesis, a patient
will experience excessive knee flexion in early stance if the:
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Practice Questions 7
A. foot is inset too much.
B. foot is outset too much.
C. socket is aligned too far back or tilted posteriorly.
D. socket is aligned too far forward or tilted anteriorly.
B68 C3 2
68. A chronic smoker developed carcinoma of the lung.
Following a right pneumonectomy, post-operative physical
therapy intervention should include:
A. breathing exercises to both sides of the thorax to
maintain adequate aeration.
B. percussion in all postural drainage positions.
C. shaking in all postural drainage positions.
D. sustained maximal inspiration training with an
incentive spirometer.
B69 C6 2
69. As part of your plan of care, you have to order a wheelchair
for a 32 year-old patient with a T9-10 spinal cord injury. Her
wheelchair won’t need:
A. a high back.
B. a low back.
C. removable arm rests.
D. swing-away footrests.
B70 C1 2
70. A patient complains of persistent wrist pain after painting
her house three weeks ago. The patient demonstrates a
positive Finkelstein’s Test, pain and swelling at the
anatomical snuff box, and decreased pinch strength. An
effective plan of care should include:
A. desensitization techniques to reduce symptoms of
reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
B. gentle active assistive exercises to regain function
after sustaining a gamekeepers thumb injury.
C. iontophoresis to reduce inflammation at the carpal
tunnel.
D. phonophoresis to reduce inflammation of the
tendinous sheaths.
B71 C8 2
71. An adaptive wheelchair for a child with moderate spastic
quadriplegic cerebral palsy would include:
A. a pommel to keep hips abducted.
B. movable chairback to allow for extension of the hips
and trunk.
C. movable footrests to allow ankles to plantarflex.
D. pads on the seat to keep hips adducted.
B72 C2 1
72. A 73 year-old has persistent balance dysfunction and a
history of recent falls (2 in the last 3 months). In your initial
session it is crucial to examine:
A. cardiovascular endurance during a 6 minute walking
test.
B. level of dyspnea during functional transfers.
C. sensory losses and sensory organization of balance.
D. spinal musculoskeletal changes secondary to
degenerative joint disease.
B73 C7 3
73. A patient with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder sustains a
fracture of the shoulder during treatment provided by the
PTA. The fracture occurred while the PTA was mobilizing
the shoulder joint, which was part of the plan of care
established by the PT. After the incident, the PTA told the
8 Practice Questions
PT that she was not familiar with the mobilization
techniques to the shoulder. Responsibility in this case falls
on:
A. both the PT and the PTA are responsible for
establishing effective communication regarding the
skills and competencies of the PTA.
B. neither the PT nor the PTA are responsible for the
fracture, it is an accepted risk associated with joint
mobilization.
C. the PT who is solely responsible for assessing the
competence of the PTA under their supervision.
D. the PTA who is responsible for informing their
supervising PT whenever they are unfamiliar or
uncomfortable with any treatment procedure.
B74 C7 3
74. A new patient arrives at the physical therapy department
for an initial examination, evaluation and treatment of a
second degree ankle sprain. The therapist is busy writing a
discharge summary when the patient with the ankle sprain
arrives for his scheduled appointment. The physical
therapist assistant on staff knows the patient as he had
treated the patient previously for a similar injury. The
physical therapist should:
A. ask the physical therapist assistant to evaluate the
patient’s range of motion and functional status to
speed up the evaluation process.
B. ask the physical therapist assistant to perform a
complete evaluation.
C. complete the written component of the discharge
summary at another time and evaluate this new
patient.
D. tell the patient to take a seat and wait until the
discharge summary is completed.
B75 C1 1
75. During a postural screen for a patient complaining of low
back pain you notice that the knees are in genu
recurvatum. Possible contributory postures would include:
A. ankle dorsiflexion and hip abduction.
B. ankle plantarflexion and anterior pelvic tilt.
C. forefoot varus and posterior pelvic tilt.
D. lateral tibial torsion and anterior pelvic tilt.
B76 C1 1
76. After treating a patient for trochanteric bursitis for one
week, the patient has no resolution of pain and is
complaining of problems with gait. After re-examination you
find weakness of the quadriceps femoris, and altered
sensation at the greater trochanter. You suspect the
problem is:
A. degenerative joint disease of the hip.
B. L4 nerve root compression.
C. L5 nerve root compression.
D. sacroiliac dysfunction.
B77 C4 1
77. You are treating a patient in chronic renal failure. You need
to schedule his physical therapy sessions around his
dialysis which he receives 3 mornings a week. He is also
hypertensive and requires careful monitoring during his
ambulation program. Your BEST approach is:
A. place him supine before taking his BP, using the
shunt arm.
B. take his BP every minute during exercise, using his
shunt arm.
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C. take his BP pre and post exercise, using his non-
shunt arm.
D. wait until he stops walking before taking his BP in the
seated position.
B78 C6 2
78. A patient is recovering from a fracture of both tibia and
fibula in the right lower leg which has been casted. The
referral is for gait training, nonweightbearing on right lower
extremity. The safest gait pattern for this patient to use is a:
A. four-point.
B. swing-to.
C. three-point.
D. two-point.
B79 C7 2
79. A therapist wishes to determine the effectiveness of TENS
on the relief of pain in a group of 20 patients with phantom
limb pain. She recruits her patients over a 2 year period. All
receive a 6 week intervention. She finds that 12 patients
with phantom pain got pain relief while 8 had no relief. The
BEST conclusion that can be reached is:
A. 40% of patients with phantom pain do not benefit
from TENS.
B. since a no treatment group was not used for
comparison, no conclusions can be reached.
C. since a quasi-experimental design was used, the
treatment effectiveness of TENS is established.
D. TENS has a 60% rate of effectiveness.
B80 C3 2
80. Following a post-myocardial infarction, a patient is a new
admission to your Phase 3 cardiac rehabilitation program.
During the initial exercise session his ECG responses are
continuously monitored via radio telemetry. You notice
three PVCs occurring in a run with no P wave. The MOST
appropriate action to take is to:
A. continue the exercise session but monitor closely.
B. have him sit down and rest for a few minutes before
resuming exercise.
C. modify the exercise prescription by decreasing the
intensity.
D. stop the exercise and notify the physician
immediately.
B81 C2 1
81. A 63 year-old patient with left hemiplegia is able to
recognize his wife after she is with him for awhile and talks
to him, but he is unable to recognize the faces of his
children when they come to visit. The children are naturally
very upset by their father’s behavior. The BEST
explanation for his problem is:
A. anosognosia.
B. ideational apraxia.
C. somatognosia.
D. visual agnosia.
B82 C8 1
82. You have received a referral to evaluate the fall risk
potential of an 82 year-old community dwelling elder. He
has fallen three times in the last four months with no history
of fall injury except for minor bruising. He currently
presents with an increased fear of falling. The factor
LEAST likely to contribute to his fall risk is:
A. dementia or depression.
B. drugs that produce essential tremor.
C. drugs that result in orthostatic hypotension.

D. psychotropic drugs.
B83 C1 2
83. After examining a patient with foot pain, the therapist finds
the following positive findings: reproduction of symptoms in
weight-bearing and running on a treadmill, pes planus and
pain with palpation at the distal aspect of the calcaneus.
Late sub-acute management, when pain is
manageable/reduced, would include:
A. examination for an orthosis.
B. modalities to reduce pain and inflammation.
C. strengthening of ankle dorsiflexors.
D. stretching of plantar fascia.
B84 C6 3
84. A 22 year-old patient with a complete T10 paraplegia
resulting from a spinal cord injury is ready to begin
community wheelchair training. Today your goal is to teach
him how to do a wheelie so he can manage curbs. Your
BEST training strategy is to instruct the patient to:
A. grasp the handrims posteriorly and pull them forward
abruptly and forcefully.
B. lean backward while moving the hands slowly
backward on the rims.
C. place his hand on the top of the handrims to steady
the chair while he throws his head and trunk forward.
D. throw his head and trunk backward to rise up on the
large wheels.
B85 C3 1
85. A physical therapist should be alert to recognize the signs
and symptoms associated with the onset of aspiration
pneumonia. Of the following, the patient MOST susceptible
to develop this form of pneumonia is one with:
A. a circumferential burn of the thorax associated with
significant pain.
B. a complete spinal cord lesion at T2 with diminished
coughing ability.
C. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with dysphagia and
diminished gag reflex.
D. severe scoliosis with compression of internal organs.
B86 C6 2
86. A patient demonstrates quadriceps weakness (4- /5) and
difficulty descending stairs. The BEST intervention to
regain functional strength in the quadriceps is:
A. isokinetic exercise, at 36 degrees/second.
B. maximum isometric exercise, at 45 and 90 degrees of
knee extension.
C. partial squats progressing to lunges.
D. progressive resistance exercises, 70% 1 RM, 3 sets
of 10.
B87 C2 1
87. Independent community ambulation as the primary means
of functional mobility is a realistic functional expectation for
a patient with the highest level of spinal cord injury at:
A. high lumbar (T12-L1).
B. low lumbar (L4-L5).
C. low thoracic (T9-10).
D. midthoracic (T6-T9).
B88 C5 2
88. Your patient had multiple fractures of both hands and wrists
as a result of a mountain bike accident. Now five weeks
later, the patient currently has vertigo, limited wrist and
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Practice Questions 9
finger motion, and dry scaly skin over the involved areas.
The physical agent MOST appropriate to select in this case
would be:
A. functional electrical stimulation, seated.
B. hot packs with the patient positioned in a recumbent
position.
C. infrared with the patient positioned supine on a
treatment table.
D. paraffin with the patient positioned in a recumbent
position.
B89 C6 2
89. Your patient is 82 years-old and demonstrates a history of
recent falls (two in the last two months) and mild balance
instability. Your referral is to examine the patient and
recommend an assistive device as needed. Based on the
patient’s history, it would be BEST to select a:
A. a folding reciprocal walker.
B. front wheel rolling walker that folds.
C. hemi walker.
D. standard, fixed frame walker.
B90 C1 3
90. Following surgery, a patient responds with a stiff pelvis and
limited pelvic/lower trunk mobility. You elect to use sitting
exercises on a Swiss ball to correct these impairments. In
order to improve lower abdominal control, the ball would
have to move:
A. backward, producing anterior tilting of the pelvis.
B. backward, producing posterior tilting of the pelvis.
C. forward, producing anterior tilting of the pelvis.
D. forward, producing posterior tilting of the pelvis.
B91 C2 2
91. A patient who has been in a coma for 8 weeks is newly
admitted to an extended care facility. Your focus is to
involve the family in the plan of care since both parents are
faithful in visiting on daily basis. You decide it is MOST
important to:
A. demonstrate PROM techniques, offering corrections
as they perform the exercises for you.
B. give them written instructions detailing his PROM
exercises.
C. instruct them to talk to the patient but restrict them
from all hands on assistance.
D. tell them their participation will come once the patient
becomes conscious, right now the professional staff
must do his exercises.
B92 C2 1
92. A patient presents with weakness of the entire right half of
the face. She is unable to completely close her eye.
Sensation is normal. She tells you that she recently had the
flu and has recovered slowly from this illness. You suspect:
A. abducens nerve pathology: the right eye pulls inward.
B. facial nerve pathology: Bell’s palsy.
C. oculomotor nerve pathology: nystagmus.
D. trigeminal nerve pathology: tic douloureux.
B93 C3 2
93. A patient with bacterial pneumonia has crackles and
wheezes at her left lateral basal segment and decreased
breath sounds throughout. She in on 4 liters of oxygen by
nasal cannula which brings her SaO2 to 90%. Respiratory
10 Practice Questions
Rate is 28. The intervention that would be
INAPPROPRIATE to use in this case is:
A. breathing exercises encouraging expansion of the left
lateral basilar thorax.
B. percussion to the appropriate area on the left lateral
basilar thorax.
C. shaking over the appropriate area on the left lateral
basilar thorax.
D. standard postural drainage for the lateral basal
segment, left lower lobe.
B94 C8 1
94. You receive a referral to see an elderly patient in the ICU
recovering from a severe case of pneumonia. You
recognize his disorientation is due to delirium rather than
dementia because:
A. he demonstrates persistent personality changes.
B. he has hallucinations throughout the day.
C. his level of arousal is significantly depressed.
D. this cognitive symptoms are intermittent and come on
suddenly, often at night.
B95 C7 2
95. A comparison of the effects of exercise in water, on land, or
combined on the rehabilitation outcome of patients with
intra-articular anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions
revealed that less joint effusion was noted after 8 weeks in
the water group. An appropriate statistical test to compare
the girth measurements of the three groups is:
A. analysis of covariance.
B. analysis of variance.
C. chi square.
D. Spearman rho.
B96 C2 2
96. A 64 year-old man has a recent history of strokes (2 in the
past 4 months). He demonstrates good return of his right
lower extremity and is walking with a straight cane. You are
concentrating on improving his balance and independence
in gait. Unfortunately his speech recovery is lagging behind
his motor recovery. He demonstrates a severe fluent
aphasia. The BEST strategy during therapy is:
A. consult with the speech therapist to verbally interpret
your instructions.
B. involve the family for all treatment sessions and have
them translate for you.
C. utilize demonstration and gesture to get the idea
across of what you want him to do.
D. utilize verbal cues, emphasizing consistency and
repetition.
B97 C6 1
97. An individual is walking with an above-knee prosthesis and
demonstrates terminal swing impact. You suspect:
A. insufficient knee friction.
B. the hip flexors are weak.
C. the prosthesis is externally rotated.
D. too little tension in the extension aid.
B98 C4 2
98. A 52 year-old man was burned over 40% of his body in an
industrial accident. He has full thickness burns over his
anterior trunk and neck and superficial partial thickness
burn over his shoulders. The MOST appropriate splinting
procedures to stabilize this patient out of positions of
common deformity include:
A. arm slings that fasten the arms to the chest.
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B. hand splints (intrinsic minus position) with plastic
jacket for the trunk.
C. plastic cervical orthosis and axillary splints (airplane
position).
D. soft cervical collar that allows some neck flexion.
B99 C1 1
99. A 16 year-old female, seen in the emergency room, was
placed in a short leg cast following a severe right-sided
Grade III ankle sprain. She is immediately referred to
physical therapy for gait training using crutches. She
complains that her right great toe is numb and she cannot
lift her toes. This problem MOST LIKELY is a result of:
A. anxiety and hyperventilation in anticipation of using
crutches.
B. compression of the common peroneal nerve.
C. compression of the medial plantar nerve.
D. compression of the posterior tibial artery resulting in
vascular insufficiency.
B100 C2 3
100. Which intervention would be LEAST likely used to improve
left-sided neglect in a patient with left hemiplegia?
A. bridging with arms at sides.
B. hooklying, lower trunk rotation, rhythmic initiation.
C. rolling, supine to sidelying on right, using PNF lift
pattern.
D. sitting, with hands forward resting on large ball,
weight shifting moving ball to left.
B101 C7 3
101. A 20 year-old patient with traumatic brain injury who has
been receiving in-patient physical therapy for the past two
months has not demonstrated improvement in functional
status for a considerable period of time. The patient is
covered by Medicare. You have informed both the referring
physician and the patient’s family of his lack of progress.
The family insists that you continue to treat the patient, and
the physician continues to refer the patient for more
treatment and certifies the necessity of the care. You
should:
A. continue to provide the care both the family and the
referring physician demand; it is the physician’s
responsibility to determine the appropriateness of
physical therapy.
B. give the patient’s family Medicare notification of
noncoverage information, and carefully explain it, and
their options, which could include paying for the care
out-of-pocket.
C. modify treatment goals in a manner that will allow you
to demonstrate that the treatment is achieving
progress towards reasonable goals.
D. refer the patient to another clinic that you believe will
be willing to continue treatment despite lack of
functional improvement.
B102 C3 2
102. A patient with COPD reports to his fourth outpatient
pulmonary rehabilitation session complaining of nausea,
gastric upset and feeling jittery. The patient reports no
change in pulmonary symptoms. The physical therapist
records the following set of vital signs: temperature 98.6°F,
heart rate 110 beats/min, and irregular blood pressure
150/86, respiratory rate 20. Breath sounds show no change
from baseline. The therapist checks the medical record and
finds that the patient has no history of gastric disease. He

is presently taking theophylline, Ventolin and Azmacort.
The physical therapist should:
A. call the patient’s physician due to signs of
theophylline toxicity.
B. have the patient call the physician when he returns
home due to signs of increased pulmonary
dysfunction.
C. have the patient use his Ventolin to improve
respiratory status.
D. send the patient home and reschedule for another
day.
B103 C8 1
103. You are treating a one year-old child with Down Syndrome
at home and you notice a decrease in strength in the
extremities. DTRs are 1+. Your immediate thought is:
A. hypertonia and decreased strength are to be
expected with Down Syndrome.
B. hypotonia and decreased strength are to be expected
with Down Syndrome.
C. the parents are not performing the home exercise
program.
D. there may be a dislocation at C1/C2 due to
ligamentous laxity.
B104 C2 1
104. Which of the following causative factors is NOT likely to
produce shoulder pain in hemiplegia?
A. flaccid paralysis with loss of seating action of rotator
cuff muscles.
B. passive range of motion while emphasizing
scapulohumeral rhythm.
C. spastic retraction with depression and downward
rotation of scapula.
D. traction and gravitational forces acting on a
depressed, downwardly rotated scapula.
B105 C6 1
105. While gait training a patient recovering from a cerebral
vascular accident, you observe the knee on the affected
side going into recurvatum during stance phase. The
MOST LIKELY cause of this deviation can be attributed to:
A. severe spasticity of the hamstrings or weakness of
the gastrocnemius-soleus.
B. weakness of both the gastrocnemius-soleus and
pretibial muscles.
C. weakness of the gastrocnemius-soleus or spasticity
of the pretibial muscles.
D. weakness or severe spasticity of the quadriceps.
B106 C4 2
106. A patient with an ulcer is treated with a whirlpool to assist in
debridement and wound cleansing. The laboratory report
comes back positive for active local infection. You instruct
the physical therapist assistant to drain and clean the
whirlpool. Disinfection of the whirlpool can best be
achieved with:
A. boiling water.
B. povidone-iodine.
C. silver nitrate solution.
D. ultraviolet exposure.
B107 C7 2
107. A therapist has completed a study investigating the
relationship between ratings of perceived exertion (RPE)
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Practice Questions 11
and type of testing modality: arm ergometry versus leg
ergometry. She finds a correlation 0.59 with the arm testing
while the correlation is 0.79 with the leg testing. She
determines:
A. both arm and leg ergometry are highly correlated with
RPE.
B. both arm and leg ergometry are only moderately
correlated with RPE.
C. leg ergometry is highly correlated with RPE while arm
ergometry is only moderately correlated.
D. the common variance of both types of testing is only
22%.
B108 C1 2
108. A 67 year-old male has a diagnosis of left knee
degenerative joint disease. He complains of left-sided knee
pain of two months duration. He has been followed by
outpatient physical therapy for three weeks. The patient
feels his condition is worsening as pain has increased
during weight bearing activities and he can no longer fully
extend his left knee. Examination findings include:
increased swelling, decreased knee AROM into extension,
and an antalgic gait. The physical therapist should:
A. continue physical therapy for another two weeks
because there is uncertainty if the patient
understands or is complying with the home exercise
program.
B. continue therapy for another week to ensure that all
interventions have been attempted and then return
the patient to the referring physician.
C. immediately return the patient to the referring
physician with documentation indicating that
treatment was ineffective.
D. tell the patient to see an orthopedic surgeon for
possible immediate surgical intervention.
B109 C5 3
109. While playing volleyball two months ago, a 28 year-old had
an inversion sprain of the calcaneofibular and anterior
talofibular ligaments of the right ankle. The ankle is still
painful, very limited in motion and slightly tender to the
touch. As part of your intervention, ultrasound treatment
parameters should consist of:
A. continuous US @ 1 MHz.
B. continuous US @ 3 MHz.
C. pulsed US @ 1 MHz.
D. pulsed US @ 3 MHz.
B110 C2 3
110. In Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) of the patient
recovering from stroke, therapy would NOT include:
A. facilitation of early movement in synergistic patterns
followed quickly by movement patterns out-of-
synergy.
B. facilitation of selective movement control out of
synergistic patterns.
C. functional activities emphasizing reintegration of the
hemiplegic side.
D. reduction of spasticity and abnormal reflex activity
through positioning and handling techniques.
B111 C8 2
111. A 4 year-old child with moderate spastic diplegia is referred
to physical therapy for an adaptive equipment check. In this
case, which equipment is NOT indicated?
A. bilateral KAFO’s.
12 Practice Questions
B. posture control walker (posterior walker).
C. prone stander
D. tone reducing AFOs.
B112 C6 2
112. A 67 year-old patient is recovering from a left CVA. He is
wearing a plastic knee-ankle-foot orthosis to stabilize his
right foot. During gait analysis you observe lateral trunk
bending toward the right as he bears weight on the right leg
at midstance. The BEST choice to correct this problem is:
A. provide a lift on the shoe of the involved leg.
B. strengthen hamstrings on the right side.
C. strengthen hip flexors on the right side.
D. strengthen the hip abductors on the right side.
B113 C1 2
113. A ten year-old male who plays catcher on his baseball
team complains of bilateral knee pain which is exacerbated
with forceful quadriceps contraction. He has also noticed
pain and swelling at the distal attachment of the patellar
tendon. Effective early physical therapy intervention should
include:
A. AROM exercises to prevent contracture.
B. casting followed by decreased loading of the knee.
C. decreased loading of the knee by the quadriceps
femoris muscle.
D. modalities to decrease inflammation.
B114 C3 2
114. An 83 year-old patient has a decubitus ulcer of 3 months
duration on his lateral ankle. The ankle is swollen, red, and
painful with a moderate to high amount of wound drainage
(exudate). The BEST dressing for this wound is:
A. calcium alginate dressings.
B. gauze dressings.
C. hydrogel dressings.
D. semipermeable film dressings.
B115 C1 1
115. A thirty-five year-old male was diagnosed with a bulging
disc at the right L5-S1 spinal level without nerve root
compression. The functional loss he would MOST likely
suffer from is:
A. centralized gnawing pain with loss of postural control
during lifting activities.
B. centralized gnawing pain with uncompensated
gluteus medius gait.
C. radicular pain to the right great toe with a
compensated gluteus medius gait.
D. radicular pain to the right great toe with difficulty
sitting for long periods.
B116 C2 2
116. High level management of an individual recovering from
traumatic brain injury who demonstrates Rancho Level
Cognitive Function VII should focus on the avoidance of
“Robot syndrome.” The best intervention strategy in this
case is represented by:
A. involving the patient in decision making, emphasizing
safety and independent performance.
B. providing a high degree of environmental structure.
C. providing assistance for guided movements during all
movement tasks.
D. providing maximum supervision to ensure successful
performance.
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B117 C6 2
117. To correct for the problem of a forward festinating gait in a
patient with Parkinson’s disease, you could:
A. increase cadence.
B. increase stride length.
C. use a heel wedge.
D. use a toe wedge.
B118 C6 3
118. A patient presents with difficulty with fast movement speeds
and fatigues easily. You decide on a strength training
program that specifically focuses on improving fast-twitch
fiber function. The optimal exercise prescription to achieve
this goal is:
A. high intensity workloads for long durations.
B. high intensity workloads for short durations.
C. low intensity workloads for long durations.
D. low intensity workloads for short durations.
B119 C2 1
119. You have been called to the traumatic brain injury unit to
examine a new patient. The patient is highly agitated and
combative with the nursing staff. You assess his current
state as being one of high arousal. The autonomic changes
you would expect to see include:
A. decreased responsiveness to sensory stimulation and
lethargy.
B. hyperactive stretch and cutaneous reflexes,
exaggerated pupillary reflexes.
C. increased HR and RR along with dilated pupils.
D. slowed HR with constriction of pupils, hypotension.
B120 C8 2
120. A physical therapy functional goal for a 5 year-old child with
a very high lumbar lesion myelomeningocele and minimal
cognitive involvement would be;
A. ambulation for exercise with a reciprocating gait
orthosis and Lofstrand crutches.
B. community ambulation with a reciprocating gait
orthosis and Lofstrand crutches.
C. community ambulation with HKAFOs and Lofstrand
crutches.
D. physiological ambulation with KAFOs and rollator
walker.
B121 C7 2
121. A patient with multiple sclerosis is part of a national study
testing the effectiveness of a new medication. The patient
reports that the pill she is taking makes her feel much
better and allows her to move easier. At the conclusion of
the study it is revealed that she was part of the control
group. Her responses are MOST likely due to:
A. hawthorne effect.
B. placebo effect.
C. pretest-treatment interference.
D. sampling bias.
B122 C3 1
122. You are reading a recent report of arterial blood gas
analysis with the following values: Fraction of inspired
oxygen (FiO2) - 0.21, PaO2 - 53 mmHg, PaCO2 - 30
mmHg, pH - 7.48, Bicarbonate ion - 24 mEq/l This would
indicate that your patient is in:
A. metabolic acidosis.
B. metabolic alkalosis.

C. respiratory acidosis.
D. respiratory alkalosis.
B123 C4 3
123. A 32 year-old patient is referred to your cardiac exercise
group following a mild myocardial infarction. From her
intake questionnaire you learn she also has Type I (IDDM)
diabetes, controlled with twice daily insulin injections. In
order to minimize the risk of a hypoglycemic event during
exercise, you should have the patient:
A. avoid exercise during periods of peak insulin activity.
B. exercise daily for 40-50 minutes to achieve proper
glucose control.
C. have the patient decrease her carbohydrate intake for
2 hours before the exercise session.
D. monitor blood glucose levels carefully every week
during the rehabilitation program.
B124 C8 2
124. An 85 year-old resident of a community nursing home is
diagnosed with organic brain syndrome, Alzheimer’s type.
In formulating a plan of care, it is important to understand
that she:
A. can usually be trusted to be responsible for her daily
care needs.
B. can usually be trusted with transfers with appropriate
positioning of the wheelchair.
C. is more likely to remember current experiences then
past ones.
D. will likely be resistant to activity training if unfamiliar
activities are used.
B125 C2 3
125. A patient is having difficulty learning how to transfer from
mat to wheelchair. He just can’t seem to get the idea of
how to coordinate this movement. In this case, the MOST
effective use of feedback during early motor learning
should:
A. focus on guided movement and proprioceptive inputs.
B. focus on knowledge of performance and
proprioceptive inputs.
C. focus on knowledge of results and visual inputs.
D. provide feedback only after a brief (5 second) delay.
B126 C6 2
126. A 52 year-old women presents with pain and paresthesias
affecting the third and fourth toes of her left foot. She
typically wears shoes with 3 inch heels and pointed toes.
You suspect she is presenting with metatarsalgia. The
BEST intervention is a:
A. pad over the transverse arch.
B. pad positioned distal to the metatarsal heads.
C. scaphoid pad.
D. Thomas heel.
B127 C1 2
127. A 38 year-old female developed right throbbing shoulder
pain after painting her kitchen. Passive and active
glenohumeral motions increase pain. The BEST initial
intervention for this acute shoulder condition is:
A. correction of muscle imbalances to allow healing of
right shoulder supraspinatus tendinitis.
B. modalities to reduce pain and inflammation as the
result of subdeltoid bursitis.
C. rotator cuff strengthening exercises to allow ADL
function following biceps tendinitis.
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Practice Questions 13
D. stretching of the pectoralis minor muscle following
acromioclavicular joint inflammation.
B128 C4 1
128. A 22 year-old male has a one year history of AIDS. The
case worker reports a gradual increase in difficulty with
instrumental ADLs. A referral to P.T. is initiated. The most
likely CNS deficits from AIDS are:
A. alterations in memory, confusion, and disorientation.
B. gait disturbances resulting from progressive rigidity
and tremor.
C. increasing paralysis eventually leading to
quadriplegia.
D. pronounced sensory loss resulting in sensory ataxia.
B129 C7 3
129. A new graduate physical therapist has an appointment for a
job interview with Human Resources at a large teaching
hospital. She is well dressed, has a professional
typewritten resume, and is prompt for her 2:00 p.m.
appointment. The interviewer should AVOID discussing:
A. health insurance, continuing education, and vacation
days.
B. information regarding advantages of working in a
large teaching hospital as well as disadvantages
regarding the job.
C. the applicant’s marital status.
D. work hours associated with the position.
B130 C8 3
130. You are working with a two year-old child with Down
Syndrome who frequently uses a W sitting position. You
are explaining to the parents why this position should be
discouraged. The main reason to discourage W sitting in
this young child is that it may:
A. cause femoral anteversion and knee strain.
B. decrease abnormally low tone.
C. delay the development of normal sitting.
D. increase abnormally high tone.
B131 C2 1
131. A 92 year-old patient is being examined for signs of stroke.
When you test two-point discrimination on his right hand,
he is unable to tell you whether you are touching him with
one or two points. You determine that there is impaired
function in the:
A. anterior spinothalamic tract or thalamus.
B. dorsal column/lemniscal pathways or somatosensory
cortex.
C. lateral spinothalamic tract or somatosensory cortex.
D. spinal lemniscus or ventral posterolateral nucleus of
the thalamus.
B132 C3 2
132. A 75 year-old outpatient has a history of two myocardial
infarctions and one episode of recent congestive heart
failure. He also had claudication pain in the right calf during
his exercise tolerance test. An INITIAL exercise
prescription that best deals with his problems is walking:
A. five times a week using continuous training, for 60
minutes.
B. several times a week using interval training, for 10 to
15 minute periods.
C. three times a week using continuous training, for 40
minute sessions.
D. three times a week using interval training, for 10 to 15
minutes periods.
14 Practice Questions
B133 C7 3
133. A valid informed consent for research purposes should
include all of the following elements EXCEPT:
A. a statement ensuring the subject’s commitment to
participate for the duration of the study.
B. all potential benefits of participation.
C. all reasonable and foreseeable risks and discomforts.
D. an understandable explanation of the purpose and
procedures to be used.
B134 C4 1
134. During pregnancy, the presence of the hormone relaxin can
lead to abnormal joint hypermobility and pain, MOST
frequently affecting the:
A. carpal and metacarpal joints.
B. lumbosacral joints.
C. sacroiliac joints.
D. spinal facet joints.
B135 C5 3
135. Your patient has severe low back pain as a result of
chopping wood three weeks ago. The patient has been
receiving ultrasound and strengthening exercises to the low
back for two weeks. You have also been applying TENS
and decide to have the patient use TENS at home. As a
safety precaution, it is important to instruct the patient to
perform a daily check of the:
A. electrodes and electrode jacks.
B. electrodes and leads.
C. skin and electrodes.
D. skin and leads.
B136 C6 3
136. A tilt-in-space wheelchair has been ordered for a patient
with C4 quadriplegia. This type of chair is ordered to:
A. facilitate handgrip and propulsion.
B. improve leg position and lower extremity edema.
C. improve positioning for pressure relief or for patients
with extensor spasms.
D. improve the patient’s ability to relieve pressure and
transfer independently.
B137 C8 2
137. An 82 year-old female has low vision. She recently
returned home from a 2 week hospitalization for
stabilization of her diabetes. Your goal is to mobilize her
and increase her ambulation level and safety. The BEST
intervention strategy for this patient is to:
A. color code stairs with pastel shades of blue and green
to highlight steps.
B. keep window shades wide open to let in as much light
as possible.
C. practice walking by having her look at her feet at all
times.
D. practice walking in areas of high illumination and low
clutter.
B138 C3 1
138. Your patient has a history of angina pectoris and limited
physical activity. As you are supervising him in his second
exercise class you suspect that his angina is unstable and
may be indicative of a preinfarction state. You determine
this by the presence of:
A. angina increasing in intensity and unresponsive to the
nitroglycerin or rest.
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B. angina responding quickly to rest and interval rather
than continuous training.
C. arrhythmias increasing in frequency, especially atrial
arrhythmias.
D. delayed cessation of pain following the administration
of nitroglycerin.
B139 C2 3
139. Your patient suffered a left CVA which has left him
hemiparetic on the right side. In his current stage of
recovery, he demonstrates strong and dominant hemiplegic
synergies in his leg. Which activity would NOT be helpful to
break up these synergies?
A. assuming the bridging position.
B. foot tapping in a sitting position.
C. rolling from the hooklying position using lower
extremity D1 flexion PNF pattern.
D. weight shifts in kneeling.
B140 C7 3
140. All of the following criteria would designate a patient as
homebound and allow for home physical therapy services
to be approved by Medicare with the EXCEPTION of:
A. ambulation for short distances causes dyspnea and
chest pain.
B. dependency on others for all transportation needs.
C. inability to safely leave home unattended.
D. leaving the home three times a week to receive
dialysis.
B141 C6 1
141. A patient with an above-knee prosthesis is walking by
swinging the prosthesis out to the side in an arc during
swing of the amputated limb. Your suspect the prosthesis
may:
A. be too long or the knee mechanism too stiff.
B. have an excessively low lateral wall.
C. have an unstable knee unit or is too short.
D. have insufficient support from the anterior or posterior
walls.
B142 C4 2
142. An 87 year-old patient has been hospitalized for three
weeks following a surgical resection of carcinoma of the
colon. He is very weak and you are instructing him in
ambulation with a walker. He complains of pain in his left
shoulder which is aggravated by weight bearing when
using the walker. You decide to:
A. apply cold (to reduce pain) prior to ambulation
training.
B. apply heat in the form of a hot pack.
C. notify his physician immediately.
D. observe the shoulder carefully over the next few
sessions, documenting any changes in pain.
B143 C5 2
143. A 17 year-old high school football player sprained his left
ankle two days ago. He complains of moderate pain (5/10),
there is moderate swelling which seems to be worsening;
he ambulates with an antalgic gait. In this case, the
OPTIMAL interventions to choose are:
A. cold whirlpool, followed by elastic compression and
elevation.
B. cold/intermittent compression combination followed
by elevation.
 Practice Questions 15

C. contrast baths and elastic compression.

D. intermittent compression followed by elevation.

B144 C1 1
144. Your patient diagnosed with left lateral epicondylitis has no
resolution of symptoms after two weeks of treatment. You
begin a re-examination and find the left biceps reflex is 1+.
You should NEXT perform a complete examination of the:
A. cervical spine.
B. shoulder.
C. thoracic spine.
D. wrist.

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16 Practice Questions
B145 C3 2
145. An obese patient who is 70 pounds overweight is
recovering from a mild myocardial infarction and needs
cardiovascular conditioning. The exercise class will be
used in conjunction with a dietary program to promote
weight reduction. The MOST appropriate exercise
prescription for this patient is:
A. jogging, 10 min. mile (10.2 METs).
B. swimming, intensity set at 75% age-adjusted heart
rate.
C. walking, intensity set at 50% target heart rate.
D. walking, intensity set at 85% of heart rate reserve.
B146 C1 1
146. A 68 year-old male underwent a total hip replacement
(THR) four months ago. He is now referred to physical
therapy for gait evaluation. He demonstrates shortened
stride length on the right. The patient MOST LIKELY has:
A. lengthened gluteals.
B. shortened hamstrings.
C. shortened hip flexors.
D. weakened quadriceps.
B147 C8 3
147. A child with spastic cerebral palsy is having difficulty
releasing food from her hand into her mouth. Once the
child has brought the food to the mouth it would be helpful
for the caregiver to:
A. give a quick stretch to the finger extensors.
B. passively extend the fingers.
C. slowly stroke the finger extensors in a distal to
proximal direction.
D. slowly stroke the finger flexors in a distal to proximal
direction.
B148 C2 2
148. A patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis presents with
early signs of progressive muscle weakness and muscle
cramping. He also has minimal spasticity in his lower
extremities. Your INITIAL exercise prescription should
focus on:
A. active exercises since resistive exercises are
contraindicated.
B. low intensity general conditioning exercises.
C. maximizing exercise and activity.
D. PROM exercise to maintain joint flexibility since active
exercise is contraindicated.
B149 C6 2
149. In reference to the figure, when lifting a constant load using
either a stoop lift or squat lift posture, the most significant
contributing factor for increasing the lumbar spine
compression forces is:
A. performing the lift with the lumbar spine in a kyphotic
posture using a stoop lift technique.
B. performing the lift with the lumbar spine in a neutral
position rather than a lordotic posture.
C. the distance of the load from the base of the spine.
D. the height of the load from the ground.
B150 C1 2
150. Nearly two months ago, a 50 year-old female noticed that
she had left shoulder pain after walking her dog. This pain
has progressively worsened. She now is unable to move
her left upper extremity overhead while performing
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activities of daily living. An orthopedic surgeon diagnosed
her problem as adhesive capsulitis. The MOST effective
subacute intervention for this patient would include:
A. anterior inferior translatory glides.
B. phonophoresis with dexamethasone cream.
C. posterior translatory glides.
D. use of ice packs and a sling.
B151 C8 1
151. A 79 year-old patient is referred to physical therapy for an
examination of his functional mobility skills and safety in
the home environment. The family reports he is
demonstrating increasing forgetfulness and some memory
deficits. In your examination you would expect to find:
A. impairments in short-term memory.
B. periods of agitation and wandering, especially in the
late afternoon.
C. periods of fluctuating confusion.
D. significant impairments in long-term memory.
B152 C2 1
152. You are examining a patient with vestibular dysfunction.
You have the patient sit with the head turned to one side.
You quickly move the patient backward so that the head is
extended over the end of the table approximately 30°
below horizontal. The maneuver causes dizziness and
vertigo. You report these findings as:
A. a negative positional test.
B. a positive Clinical Test for Sensory Interaction in
Balance (CTSIB).
C. a positive Hallpike maneuver.
D. a positive sharpened Romberg test.
B153 C7 3
153. You are instructing a patient with a lower extremity
amputation in prosthetic gait ambulation. You determine
that learning is going well because the patient’s errors are
decreasing and overall endurance is increasing. The BEST
strategy to promote continued motor learning is to:
A. have the patient begin to walk in the hall outside of
the P.T. clinic.
B. have the patient continue to practice in the parallel
bars until all errors are extinguished.
C. intervene early whenever errors appear before bad
habits become firmly entrenched.
D. provide continuous feedback after every walking
attempt.
B154 C3 3
154. Which intervention would NOT be appropriate for home
physical therapy for a patient with cystic fibrosis?
A. activities to increase endurance.
B. breathing techniques that will decrease both
respiratory rate and inspiratory volumes.
C. inspiratory muscle training to increase the strength of
the ventilatory muscles.
D. secretion removal techniques to all lobes once or
twice a day.
B155 C4 2
155. A 46 year-old woman is referred to your clinic with
problems of stress incontinence. She reports loss of control
that began with coughing or laughing but now reports she
has problems even when she exercises (she does aerobics
3 times a week). The BEST intervention for this patient is:
A. behavioral modification techniques to reward proper
voiding on schedule.

B. biofeedback one hour a week to achieve appropriate
sphincter control.
C. functional electrical stimulation three times a week.
D. Kegel exercises several times a day.
B156 C2 1
156. A 76 year-old patient suffered a cerebral thrombosis four
days ago. She presents with the following symptoms:
analgesia and thermoanesthesia of the ipsilateral face;
nystagmus, vertigo, and nausea; dysphagia and dysarthria;
ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome; and contralateral loss of
sensations of pain and temperature of the body. The MOST
LIKELY site of the lesion is the:
A. anterior inferior cerebellar artery.
B. basilar artery.
C. internal carotid artery.
D. posterior inferior cerebellar artery.
B157 C5 2
157. An 80 year-old patient with a two inch stage III decubitus
ulcer over the left lateral malleolus is referred to you for
electrical stimulation. You note a greenish, pungent
exudate at the wound site. Your choice of polarity and
electrode placement would be:
A. anode placed in the wound.
B. anode placed proximal to wound.
C. cathode placed in the wound.
D. cathode placed proximal to wound.
B158 C3 3
158. Running on level gym surface is a suitable Phase 2
outpatient cardiac rehabilitation activity for some patients
because the MET level is of:
A. high intensity (15 METs) and should only be used for
late phase II training.
B. low intensity, (below 5 METs) and little variability
between individuals is expected.
C. moderate intensity, (13 METs) and energy
expenditure will vary significantly among individuals
so it should be used with caution.
D. moderate intensity, (8-9 METS), and can be
successfully alternated with lower intensity walking, (5
METs), to produce the right intensity.
B159 C4 2
159. A 27 year-old woman presents with a complete T10
paraplegia. An extensive neurological work-up has failed to
reveal a specific cause for her paraplegia. Her physician
has determined that she has a conversion disorder. During
physical therapy it would be BEST to:
A. postpone her rehabilitation until she has had
adequate psychological counseling.
B. treat this patient the same as any other patient with
paraplegia.
C. try to get this patient to recognize the cause of her
malingering.
D. use functional electrical stimulation as a means of
demonstrating to her that the muscles function.
B160 C7 3
160. A physical therapist, a certified cardiopulmonary clinical
specialist, was asked to treat a patient who had a surgical
repair of a lacerated index finger flexor tendon. This was
the first hand injury that the therapist had ever treated.
During the treatment the patient felt a “pop” which was the
result of a rupture of the newly repaired tendon. The
physical therapist in this case should have:
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Practice Questions 17
A. refused to treat this patient.
B. requested more time to read the literature about this
repair.
C. treated the patient as requested.
D. used heat prior to the treatment.
B161 C8 1
161. Which is NOT considered a normal finding during an
examination of a newborn infant?
A. continuous tremulousness.
B. dramatic skin color changes with change of state.
C. response decrement to repetitive stimuli.
D. symmetry in range of motion.
B162 C6 1
162. A patient comes into your clinic with a wheelchair with
excessive leg length from the seat to the foot plate. You
suspect this is resulting in his:
A. excessive forward leaning.
B. excessive weight bearing on the ischial seat.
C. sacral sitting and sliding forward in the chair.
D. uneven thigh weight distribution.
B163 C4 1
163. A patient presents with a large sacral decubitus ulcer that is
purulent and draining. You need to take a representative
sample of the infected material in order to obtain a
laboratory culture. The MOST appropriate method to
culture this wound is to obtain samples from the:
A. dressing and exudate in the wound.
B. dressing, exudate, and surrounding bed linen.
C. exudate in the wound and the surrounding tissues.
D. exudate in the wound.
B164 C3 3
164. A Phase 2 outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program uses
circuit training with different exercise stations for the 50
minute program. One station uses arm ergometry. For arm
exercise compared to leg exercise at a given workload you
can expect:
A. both HR and systolic/diastolic BP will be higher.
B. exercise capacity is reduced due to higher stroke
volumes.
C. HR will be higher while systolic BP will be lower.
D. the principal change is higher systolic and diastolic
BP.
B165 C7 2
165. A therapist wants to determine whether a treatment was
effective in reducing lower extremity edema in a group of
patients with peripheral vascular edema. Volumetric
measurements are used using water displacement method.
The data was compared to a control group receiving no
treatment. Analysis of this data is BEST done by
employing:
A. ANOVA.
B. chi square.
C. Pearson’s product moment.
D. t-test.
B166 C8 2
166. In planning a physical activity program for an elderly patient
with Alzheimer’s disease, it is MOST important that the
daily activities:
A. are changed daily to meet the need for variety.
B. are highly structured to reduce anxiety and confusion.
18 Practice Questions
C. promote involvement and interest through maximum
stimulation.
D. provide maximum opportunities for making choices.
B167 C2 3
167. Your patient has a complete spinal cord injury at the level
of C6. You are instructing his family in exercises to
maintain his passive range of motion. You want the family
to focus on:
A. keeping all muscles fully ranged through normal
ROM.
B. keeping muscles fully ranged, with hyperflexibility in
the low back extensors and hamstrings.
C. limiting range of motion in the shoulders to promote
stability.
D. ranging individual muscles according to specific
functional needs.
B168 C7 3
168. A physical therapist and physical therapist assistant are
conducting a cardiac rehabilitation class for twenty
patients. The therapist is suddenly called out of the room.
The MOST appropriate procedure in this situation is to:
A. have the patients switch to less intense exercise until
the therapist returns.
B. have the PTA supervise the class in cool-down
activities.
C. have the PTA supervise the class using the outlined
exercise protocol until the therapist returns.
D. terminate the exercises and have the patients monitor
their pulses until the therapist returns.
B169 C1 3
169. The most efficient intervention to regain biceps brachii
strength if the muscle is chronically inflamed and has a
painful arc of motion is:
A. biceps curls through partial range of motion
B. isokinetic exercises through the full range of motion.
C. isometric exercises at 10 degree intervals through the
range of motion.
D. isometric exercises at the end range of movement.
B170 C5 3
170. During an ultrasound treatment your patient flinches and
states that a strong ache is felt in the treatment area. To
accommodate to this patient’s complaint, it would be BEST
to:
A. add more transmission medium.
B. decrease the ultrasound frequency.
C. decrease the ultrasound intensity.
D. increase the size of the treatment area.
B171 C7 3
171. The Back to Work Center, which specializes in work
conditioning, is scheduled for an accrediting site survey.
The appropriate agency to conduct this program is the:
A. Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation
Facilities (CARF).
B. Department of Health & Human Services
C. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care
Organizations (JCAHO).
D. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA).
B172 C4 2
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172. You are currently treating a 32 year-old patient recovering
from deep partial thickness burns over the posterior thigh
and calf which are now healed. Your examination reveals
local tenderness with swelling and pain on movement in
the hip area. As you inspect the tissues you detect a
palpable mass. Your BEST course of action is to:
A. cancel therapy for that day to allow tenderness to
subside.
B. continue with ROM exercises but proceed gently.
C. report these findings promptly to the physician.
D. use RICE to quiet down the inflammatory response.
B173 C8 1
173. A 10 month-old (corrected age) infant born at 23 weeks
gestational age suffered Grade III intraventricular
hemorrhage prenatally and was on a ventilator for 2
months after birth. During a physical therapy examination,
increased resistance to passive movement is noted in all
extremities, but most markedly in the lower extremities. The
infant will probably be diagnosed with:
A. ataxic cerebral palsy.
B. spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.
C. spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy.
D. spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
B174 C3 1
174. ECG changes that occur with exercise in an individual with
myocardial ischemia and coronary artery disease would be
expected to include:
A. bradycardia with ST segment depression greater than
3 mm below baseline.
B. significant arrhythmias early on in exercise with a
shortened QRS.
C. significant tachycardia early on in exercise with ST
segment elevation.
D. tachycardia at a relatively low intensity of exercise
with ST segment depression.
B175 C1 2
175. A 45 year-old female patient with long term postural
changes exhibits an excessive forward head and
complains of pain and dizziness when looking upward. The
MOST effective physical therapy intervention is:
A. anterior cervical muscle stretching and postural
reeducation to relieve vertebral artery compression.
B. posterior cervical muscle stretching and postural
reeducation to relieve vertebral artery compression.
C. upper cervical Grade III mobilization to reduce
pressure on the cervical spinal nerves.
D. upper cervical joint mobilization Grade II and postural
reeducation to reduce compression of the cervical
sympathetic ganglia.
B176 C6 1
176. Your patient has an above-knee prosthesis with a
prosthetic foot that includes a plantar flexion bumper.
During ambulation you decide that the bumper is too stiff.
You base this decision on the presence of:
A. foot slap.
B. high heel rise.
C. lateral foot rotation at heel strike.
D. swing phase whip.
B177 C3 3

177. During the course of the physical therapy treatment in the
ICU, a radial artery line gets pulled (comes out of the
artery). The FIRST thing the physical therapist should do is:
A. call for the nurse and elevate the arm above heart
level.
B. place a brachial blood pressure cuff on the involved
extremity and inflate the cuff to a level above systole.
C. push the code button in the patient’s room and
elevate the arm above heart level.
D. re-insert the arterial catheter into the radial artery and
inflate the pressure pack to a level above systole.
B178 C2 1
178. A 52 year-old patient suffers a CVA resulting in right
hemisphere damage. This patient will MOST LIKELY
exhibit:
A. hesitancy, requiring more feedback and support.
B. negative, self-deprecating comments and frequent
depression.
C. poor judgment with increased safety issues.
D. slow, cautious behaviors.
B179 C4 1
179. A 64 year-old patient is referred to your clinic with a
diagnosis of herpes zoster with neuralgic pain that has
been intractable for the last 4 months. She has been given
systemic corticosteroids as part of her medical treatment. It
is NOT expected that this drug intervention would result in:
A. hypokalemia with hypotension and arrhythmias.
B. increased susceptibility to infection.
C. muscle cramps, tetany and paresthesias.
D. osteoporosis and myopathy.
B180 C1 1
180. After examining a female patient who was referred to
physical therapy for posterior thoracic pain, you have found
no musculoskeletal causes for the patient’s symptoms.
Pain may be referred to the thoracic region from the:
A. appendix.
B. gall bladder.
C. heart.
D. ovary.
B181 C6 3
181. An 82 year-old patient with a transfemoral amputation is to
be fitted with a temporary prosthesis containing a SACH
prosthetic foot. This prosthetic foot:
A. absorbs energy through a series of bumpers,
permitting sagittal plane motion only.
B. allows full sagittal and frontal plane motion.
C. allows limited sagittal plane motion with a small
amount of mediolateral motion.
D. is an articulated foot with multiplanar motion.
B182 C8 2
182. An 82 year-old patient demonstrates significant
proprioceptive losses in both lower extremities, distal
greater than proximal. Effective compensatory strategies to
assist in ambulation training would consist of:
A. constant verbal cuing concerning his foot position.
B. having him watch the position of his feet while
standing.
C. limiting his ambulation and focusing on wheelchair
mobility.
D. walking on smooth tile floors.
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Practice Questions 19
B183 C3 1
183. A patient is referred for inpatient cardiac rehabilitation. He
has a diagnosis of sinus bradycardia. You observe the
patient carefully for worsening signs and symptoms of
sinus bradycardia that include:
A. fibrillatory waves instead of P waves on his ECG.
B. hypotension, chest pain, and dizziness.
C. palpitations and racing HR.
D. ST segment depression with T wave flattening.
B184 C5 3
184. Your patient complains of pain in the shoulder region
secondary to subdeltoid bursitis. Pain is reported to be
9/10. As part of the plan of care during the acute phase,
you elect to use conventional TENS which will modulate
the pain primarily by:
A. ascending inhibition.
B. descending inhibition.
C. gate control mechanisms.
D. stimulation of endorphins.
B185 C1 1
185. A thirty-five year-old male laborer describes a sudden
onset of back pain while trying to lift a heavy barrel with
another worker. He describes his pain as constant,
unremitting at an intensity of 10/10 over the last three days.
He is unable to work, but can drive himself to the clinic for
treatment. Medication has not influenced his symptoms. He
states he has never had any other back-related symptoms
in the past. MOST LIKELY involved in his symptomatology
is:
A. discal dysfunction.
B. early degenerative osteoarthritis.
C. neoplastic disease.
D. secondary gain.
B186 C3 1
186. Following a myocardial infarction, a patient was placed on
medications which included a beta-adrenergic blocking
agent. When monitoring this patient’s response to exercise,
you expect this drug will cause heart rate to:
A. be low at rest and rise linearly as a function of
increasing workload.
B. be low at rest and rise very little with exercise.
C. increase proportionally to changes in diastolic blood
pressure.
D. increase proportionally to changes in systolic blood
pressure.
B187 C7 3
187. You are working in an outpatient clinic that has provider
contracts with many types of insurance plans. A large
percentage of the clinic’s patients have insurance coverage
that has a contract that pays a flat rate of reimbursement
per episode of care. Your supervisor tells you never to treat
these patients for more than five visits. You should:
A. ignore your supervisor and treat the patients at the
frequency and duration appropriate for their condition.
B. keep track of all your patients insured by this plan,
and make certain they average less than or equal to
five visits in aggregate.
C. resign from the clinic and report the supervisor to the
state’s licensing board.
D. speak to your supervisor about concerns you have
that the policy is in conflict with the Code of Ethics.
B188 C4 3
20 Practice Questions
188. Your patient is a 65 year-old with a 20 year history of
diabetes. Changes include vascular insufficiency and
diminished sensation of both feet with poor healing of a
superficial skin lesion. It is important that he understand the
precautions and guidelines on foot care for people with
diabetes. All of the following will BEST accomplish this goal
except instructing the patient to:
A. inspect the skin daily for inflammation, swelling,
redness, blisters, or wounds.
B. use daily hot soaks of feet followed by an application
of petroleum jelly to moisturize skin.
C. wash the feet daily with mild soap, dry thoroughly,
and hydrate with moisturizing lotion.
D. wear oxford-type or jogging shoes that allow
adequate room and change shoes frequently.
B189 C1 1
189. A patient complained of an inability to fully extend his knee
when running. During your examination you determine that
he cannot fully extend his knee while positioned in supine
with the foot dorsiflexed and the hip flexed first to 60
degrees and then 90 degrees. The tightness is most likely
caused by the:
A. gastrocnemius.
B. hamstrings.
C. psoas.
D. soleus.
B190 C1 2
190. A nineteen year-old male soccer player sustained a Grade
II inversion ankle sprain two weeks ago. Interventions in
the early subacute phase of rehabilitation should include:
A. closed-chain lower extremity strengthening,
proprioceptive exercises, and an orthosis.
B. lower extremity strengthening for soccer and other
ADL-related tasks.
C. open-chain lower extremity exercises, crutch training,
and ankle wrap.
D. rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE).
B191 C5 2
191. A 46 year-old patient was referred to you following a
tendon transfer of the extensor carpi radialis longus. The
muscle strength tested 2/5 in spite of previous intensive
therapy. You choose biofeedback to assist in progressively
increasing active motor recruitment. Initially, the EMG
biofeedback protocol should consist of:
A. high detection sensitivity with recording electrodes
placed closely together.
B. high detection sensitivity with recording electrodes
placed far apart.
C. low detection sensitivity with recording electrodes
placed closely together.
D. low detection sensitivity with recording electrodes
placed far apart.
B192 C8 1
192. You receive a referral from the nurse case manager for
physical therapy evaluation for an ambulation program. An
82 year-old has lost functional independence lately after
the recent death of his wife. His past medical history
includes stroke with minimal residual disability. Currently he
no longer goes out of his house and rarely even gets out of
his chair anymore. During the initial session you determine
that depression is likely the cause of his increasing
inactivity based on the presence of:
A. complaints of increasing dizziness and palpitations
401936186.doc
B. low scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale.
C. sleep apnea
D. withdrawal, symptoms of fatigue and weight loss.
B193 C7 3
193. A 40 year-old ironworker has been laid off his construction
job for the last two years. He has a wife who is a
homemaker and seven small children. They are currently
on welfare. While raking leaves he has a stroke and is
admitted to the hospital. In this case, the third party payer
that would provide assistance is:
A. Medicaid.
B. Medicare Part A.
C. Social Security.
D. Worker’s Compensation
B194 C3 1
194. A patient has been on bedrest for two days following
revascularization surgery involving triple coronary artery
bypass graft. During his therapy session you suspect he
may be developing complications of deep vein
thrombophlebitis. The MOST important signs of this
potential medical emergency are:
A. dyspnea and tachypnea with leg pain.
B. pain in the calf after exercising, and diaphoresis.
C. paresthesias and a cyanotic cold extremity.
D. tenderness, aching, and swelling in the calf.
B195 C1 1
195. A patient referred to you for TMJ dysfunction states that
she has had three episodes of her jaw locking in an open
position. The MOST LIKELY cause of her problems is the:
A. disc.
B. lateral pterygoid muscle.
C. masseter muscle
D. retrodiscal lamina.
B196 C4 2
196. A 62 year-old patient is referred to physical therapy after a
fall and ORIF for a fracture of her right wrist. During your
initial examination, you observe that her skin and eyes
have a yellowish hue. When you question her about this
she tells you that she noticed it herself starting about 3 or 4
days ago. Your BEST course of action is to:
A. document your findings and consult with her
physician by phone after the treatment session.
B. document your findings and continue on with her
treatment.
C. send a written copy of your examination, including
your findings of her integumentary condition to her
referring physician.
D. write up your examination, then treat her problem with
whirlpool and massage.
B197 C1 2
197. A 75 year-old inpatient received a cemented total hip
replacement two days ago. The physical therapy plan of
care should have as its number one priority:
A. active range of motion exercises and early
ambulation using a walker, nonweightbearing.
B. passive range of motion exercises and gait training
using crutches, weightbearing to tolerance.
C. patient education regarding positions and movements
to avoid.
D. use of a CPM machine followed by gait training in the
parallel bars.
 Practice Questions 21

B198 C7 3
198. A patient is referred to you by an orthopedist with the
diagnosis of impingement syndrome of the shoulder. The
initial examination reveals signs and symptoms that are not
consistent with this diagnosis and more consistent with
thoracic spine pain and dysfunction. You treat the patient
consistent with your findings without communicating with
the referring physician. Months later you are sued by the
patient’s estate for failure to order a chest X-ray. The
patient died of undiagnosed metastatic lung cancer. You
are:
A. not legally licensed to order a chest X-ray, therefore
cannot be held responsible for the patient’s death
from metastatic lung cancer.
B. not responsible for the incorrect diagnosis because
your treatment was appropriate for the findings
identified on the initial examination.
C. responsible for communicating findings to the
referring physician when the findings are inconsistent
with a referring physician’s diagnosis.
D. responsible for making this diagnosis of possible
cancer consistent with your examination of this
patient.

B199 C5 3
199. A 44 year-old patient with lymphedema is receiving
intermittent compression to the left lower extremity. An
appropriate treatment time for home administration would
be up to:
A. 2 hours/3 times per week.
B. 30 minutes/daily.
C. 8 hours/3 times per week.
D. 8 hours/daily.

B200 C6 2
200. A patient with a 10 year history of multiple sclerosis
demonstrates 3+ extensor tone in both lower extremities.
You need to order her a wheelchair. It would be BEST to
recommend a:
A. electric wheelchair with toe loops.
B. standard wheelchair with a 30 degree reclining back.
C. standard wheelchair with elevating leg rests.
D. tilt-in-space wheelchair with a pelvic belt.

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22 Practice Questions

1. reaching for a multicolored object while in an unsupported, 44. within a few days following surgery to preserve tendon
guarded sitting position. gliding.
2. change to grade II mobilizations to reduce the joint and soft 45. decreased pain and tenderness at the fracture sites.
tissue irritation. 46. optic chiasm.
3. use frequent reinforcements for all desired behaviors. 47. common peroneal nerve.
4. isokinetic training using low resistance at fast movement 48. accuracy of the measurements increases at higher
speeds. saturation levels.
5. halo orthosis. 49. anterior cruciate ligament.
6. administer supplemental O2. 50. pendulum exercises.
7. electrical silence. 51. intense cold, burning, and aching, followed by numbness.
8. passive ROM exercise. 52. individual facilities modifying its format and implementation
9. stretching of scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles for schedule.
early thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms. 53. practice isolated small range quadriceps eccentric control
10. hypoglycemia; you immediately administer orange juice work in standing and continue with the straight cane.
and notify his physician. 54. progressive resistance training for the quadriceps.
11. modify her exercise prescription to decrease the intensity 55. the patient’s employer when the condition is work-related.
and duration but maintain a frequency of 3 times/week. 56. combining the usage of a lumbar support, armrests, and
12. provide real-life examples that link learning to her personal increase the angle between the seat pan and backrest to
experiences. between 90-110 degrees.
13. daily, following the initial examination. 57. suprascapular nerve.
14. exercise-induced bronchospasm. 58. needs assessment performed by a physical therapist.
15. isotonic exercises using ankle weights. 59. repetition of movements and positions that provoke
16. strengthen hip extensors through bridging. dizziness and vertigo.
17. Sulfamylon 60. inadequate knee friction or too little tension in the extension
18. cataracts aid.
19. an environmental and daily structure in which the patient is 61. give him some water to drink and report your findings to his
best able to process stimuli cognitively. physician immediately.
20. sitting, weight bearing on extended left arm, weight shifting. 62. greater than 1 mm ST segment depression, horizontal or
21. the spread of scores with cold treatment demonstrates downsloping.
variability is greater. 63. neutral warmth.
22. supraspinatus 64. ipsilateral weakness and loss of position sense and
23. restrict all movement. vibration below the lesion level with contralateral loss of
24. weak deltoids. pain & temperature sensation.
25. the infant’s head is turned to the right. 65. demonstrate the task, then practice with the patient.
26. provide a questionnaire to all participants two weeks before 66. home health agency rehabilitation services.
the scheduled session. 67. socket is aligned too far forward or tilted anteriorly.
27. maximum use of demonstration and gesture. 68. sustained maximal inspiration training with an incentive
28. provide suggestions to nursing for positioning for optimal spirometer.
motor development. 69. a high back.
29. closed-chain functional strengthening of the quadriceps 70. phonophoresis to reduce inflammation of the tendinous
femoris and hamstrings emphasizing regaining terminal sheaths.
knee extension. 71. a pommel to keep hips abducted.
30. a black and white face, with a red nose, held approximately 72. sensory losses and sensory organization of balance.
nine inches from the infant’s eyes, moved horizontally. 73. the PT who is solely responsible for assessing the
31. position in sidelying, check to see if the airway is open, and competence of the PTA under their supervision.
immediately call for emergency assistance. 74. complete the written component of the discharge summary
32. dependent variable. at another time and evaluate this new patient.
33. slowed respiratory rate. 75. ankle plantarflexion and anterior pelvic tilt.
34. posterior plastic shell. 76. L4 nerve root compression.
35. Stage 1 ulcer formation. 77. take his BP pre and post exercise, using his non-shunt
36. four electrodes with current flow diagonal to the spinal arm.
column. 78. three-point.
37. 9-10 months. 79. since a no treatment group was not used for comparison,
38. postural reeducation, soft tissue mobilization, and dynamic no conclusions can be reached.
stabilization. 80. stop the exercise and notify the physician immediately.
39. ask about previous work and other experiences related to 81. visual agnosia.
transferring individuals. 82. drugs that produce essential tremor.
40. skilled nursing facility. 83. examination for an orthosis.
41. taste sensation over the anterior tongue as well as motor 84. grasp the handrims posteriorly and pull them forward
function of facial muscles. abruptly and forcefully.
42. decreased trunk rotation with shorter steps. 85. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with dysphagia and
43. orthostatic hypotension and dizziness. diminished gag reflex.
86. partial squats progressing to lunges.

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 Practice Questions 23

87. low lumbar (L4-L5). 127. modalities to reduce pain and inflammation as the result of
88. paraffin with the patient positioned in a recumbent position. subdeltoid bursitis.
89. front wheel rolling walker that folds. 128. alterations in memory, confusion, and disorientation.
90. forward, producing posterior tilting of the pelvis. 129. the applicant’s marital status.
91. demonstrate PROM techniques, offering corrections as 130. cause femoral anteversion and knee strain.
they perform the exercises for you. 131. dorsal column/lemniscal pathways or somatosensory
92. facial nerve pathology: Bell’s palsy. cortex.
93. standard postural drainage for the lateral basal segment, 132. several times a week using interval training, for 10 to 15
left lower lobe. minute periods.
94. these cognitive symptoms are intermittent and come on 133. a statement ensuring the subject’s commitment to
suddenly, often at night. participate for the duration of the study.
95. analysis of variance. 134. sacroiliac joints.
96. utilize demonstration and gesture to get the idea across of 135. skin and electrodes.
what you want him to do. 136. improve positioning for pressure relief or for patients with
97. insufficient knee friction. extensor spasms.
98. plastic cervical orthosis and axillary splints (airplane 137. practice walking in areas of high illumination and low
position). clutter.
99. compression of the common peroneal nerve. 138. angina increasing in intensity and unresponsive to the
100. bridging with arms at sides. nitroglycerin or rest.
101. give the patient’s family Medicare notification of 139. foot tapping in a sitting position.
noncoverage information, and carefully explain it, and their 140. dependency on others for all transportation needs.
options, which could include paying for the care out-of- 141. be too long or the knee mechanism too stiff.
pocket. 142. notify his physician immediately.
102. call the patient’s physician due to signs of theophylline 143. cold/intermittent compression combination followed by
toxicity. elevation.
103. there may be a dislocation at C1/C2 due to ligamentous 144. cervical spine.
laxity. 145. walking, intensity set at 50% target heart rate.
104. passive range of motion while emphasizing 146. shortened hip flexors.
scapulohumeral rhythm. 147. slowly stroke the finger extensors in a distal to proximal
105. weakness or severe spasticity of the quadriceps. direction.
106. povidone-iodine. 148. low intensity general conditioning exercises.
107. leg ergometry is highly correlated with RPE while arm 149. the distance of the load from the base of the spine.
ergometry is only moderately correlated. 150. anterior inferior translatory glides.
108. immediately return the patient to the referring physician 151. impairments in short-term memory.
with documentation indicating that treatment was 152. a positive Hallpike maneuver.
ineffective. 153. have the patient begin to walk in the hall outside of the P.T.
109. continuous US @ 3 MHz. clinic.
110. facilitation of early movement in synergistic patterns 154. breathing techniques that will decrease both respiratory
followed quickly by movement patterns out-of-synergy. rate and inspiratory volumes.
111. bilateral KAFO’s. 155. Kegel exercises several times a day.
112. strengthen the hip abductors on the right side. 156. posterior inferior cerebellar artery.
113. decreased loading of the knee by the quadriceps femoris 157. cathode placed in the wound.
muscle. 158. moderate intensity, (8-9 METS), and can be successfully
114. calcium alginate dressings. alternated with lower intensity walking, (5 METs), to
115. centralized gnawing pain with loss of postural control produce the right intensity.
during lifting activities. 159. treat this patient the same as any other patient with
116. involving the patient in decision making, emphasizing paraplegia.
safety and independent performance. 160. refused to treat this patient.
117. use a toe wedge. 161. continuous tremulousness.
118. high intensity workloads for short durations. 162. sacral sitting and sliding forward in the chair.
119. increased HR and RR along with dilated pupils. 163. exudate in the wound.
120. ambulation for exercise with a reciprocating gait orthosis 164. both HR and systolic/diastolic BP will be higher.
and Lofstrand crutches. 165. t-test.
121. placebo effect. 166. are highly structured to reduce anxiety and confusion.
122. respiratory alkalosis. 167. ranging individual muscles according to specific functional
123. avoid exercise during periods of peak insulin activity. needs.
124. will likely be resistant to activity training if unfamiliar 168. have the PTA supervise the class using the outlined
activities are used. exercise protocol until the therapist returns.
125. focus on knowledge of results and visual inputs. 169. isometric exercises at 10 degree intervals through the
126. pad over the transverse arch. range of motion.
170. decrease the ultrasound intensity.
171. Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities 174. tachycardia at a relatively low intensity of exercise with ST
(CARF). segment depression.
172. report these findings promptly to the physician. 175. posterior cervical muscle stretching and postural
173. spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. reeducation to relieve vertebral artery compression.
176. lateral foot rotation at heel strike.

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24 Practice Questions

177. place a brachial blood pressure cuff on the involved

extremity and inflate the cuff to a level above systole.
178. poor judgment with increased safety issues.
179. muscle cramps, tetany and paresthesias.
180. gall bladder.
181. allows limited sagittal plane motion with a small amount of
mediolateral motion.
182. having him watch the position of his feet while standing.
183. hypotension, chest pain, and dizziness.
184. gate control mechanisms.
185. secondary gain.
186. be low at rest and rise very little with exercise.
187. speak to your supervisor about concerns you have that the
policy is in conflict with the Code of Ethics.
188. use daily hot soaks of feet followed by an application of
petroleum jelly to moisturize skin.
189. gastrocnemius.
190. closed-chain lower extremity strengthening, proprioceptive
exercises, and an orthosis.
191. high detection sensitivity with recording electrodes placed
closely together.
192. withdrawal, symptoms of fatigue and weight loss.
193. Medicaid.
194. tenderness, aching, and swelling in the calf.
195. disc.
196. document your findings and consult with her physician by
phone after the treatment session.
197. patient education regarding positions and movements to
avoid.
198. responsible for communicating findings to the referring
physician when the findings are inconsistent with a
referring physician’s diagnosis.
199. 8 hours/daily.
200. tilt-in-space wheelchair with a pelvic belt.

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