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Free RMA Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free RMA practice test to study every exam domain.

The RMA exam has 210 questions and runs 2 hours.

Question 1

Which chamber of the heart pumps oxygenated blood out through the aorta to the body?

  1. The left ventricle (pumps to the body)
  2. The right atrium (receives venous return)
  3. The right ventricle (pumps to the lungs)
  4. The left atrium (receives oxygenated blood)
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - The left ventricle (pumps to the body)

The left ventricle is the heart's high-pressure pump. Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium, moves to the right ventricle, and is pumped through the pulmonary artery to the lungs.

Question 2

Insulin is produced and secreted by which specific cells of the pancreas?

  1. Acinar cells, which secrete digestive enzymes
  2. Alpha cells of the islets of Langerhans, which secrete glucagon
  3. Beta cells of the islets of Langerhans, which secrete insulin
  4. Delta cells of the islets of Langerhans, which secrete somatostatin
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Beta cells of the islets of Langerhans, which secrete insulin

The pancreas has two functions: exocrine (acinar cells release digestive enzymes into the duodenum) and endocrine (the islets of Langerhans release hormones into the blood).

Question 3

A patient submits a written request to receive a copy of their medical records. Under HIPAA, the practice must respond and provide access within how many calendar days?

  1. Within 7 calendar days of the request
  2. Within 14 calendar days of the request
  3. Within 30 calendar days of the request
  4. Within 60 calendar days of the request
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Within 30 calendar days of the request

HIPAA's Privacy Rule (45 CFR 164.524) gives covered entities 30 calendar days to act on a patient's access request. A one-time 30-day extension is allowed if the practice notifies the patient in writing of the reason for the delay.

Question 4

A patient has not yet met their $500 annual deductible. They have an 80/20 coinsurance plan. They receive a covered service billed at $2,000 (the insurer's allowed amount). What is the patient's total out-of-pocket responsibility for this visit?

  1. $400 (coinsurance only, deductible already counted)
  2. $500 (the deductible only, no coinsurance)
  3. $800 (deductible plus 20% of the full $2,000)
  4. $800 (deductible plus 20% of the remaining $1,500)
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - $800 (deductible plus 20% of the remaining $1,500)

Question 5

An unconscious adult patient is brought to the clinic in cardiac arrest. The patient cannot give verbal consent for emergency treatment. Under what legal doctrine may treatment proceed?

  1. Express consent, given verbally before the visit
  2. Informed consent, signed at a previous appointment
  3. Implied consent, presumed in a true medical emergency
  4. Substituted consent, given by any nearby family member
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Implied consent, presumed in a true medical emergency

Implied consent (also called the emergency exception or emergency doctrine) presumes that a reasonable person would consent to life-saving treatment if they were able to.

Question 6

Per CDC guidelines, alcohol-based hand rub is generally preferred over soap and water for routine hand hygiene. However, soap and water are required after caring for a patient with which condition?

  1. Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection
  2. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
  3. Active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB)
  4. Influenza A or B
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection

C. difficile produces hardy spores that alcohol does NOT inactivate. The mechanical action of soap and running water is required to physically remove spores from the hands.

Question 7

Why is the dorsogluteal site no longer recommended for routine intramuscular injection in adults?

  1. It is too painful for most adult patients
  2. Risk of injury to the sciatic nerve and superior gluteal artery
  3. The deltoid muscle holds a larger injection volume
  4. It is too difficult to locate landmarks accurately
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - Risk of injury to the sciatic nerve and superior gluteal artery

The dorsogluteal site sits dangerously close to the sciatic nerve and the superior gluteal artery. Misplaced injections at this site have caused permanent foot drop, chronic pain, and serious bleeding - even in experienced hands.

Question 8

The provider orders 25 mg of an injectable medication IM. The vial contains a concentration of 50 mg/mL. How many milliliters should the medical assistant draw up?

  1. 0.25 mL of solution
  2. 0.5 mL of solution
  3. 1.0 mL of solution
  4. 2.0 mL of solution
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - 0.5 mL of solution

Question 9

A patient develops anaphylaxis (hives, wheezing, hypotension) minutes after receiving a vaccine. The first-line emergency medication is intramuscular epinephrine. What is the standard adult IM dose?

  1. 0.03 mg (0.03 mL of a 1:1,000 solution)
  2. 0.3 mg (0.3 mL of a 1:1,000 solution)
  3. 3 mg (3 mL of a 1:1,000 solution)
  4. 30 mg (30 mL of a 1:1,000 solution)
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - 0.3 mg (0.3 mL of a 1:1,000 solution)

The adult anaphylaxis dose is 0.3 mg (0.3 mL) of 1:1,000 epinephrine, given IM into the mid-anterolateral thigh (vastus lateralis) - the same dose delivered by an EpiPen auto-injector.

Question 10

Per current AHA Basic Life Support guidelines, what are the recommended chest compression rate and depth for an adult in cardiac arrest?

  1. 60 to 80 per minute, at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep
  2. 80 to 100 per minute, at least 1.5 inches (4 cm) deep
  3. 100 to 120 per minute, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep
  4. 120 to 140 per minute, at least 2.5 inches (6 cm) deep
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - 100 to 120 per minute, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep

AHA BLS guidelines call for chest compressions at 100-120 per minute and at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep, but no more than 2.4 inches (6 cm) - too shallow doesn't perfuse, too deep risks injury.

What's on the RMA exam

The Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam is organized into 4 knowledge domains. These free practice questions are drawn from across them so you can see where you're strong and where to study:

  1. Anatomy and Physiology (not publicly weighted)
  2. Administrative Medical Assisting (not publicly weighted)
  3. Clinical Medical Assisting (not publicly weighted)
  4. Clinical Patient Interaction (not publicly weighted)

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