Kansas Medication Aide Practice Test

Unofficial practice for the Kansas CMA test: 85 questions of our own in the five areas the state names.

See all 85 with answers
A resident needs larger and larger doses of a drug to get the same effect. What is this called?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

Print covers the next 85 questions. Share this set copies a link to the same questions in the same order.

Exam mode: 85 questions, 90 minutes, 65 right to pass (76%).

More options

Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Bank checked October 15, 2026.

The real test, as Kansas publishes it

Questions
85
To pass
65 of 85 right
Time limit
90 minutes
Retakes
Two tries within 12 months of the start of the course. After that the course is taken again.
Who may sit
A person at least 18 who is on the Kansas nurse aide registry with no prohibitions, or a qualified intellectual disability professional.
Before the test
An approved medication aide course of at least 75 hours, 25 of them clinical.
Who gives it
The course sponsor, with a proctor, on the department's written test. The instructor may not proctor it.
Areas
Drugs by body system; giving medications, oxygen and non-sterile dressings; legal, ethical and current practice; communication; documentation.
Language
English only and no oral test. A candidate whose second language is English may use a bilingual dictionary.
Certification
Valid two years, and renewed with a 10-hour continuing education course.

Checked October 15, 2026 against K.A.R. 26-50-34 and the department's Kansas Certified Medication Aide Course Instruction Manual (May 10, 2013). Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

The department's course instruction manual (PDF)

Next step Pharmacology practice questionsCertified medication aide practice test

All 85 questions with answers

Drugs and body systems 34

  • A cream that acts mainly on the patch of skin where it is applied has what kind of effect? Answer: A local effect. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 4. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A heartbeat faster than 100 beats a minute is called what? Answer: Tachycardia. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident needs larger and larger doses of a drug to get the same effect. What is this called? Answer: Tolerance. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 4. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident on a blood pressure medication gets dizzy on standing. What does the curriculum advise? Answer: Rise slowly: sit, pause, then stand. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident on a diuretic is weighed each morning. What daily change is significant and reported to the licensed nurse at once? Answer: More than two pounds up or down. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 11. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
Show all 85 questions (80 more)

Drugs and body systems, continued

  • A resident on a thiazide diuretic has muscle cramps, weakness and an irregular heartbeat. Which problem do these signs point to? Answer: Too little potassium. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 11. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident starts phenazopyridine (Pyridium) for urinary pain. What should the resident be warned about? Answer: The urine may turn rust or red. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 11. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident takes a bulk-forming laxative such as psyllium. What goes with it? Answer: Additional fluids during the day. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 13. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident takes a nitroglycerin tablet under the tongue for chest pain. Which side effect does the curriculum list for this drug? Answer: A throbbing headache. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident takes many drugs that interact with one another. What does the curriculum call this? Answer: Polypharmacy. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 25. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident takes warfarin (Coumadin). Which finding should be reported as a sign of bleeding? Answer: Blood in the urine or stools. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident with diabetes is suddenly sweating, hungry, nervous and confused. What do these signs suggest? Answer: Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 18. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • A resident with low blood sugar is unconscious. What does the curriculum say about giving juice? Answer: Give nothing by mouth. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 18. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • After an inhaled bronchodilator, a resident says his heart is pounding. What does the curriculum say about this? Answer: The pulse may rise; watch the heart rate. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 12. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • At what time of day does the curriculum say to give a diuretic? Answer: Early in the day. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Before giving digoxin, the aide counts a pulse of 54. What does the curriculum say to do? Answer: Hold the dose and report to the licensed nurse. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • The body cannot clear one dose before the next is given, and the drug builds up in the blood. What is this called? Answer: Cumulation. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 4. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • High doses of major tranquilizers may cause tardive dyskinesia. Which sign fits it? Answer: In-and-out tongue movement and lip smacking. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 14. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • How does the curriculum say to give liquid iron? Answer: Through a straw, to protect the teeth. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • How is nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin) given, by the curriculum? Answer: With food. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 11. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • How should sublingual nitroglycerin tablets be kept? Answer: In the maker's dark glass container, capped. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • In Kansas adult care homes, who gives a resident an insulin injection? Answer: A licensed nurse. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 18. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic. Which imbalance can it lead to? Answer: Hyperkalemia. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 11. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Two medications given together work against each other and cancel their effects. What is this interaction called? Answer: Antagonism. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 4. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • What can happen when a nasal decongestant is used for a long time? Answer: Rebound congestion. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 12. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • What do miotic eye drops such as pilocarpine do for a resident with glaucoma? Answer: Constrict the pupil and lower eye pressure. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 15. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • What does an expectorant such as guaifenesin do? Answer: Loosens mucus so it is easier to cough up. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 12. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • When a drug is taken away, a resident has nausea, tremors and sweating. Which kind of dependence is this? Answer: Physical dependence. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 4. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Where in the body does most biotransformation of a medication take place? Answer: In the liver. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 4. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Which complaint is a sign of digoxin toxicity? Answer: Yellow-green halos around objects. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Which foods does the curriculum name as rich in potassium? Answer: Bananas and oranges. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 11. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Which side effect does the curriculum call common with ACE inhibitors such as lisinopril? Answer: Coughing. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Which statement about a drug's generic name is true? Answer: It is the official name, in lower case. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 8. Test area: Drugs and body systems.
  • Which vitamins does the curriculum list as fat-soluble? Answer: A, D, E and K. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 22. Test area: Drugs and body systems.

Giving medications, oxygen and dressings 22

  • A label reads 0.75 gram. How many milligrams is that? Answer: 750 milligrams. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 7. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • A resident gets two kinds of eye drops at the same hour. How long is allowed between the drops? Answer: About 3 to 5 minutes. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), appendix, Administration of Eye Medication. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • A resident has a sublingual tablet and three other pills due. When is the sublingual tablet given? Answer: Last, with no food or drink until it dissolves. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 5. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • A resident on oxygen becomes drowsy and confused, with slowed breathing. What does the aide do? Answer: Notify the licensed nurse immediately. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), appendix, Administration of Oxygen. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • A routine dose is scheduled for 8:00 with no special instructions. Within what window may it be given? Answer: 7:00 to 9:00. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • A tablet drops on the floor while the aide is setting up. What is done with it? Answer: It is discarded and never given. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • How close to the ordered time must a Parkinson's disease medication be given? Answer: No more than 30 minutes before or after. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • In a Kansas nursing facility, how warm may the medication room get? Answer: No warmer than 85 degrees F. Source: K.A.R. 28-39-156, (d)(4). Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • In relation to gloves, when must hands be washed? Answer: Immediately after the gloves are removed. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 3. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • In the apothecaries' system, what quantity does "ss" stand for? Answer: One half. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 7. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • The Kansas curriculum teaches seven rights. Which two were added to the older five? Answer: Right technique and right documentation. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • On an order, what does the abbreviation "noc" mean? Answer: Night. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 6. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • Oxygen is in use in a resident's room. Which safety rule does the curriculum give? Answer: No smoking in the room, with signs posted. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), appendix, Administration of Oxygen. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • What does the aide note when the old dressing comes off during a non-sterile dressing change? Answer: The drainage and the skin around the wound. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), appendix, Administration of Dressings. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • What must be done with a suspension before a dose is poured? Answer: The bottle is shaken well. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 5. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • Where is the level of a liquid medication read in the medicine cup? Answer: At the bottom of the meniscus, at eye level. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • Which tablets may be cut in half? Answer: Only tablets that are scored. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • Which two drugs does the curriculum name as measured in units? Answer: Heparin and insulin. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 7. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • Who decides whether a resident's tablet may be crushed? Answer: A licensed nurse or a pharmacist. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • Who works out a dose when a dosage has to be calculated? Answer: A pharmacist or a licensed nurse. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 7. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • Why does the aide wear gloves to apply nitroglycerin ointment or a patch? Answer: The aide could absorb the drug through the skin. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 10. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.
  • Why must a timed-release capsule never be crushed or opened? Answer: The resident could receive an overdose. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 5. Test area: Giving medications, oxygen and dressings.

Communication 7

  • A caller leaves a phone message for the nurse. What does the curriculum say to do? Answer: Write it down, check spelling, repeat it back. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 2. Test area: Communication.
  • A daughter asks the medication aide how her mother is responding to a new drug. What usually happens? Answer: The aide tells the nurse, who talks to the family. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 2. Test area: Communication.
  • A resident is hard of hearing. Which step does the curriculum give for speaking with her? Answer: Face her so she can follow your lips. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 2. Test area: Communication.
  • A resident with memory loss insists it is 1975. Which approach does the curriculum give? Answer: Use validation; do not argue or correct. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 2. Test area: Communication.
  • In an elderly resident, what may be the first clue to an adverse drug reaction? Answer: A change in behavior or appearance. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 1. Test area: Communication.
  • Which observation is reported to the nurse immediately? Answer: Chest pain with difficulty breathing. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 2. Test area: Communication.
  • Which of these is objective data? Answer: A rash the aide can see on the arm. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 2. Test area: Communication.

Documentation 8

  • A scheduled dose is refused. How is that shown on the MAR, by the curriculum? Answer: Circle the scheduled time and initial. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 24. Test area: Documentation.
  • After a PRN dose, what is recorded besides the dose? Answer: The reason for it and the resident's response. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Documentation.
  • An aide finds she did not record a dose she gave. What must be entered? Answer: A late entry in the clinical record. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 23. Test area: Documentation.
  • An aide writes the wrong time in a resident's chart. How is the error corrected? Answer: One line through it, initialed and dated. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 24. Test area: Documentation.
  • In a Kansas assisted living facility, when is a dose documented on the MAR? Answer: Immediately before or right after it is given. Source: K.A.R. 26-41-205, (d)(3)(D). Test area: Documentation.
  • In a Kansas nursing facility, how soon must the physician counter-sign a verbal order? Answer: Within seven working days. Source: K.A.R. 28-39-156, (b)(4). Test area: Documentation.
  • The MAR says "upon arising" and gives no clock time. What does the aide document? Answer: The actual clock time the dose was given. Source: K.A.R. 26-41-205, (d)(3)(D). Test area: Documentation.
  • Which charting practice does the curriculum accept? Answer: Recording only what you saw, heard or did. Source: KDADS, Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), Unit 24. Test area: Documentation.

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to what Kansas publishes for a certified medication aide. K.A.R. 26-50-34 sets the state test at 85 multiple-choice questions with 65 correct to pass, and the Kansas Certified Medication Aide Course Instruction Manual of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (May 10, 2013, adopted by reference in K.A.R. 26-50-12) gives one and one-half hours and five areas of knowledge: drug classification, action, side effects and nursing care by body system; administering medications, monitoring oxygen therapy and applying non-sterile dressings; legal, ethical and current practice; communication; and documentation. The bank holds 34, 22, 14, 7 and 8 questions on them; the state publishes no question count per area. Every fact was read on 2026-10-15 in the source the question names: the Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum (May 10, 2013), 73 questions (4 of them from its appendices on eye medication, dressings and oxygen), and K.A.R. 26-50-30, 26-50-34, 26-50-38, 26-41-205 and 28-39-156, 12 questions. The regulations were read in the public copy at law.cornell.edu. The department's two documents were read in the Internet Archive's copies of the department's own files (captures to November 16, 2025). Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This practice test for the Kansas certified medication aide (CMA) state test is free, with no account. It is unofficial and not affiliated with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which runs the program.

Read the full guide

What the Kansas CMA test covers

The state test has 85 multiple-choice questions in one and one-half hours, and 65 right pass. The department's manual names five areas: drugs by body system; giving medications, oxygen and non-sterile dressings; legal and ethical practice; communication; and documentation.

A Kansas med aide study guide, in questions

Every answer names its unit of the Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum or its regulation. The curriculum answers 73 questions; K.A.R. 26-50 and the adult care home rules answer 12.

Where Kansas differs

A Kansas medication aide works under an LPN or RN, gives nothing by a route that punctures the skin, takes no phone orders, and renews with a 10-hour course every two years.

  • The Kansas curriculum teaches seven rights, not five: it adds right technique and right documentation.

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the Kansas CMA test?

Eighty-five multiple-choice questions, by K.A.R. 26-50-34. At least 65 correct answers pass, and the department's manual gives one and one-half hours.

Is there a Kansas med aide study guide?

The department publishes the Kansas Certified Medication Aide Curriculum: 25 units, from legal practice through drugs by body system to giving medications to the elderly. No question here repeats the curriculum's own study guide samples.

Is this practice certified med aide test for Kansas the real one?

No. The state test is closed. These are our own questions, written from the Kansas curriculum and regulations and from no test form.

How many times can you take the Kansas medication aide test?

Twice within 12 months of the start of the course, by K.A.R. 26-50-34. After that the 75-hour course is taken again, which gives two more tries.

More tests

Show 8 more

Browse Safety and Trades