• 50 questions

NOCTI Medical Assisting Practice Test

Unofficial practice for NOCTI Medical Assisting: office procedures, terminology, lab and diagnostic tests, clinical care, safety, patient instruction and law.

A stool sample is sent for an occult blood test. What does "occult" mean here?

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Exam mode: 50 questions, 46 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with NOCTI. Bank checked October 16, 2026.

Next step Weak on lab work? Phlebotomy questionsAnother medical assistant test: CCMA

All 50 questions

Medical Office Procedures 6

  • A new patient's insurance card shows an HMO plan. What does that usually mean for care from a doctor outside the plan's network? HealthCare.gov glossary, Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Office Procedures
  • A patient covered by a PPO plan chooses a specialist who is outside the plan's network. What does that choice mean for her? HealthCare.gov glossary, Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Office Procedures
  • A patient in an HMO wants to see a dermatologist. Which document from the primary care doctor does the plan often require first? HealthCare.gov glossary, Referral. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Office Procedures
  • A provider writes "type 2 diabetes" as the reason for a visit. Which code set is used in the United States to report a diagnosis? Wikipedia, ICD-10-CM. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Office Procedures
  • An insurer grants preauthorization for a patient's MRI. What has the insurer decided? HealthCare.gov glossary, Preauthorization. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Office Procedures
  • On an insurance claim, which code set reports the service that was performed, such as an office visit or a suture removal? Wikipedia, Current Procedural Terminology. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Office Procedures
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Foundations of Health Care 5

  • A label reads "take 2 teaspoons." How many milliliters is that? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 5.4. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Foundations of Health Care; the arithmetic was worked twice
  • A patient is scheduled for an arthrocentesis of the knee. What does the word part -centesis mean? MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), Appendix A: Word Parts and What They Mean. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Foundations of Health Care
  • An infant's length is recorded as 20 inches. What is it in centimeters, using 1 in = 2.54 cm? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 5.4. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Foundations of Health Care; the arithmetic was worked twice
  • On a lab requisition the box marked "CBC" is checked. Which test has the provider ordered? MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), Appendix B: Some Common Abbreviations. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Foundations of Health Care
  • Which body system holds the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra, and filters the blood to eliminate wastes? Nursing Assistant, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 11.7. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Foundations of Health Care

General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing 7

  • A distance vision result is recorded as 20/30. What does it mean? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 8.2. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing
  • A patient shivers through an ECG and the tracing looks like an arrhythmia. What are such distorted signals called? Wikipedia, Electrocardiography, Artifacts. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing
  • A stool sample is sent for an occult blood test. What does "occult" mean here? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 19.6. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing
  • Before a blood draw an elastic tourniquet is tied above the site. What does it do to the veins? Wikipedia, Venipuncture, Equipment. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing
  • On an ECG tracing, which part represents depolarization of the ventricles? Wikipedia, Electrocardiography. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing
  • Which pulmonary function test measures the volume and the flow of air a patient can inhale and exhale? Wikipedia, Spirometry. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing
  • Which vein, lying in front of the elbow close to the skin with few large nerves nearby, is a usual choice for drawing blood? Wikipedia, Venipuncture. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing

Clinical Practices and Patient Care 19

  • A blood pressure cuff is being chosen for an adult. About how wide should the cuff be, compared with the circumference of the upper arm? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 3.2. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • A bottle of liquid medicine holds 125 mg in every 5 mL. The provider wants the patient to receive 250 mg. What volume is measured out? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 5.9. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care; the arithmetic was worked twice
  • A clean surgical incision is closed with staples so that it heals beneath the closure. Which type of wound healing is this? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 20.2. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • A liquid medicine is ordered at 15 mg for each kilogram of body weight. The child weighs 20 kg. How many milligrams is the dose? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 5.11. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care; the arithmetic was worked twice
  • A patient asks for a refill of a Schedule II pain medication. What does federal law allow? Nursing Pharmacology, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 2.3. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • A patient with asthma is given a nebulizer treatment. In what form does a nebulizer deliver the medication? Wikipedia, Nebulizer. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • A provider orders an antipyretic for a child. What is a drug of this class given to do? Wikipedia, Antipyretic. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • A sterile field is set up on a tray. How much of the field, measured from its edge, is considered contaminated? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 4.4. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • A subcutaneous injection is ordered for a thin patient with little fatty tissue at the site. Which angle does the textbook give for such a patient? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 18.5. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • A tuberculosis skin test is placed on Monday morning. When is the patient told to come back to have it read? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 18.4. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • After an intradermal injection, a small blister rises under the skin at the site. What does this bleb show? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 18.4. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • An eye drop is to be instilled. Where is the drop allowed to fall? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 16.2. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • At what angle is the needle inserted for an intradermal injection, such as a tuberculosis skin test? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 18.4. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • Discharge is wiped from a patient's eyelids before eye drops are given. In which direction is each stroke made? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 16.2. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • During a minor surgery, an assistant in sterile gloves lets her hands drop to her sides. Why are the gloves no longer treated as sterile? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 4.4. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • For a pelvic examination the patient lies with the feet in stirrups, level with or above the hips. What is this position called? Wikipedia, Lithotomy position. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • The provider asks for the otoscope. Which part of the body is about to be examined? Wikipedia, Otoscope. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • What holds an indwelling urinary catheter in place in the neck of the bladder? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 21.2. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care
  • Which intramuscular injection site is preferred for an infant, and why? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 18.6. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Clinical Practices and Patient Care

Medical Assisting Safety 4

  • A medical assistant takes off her gloves after a dressing change. What comes next? Nursing Assistant, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, Chapter 4 glossary. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Assisting Safety
  • A new bottle of disinfectant arrives with its Safety Data Sheet. Into how many sections is the information on every such sheet arranged? OSHA Brief, Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheets (OSHA 3514). Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Assisting Safety
  • Under the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard, how is all human blood treated under Universal Precautions? OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1030, paragraph (b). Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Assisting Safety
  • What color must the warning labels on containers of regulated waste be under the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard? OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1030, paragraph (g)(1)(i)(C). Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Assisting Safety

Patient Instruction 4

  • A patient is given containers for sputum samples to test for tuberculosis. Which instruction matches the textbook? Nursing Skills, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 19.5. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Patient Instruction
  • After explaining wound care at discharge, a medical assistant asks the patient to explain it back in his own words. What is this method called? Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Use the Teach-Back Method: Tool 5. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Patient Instruction
  • An 88-year-old patient's temperature reads 96 degrees F. What does the textbook say about body temperature in older adults? Nursing Assistant, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 7.5. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Patient Instruction
  • In a SOAP note, a patient's own brief statement of why she came in is the chief complaint. Under which heading is it written? Wikipedia, SOAP note, Subjective component. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Patient Instruction

Medical Law and Ethics for Health Care 5

  • A patient asks the medical assistant what is wrong with him and which drug he should take. Whose role on the health care team is it to diagnose and prescribe? Nursing Assistant, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, section 2.3. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Law and Ethics for Health Care
  • A patient names her daughter to make health decisions for her if she can no longer speak for herself. Which legal document does this? Nursing Assistant, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, Chapter 6 glossary. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Law and Ethics for Health Care
  • An unconscious person will die without treatment at once, and no one is there to consent. Which doctrine permits treatment in such limited cases? Wikipedia, Informed consent. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Law and Ethics for Health Care
  • At a first visit, a patient is handed the office's notice of privacy practices. Which right under HIPAA does this notice meet? HIPAA rules, 45 CFR 164.520 (ecfr.gov), paragraph (a)(1). Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Law and Ethics for Health Care
  • Which advance directive sets out a patient's own wishes about ventilator support, a feeding tube and resuscitation? Nursing Assistant, an Open RN textbook published by WisTech Open under CC BY 4.0, Chapter 6 glossary. Written to NOCTI Medical Assisting (4455), Medical Law and Ethics for Health Care

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the competency list of the Job Ready Credential Blueprint for Medical Assisting (code 4455, version 01, copyright 2017) that NOCTI publishes at https://www.nocti.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/JRMedAsstg4455.pdf , read 2026-10-16: a written assessment of 197 questions in 3 hours over seven areas (Medical Office Procedures 12%; Foundations of Health Care 10%; General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing 14%; Clinical Practices and Patient Care 38%; Medical Assisting Safety 8%; Patient Instruction 9%; Medical Law and Ethics for Health Care 9%), plus a performance assessment of six jobs. This bank holds 50 in those proportions. Every fact in a question and its explanation was read on 2026-10-16 on the public page named under it: Nursing Skills, Nursing Pharmacology and Nursing Assistant, three Open RN textbooks published by WisTech Open under a Creative Commons BY 4.0 license; the HealthCare.gov glossary; the word-part and abbreviation lists of the National Library of Medicine's MedlinePlus; the OSHA bloodborne pathogens and hazard communication standards and OSHA's brief on safety data sheets; the HIPAA Privacy Rule on ecfr.gov; the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; and Wikipedia. A clinical fact that no public source confirmed was not asked. The four computed answers were worked twice. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site. The open textbooks are used for facts only, and no text, table or example is copied from them.

How it works

Practice for the NOCTI Medical Assisting test with 50 questions of our own, spread over the seven areas of Job Ready blueprint 4455. Unofficial and not affiliated with NOCTI; practice for an exam, not medical advice.

Read the full guide

Seven areas, clinical care first

Clinical Practices and Patient Care is 38% of the written assessment, so 19 of the 50 questions here. General Laboratory Procedures and Diagnostic Testing is 14%, Medical Office Procedures 12%, Foundations of Health Care 10%, Patient Instruction and Medical Law and Ethics 9% each, and Medical Assisting Safety 8%.

Timed at the real pace

The timed round keeps the real assessment's pace: 46 minutes for the 50 questions. It ends with the number right in each of the seven areas.

Six jobs for an evaluator

The performance jobs are not practiced here: positioning a patient, blood pressure and pulse, an electrocardiogram, visual acuity screening, a lab requisition form, and applying and removing sterile gloves.

  • Injection angles: intradermal 5 to 15 degrees, subcutaneous 45 or 90, intramuscular 90.
  • Dose sums: divide the amount ordered by the amount on hand, then multiply by the tablet or the milliliters it comes in.

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the NOCTI Medical Assisting test?

197 written questions, for which blueprint 4455 allows 3 hours in one, two or three sessions. Six performance jobs add 1 hour and 15 minutes.

What is on the NOCTI Medical Assisting test?

Records, scheduling, insurance and coding; terminology, anatomy and medical math; ECGs, specimens, vision, hearing and lung tests; exam room work, vital signs, asepsis, injections and drug classes; standard precautions and safety data sheets; patient teaching; and advance directives, HIPAA and scope of practice.

Is there a NOCTI Medical Assisting study guide?

NOCTI's guide is the blueprint, a free PDF in the index at nocti.org/credentials/blueprints: the competency list, each area's weight, ten sample questions and a sample job. The 50 questions here are written to that list; none of the ten samples is used or reworded.

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