A 70-year-old retiree and a low-income family each need public health coverage. Which pairing of program and group is correct?Medicare.gov, Get started with Medicare (Medicaid: MedlinePlus, Medicaid, https://medlineplus.gov/medicaid.html). Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 001
A label gives a liquid medicine dose as 10 mL. How many teaspoons is that?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Liquid medication administration. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 002
A prescription note reads "TID PRN". What do the two abbreviations mean?MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), Appendix B: Some Common Abbreviations. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 003
An adult weighs 160 pounds and is 64 inches tall. Using the body mass index formula in MedlinePlus, what is the BMI, and which category is it?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Body mass index. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 002
From its word parts, what does the term "hepatitis" mean?MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), Appendix A: Word Parts and What They Mean. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 003
Show all 49 questions (44 more)
Academic foundations, continued
In science, how does a theory differ from a hypothesis?University of California Museum of Paleontology, Understanding Science: Science at multiple levels. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 002
Which organization, founded in 1948, is the United Nations agency for health?World Health Organization, About WHO. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 001
Which term is built from the word parts for "fast" and "heart"?MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine), Appendix A: Word Parts and What They Mean. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 003
Which two public health insurance programs were established by the law President Lyndon B. Johnson signed on July 30, 1965?Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, History. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain I, competency 001
Medical sciences 9
After a Gram stain, the bacteria in a sample stay purple. How are they classed?MedlinePlus Medical Tests, Gram Stain. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 005
The CDC epidemiology course sorts the ways an infectious agent travels from its reservoir to a host into direct and indirect transmission. Which pair makes up direct transmission?CDC, Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, Lesson 1, Section 10: Chain of Infection (CDC archive). Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 005
In an infectious disease, what is the incubation period?CDC, Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, Lesson 1, Section 9: Natural History and Spectrum of Disease (CDC archive). Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 006
What is the functional unit of the kidney, of which each kidney holds over a million?National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology: Kidneys. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 004
What separates a malignant tumor from a benign one?National Cancer Institute, What Is Cancer?. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 006
Where in the lungs does the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between air and blood take place?National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology: Bronchi, Bronchial Tree, and Lungs. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 004
Which anatomical plane divides the body into right and left sides?National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology: Anatomical Terminology. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 004
Which cells secrete insulin, and in response to what?National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology: Pancreas, Islets of Langerhans. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 004
Which part of the heart's conduction system is called the pacemaker because it sets the basic rhythm of the heartbeat?National Cancer Institute, SEER Training Modules, Anatomy and Physiology: Physiology of the Heart. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain II, competency 004
Occupational knowledge 22
A class on warning signs learns that heart attack symptoms can differ between men and women. Which symptoms does the National Institute on Aging say women are more likely than men to have?National Institute on Aging, What Is a Heart Attack?. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 011
A patient uses a non-mainstream approach in place of conventional medicine. Which term does the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health use for this?National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What's In a Name?. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 009
A student says that older adults can no longer learn anything new. How does the National Institute on Aging answer this myth?National Institute on Aging, 10 Common Misconceptions About Aging. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 007
A technician attaches electrodes to a patient's arms, legs and chest for an electrocardiogram. What does the test record?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Electrocardiogram. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 012
The DASH eating plan is a balanced eating plan for a heart-healthy style of eating. What do the letters DASH stand for?National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, DASH Eating Plan. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 011
For which germs are airborne precautions used in a hospital, according to MedlinePlus?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Isolation precautions. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 013
How does a generic drug compare with its brand-name counterpart?U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Generic Drug Facts. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 009
How does hospice care differ from palliative care, as the National Institute on Aging describes them?National Institute on Aging, What Are Palliative Care and Hospice Care?. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 007
How does magnetic resonance imaging differ from computed tomography and regular x-rays?National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 012
How does the body react to stress in the short term, according to MedlinePlus?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Stress and your health. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 010
How does the National Institute of Mental Health tell stress from anxiety?National Institute of Mental Health, I'm So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 010
In a unit on health-related social issues, students study organ donation. Which statement matches MedlinePlus?MedlinePlus, Organ Donation. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 011
In the adult CPR steps MedlinePlus gives, what is the cycle of compressions and breaths, and how fast are compressions given?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, CPR - adult and child after onset of puberty. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 013
In which kind of talk therapy does a person learn to identify and question unhelpful thoughts and to change self-defeating behavior patterns?National Institute of Mental Health, Psychotherapies. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 010
On a Nutrition Facts label, which % Daily Value figures does the FDA call low and high for a nutrient in one serving?U.S. Food and Drug Administration, How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 008
U.S. law names nine major food allergens. Which list holds only foods on it?U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Allergies. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 008
Under OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens standard, what must an employer do about the hepatitis B vaccine?OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 013
What is the purpose of a Phase 1 clinical study of a new drug, and about how many people take part?U.S. Food and Drug Administration, The Drug Development Process, Step 3: Clinical Research. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 009
Which lifting technique follows the body mechanics MedlinePlus describes for preventing back injury?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Lifting and bending the right way. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 013
Which set of resting vital signs falls inside the normal ranges MedlinePlus gives for an average healthy adult?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Vital signs. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 012
Which statement about dementia matches the National Institute on Aging?National Institute on Aging, What Is Dementia? Symptoms, Types, and Diagnosis. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 007
Which vitamins are fat-soluble and kept in the liver, fatty tissue and muscles of the body?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Vitamins. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain III, competency 008
Professional responsibilities 9
A health care team uses SBAR to share information about a patient. What do the four letters stand for?Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, TeamSTEPPS 3.0, Tool: SBAR. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 014
A health science teacher wants a student organization that promotes career opportunities in the health industry. Which one is it?HOSA-Future Health Professionals, What is HOSA. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 014
A nurse finishes explaining a new inhaler and asks the patient to say in his own words what he will do at home. Which method is she using?Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, Tool 5: Use the Teach-Back Method. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 014
A patient sues a clinic for negligence. Which of these must the patient typically prove?Wex, negligence, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 016
A person comes to the emergency department of a Medicare-participating hospital and asks for treatment. What does the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act require first?Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA). Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 016
The National Health Science Standards ask students to tell apart careers within five health science pathways. Which list names all five?National Consortium for Health Science Education, National Health Science Standards. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 015
Under the minimum necessary standard of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, to what must a covered entity make reasonable efforts to limit the protected health information it uses or discloses?45 CFR 164.502 (HIPAA Privacy Rule, uses and disclosures), Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 016
What does a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order instruct health care providers to do?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Do-not-resuscitate order. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 016
What does informed consent mean for a patient, as MedlinePlus puts it?MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Informed consent - adults. Written to TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) Domain IV, competency 016
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the exam framework of TExES Health Science 6–12 (273) in Section 3 of the preparation manual on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website, https://www.tx.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/TX_SG_obj_273.htm (copyright Texas Education Agency), read 2026-10-08: 100 selected-response questions in four domains, Academic Foundations about 19%, Medical Sciences 19%, Occupational Knowledge 43%, Professional Responsibilities 19%. This bank holds 49: 9, 9, 22 and 9. Every fact was read on the public page named under its question (48 pages, each opened 2026-10-08): MedlinePlus and its medical encyclopedia, the National Cancer Institute's SEER training modules, the National Institute on Aging, NIMH, NHLBI, NIBIB, NCCIH, FDA, CMS, AHRQ, OSHA, the CDC archive, WHO, the Legal Information Institute and others. Two answers are arithmetic from a formula the source gives. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This TExES 273 practice test follows the framework of Health Science 6–12, domain by domain. Practice for an exam, not medical advice. It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Texas Education Agency or Pearson.
Read the full guide
Four domains, one much larger
Occupational Knowledge is about 43% of the exam. Academic Foundations, Medical Sciences and Professional Responsibilities are about 19% each. The bank mirrors that with 22 questions in the first and 9 in each of the others.
Length of the real exam
It has 100 selected-response questions, and the 5-hour appointment leaves 4 hours 45 minutes for them. Exam mode gives 139 minutes for the 49 questions here.
Sources for every clinical fact
Each fact in a question and its explanation was read on the page linked beneath it: MedlinePlus, the National Cancer Institute's anatomy modules, the National Institute on Aging, the FDA, OSHA and others. A fact no public source confirmed was left out.
Medical terminology is a competency of its own (003): prefixes, suffixes, roots and abbreviations.
Questions and answers
What does the TExES Health Science 6-12 practice test cover?
All 16 competencies in outline: health care history and systems, medical terminology, anatomy, microbiology, disease, aging, nutrition, drugs, mental health, wellness, clinical skills, safety, communication, careers, ethics and law.
Is there a TExES Health Science 6-12 study guide?
The exam program's preparation manual is the free one. Section 3 holds the framework this page was written to, and each question here is tagged with a domain and competency number from it.
What is the passing score for TExES 273?
240, on the exam program's site. It is a scaled score, and the manual adds that some questions may not count toward it, so a count of right answers on this page cannot be turned into that figure.
Are these questions medical advice or real exam items?
Neither. They are study questions written for this site, each from a public source, and none is copied or reworded from the real exam or the manual's samples. For a health decision, ask a licensed clinician.