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Free NREMT practice questionsFree Paramedic practice questions · EMS Operations

10 free Paramedic practice questions: Scene Safety, Personal Protection, and Infection Control

These are real questions from the same bank the app draws from. Each one is written to the NREMT Paramedic content specifications and kept inside the Paramedic scope of practice. Pick an answer and you get the full rationale, including why the other three options are wrong.

Work through all 10, then move on to the next topic. When you want the full picture, the free Paramedic diagnostic covers every topic in one sitting. No account needed for any of it.

Question 1 of 10

A paramedic responds to a residence at 1830 for a 4-year-old patient bitten by the family dog. A parent meets the crew at the front door and states the dog is still loose inside the house. What should the paramedic do?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Wait outside until the dog is secured in a separate room

The scene is not safe yet. The parent says the dog is still loose inside the house. This dog has already bitten a child. A loose dog that just bit someone is a hazard you cannot predict. Fear and adrenaline can make the dog move faster and more wildly than you can react while you are carrying gear. Scene safety comes before patient care. Wait outside until the dog is shut in a room behind a closed door or taken out of the house. Then go in. If the dog bites you, you become a second patient, and there is one less person to treat the child.

Why the others are wrong

Enter the residence and ask the parent to hold the dog: A parent holding the dog looks like a quick way to control it. Holding a dog is not the same as shutting the dog away. The dog is loose right now and has already bitten. Going in puts you in the same room as that dog.

Enter the residence with the stretcher between the crew and the dog: A stretcher between you and an animal can work as a barrier when you are moving past an animal that is already contained. This dog is loose and has already bitten a child. The dog can go around or under a stretcher faster than you can react. A stretcher only changes how you go in, not whether the scene is safe to go in yet.

Enter the residence after confirming the dog is vaccinated: Vaccination status matters for rabies risk and wound care once you reach the child. Knowing about the dog's shots does nothing about a loose dog in the house right now. Ask about vaccination after the dog is shut away and you are with the child.

Question 2 of 10

A paramedic wearing a gown, an N95 respirator, and eye protection approaches a 4-year-old patient at a residence for a fever and a forceful cough. The child screams and pulls away when the paramedic comes close. A parent asks the paramedic to take the mask off. What should the paramedic do?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Keep the equipment on and explain it simply

The child has a fever and a forceful cough. Your gown, N95 respirator, and eye protection are on for that reason. Taking the equipment off does not make the child less infectious. Removing the equipment only exposes you, your partner, and every patient you touch for the rest of the shift. A 4-year-old is normally frightened by a covered face. Keep the equipment on and work on the fear. Get down to the child's level. Talk in a calm, unhurried voice. Tell the child what the equipment is in words a 4-year-old understands. Let the child see the equipment up close, or on the parent first. Keep the parent where the child can see and touch them. Explain the reason to the parent at the same time. A parent who understands the reason usually helps instead of asking you to take the mask off.

Why the others are wrong

Remove the respirator while near the child: Removing the respirator is what the parent asked for. The child is just as infectious with the mask off. You, your partner, and the next patients you touch are all exposed.

Ask the parent to hold the child down for the assessment: Holding the child down forces the assessment to happen. Restraint makes a scared child more afraid. Every finding after that is harder to get.

Remove the eye protection and keep the respirator: Removing the eye protection still takes off part of the equipment this call needs. There is no medical reason to take the eye protection off. The child's fear is the problem to fix, and the gear stays on.

Question 3 of 10

A paramedic arrives at a farm where a worker has collapsed inside a grain bin and is lying motionless in the grain about 8 feet below the access hatch. Three coworkers are tying a rope around one of themselves and preparing to climb in. The confined space rescue team has been dispatched and is 15 minutes away. What should the paramedic do?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Instruct the coworkers to stay out of the bin

A grain bin is a confined space with two hazards a rope does not fix. The air inside may be low on oxygen or full of toxic gas and dust. The grain flows like a liquid and can bury anyone standing on it. The worker is already lying motionless in the grain, about 8 feet below the hatch. A worker lying motionless is proof the space is already dangerous. Most people who die in confined spaces are rescuers who went in after the first victim. Your duty to protect bystanders here means keeping three coworkers from becoming more patients. Keep everyone out until the confined space rescue team arrives. The team brings air monitoring, ventilation, and retrieval equipment.

Why the others are wrong

Direct the coworkers to enter with the rope in place: A rope lets someone outside pull a rescuer back out. A rope does nothing about bad air or flowing grain. The coworker on the rope can still pass out or be buried before anyone pulls.

Send one coworker in to open the bin's lower hatch: Sending one coworker in to open the lower hatch keeps the risk to one person. That one person still goes into the same bad air and flowing grain that likely caused the first collapse.

Have the coworkers enter in pairs to remove the patient: Entering in pairs puts more people in the bin, not fewer. Each coworker who goes in faces the same bad air and flowing grain as the first worker.

Question 4 of 10

A paramedic responds to a warehouse where a worker was exposed to a dry chemical. The hazardous materials team has completed decontamination and has moved the patient to the cold zone. The patient is alert, has no remaining product on the skin or clothing, and reports skin irritation. Which protective equipment should the paramedic wear to treat this patient?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Examination gloves and eye protection

Decontamination is complete, and the patient has no remaining product on the skin or clothing. The chemical was the hazard, and the chemical is gone. With the chemical removed, there are no fumes, no residue to touch, and nothing left to soak in through the skin. An alert patient with skin irritation in the cold zone is routine patient care. Use standard precautions, which here means examination gloves and eye protection. Heavier protective gear adds no safety at this point and only slows your assessment and treatment.

Why the others are wrong

Chemical-resistant suit and respirator: A chemical-resistant suit and respirator are for responders in the hot or warm zone, working around active product before decontamination. This patient is in the cold zone, and decontamination is complete.

Self-contained breathing apparatus: protects you from an active breathing hazard in the air. The chemical was dry, and the hazardous materials team has already removed the chemical from the patient. The patient is alert and has no breathing complaint.

N95 respirator and gown: An N95 respirator and gown are for a suspected airborne infection. Nothing in this question points to an infection. The patient has skin irritation from a chemical that is already gone.

Question 5 of 10

During scene size-up, what makes an incident a mass-casualty incident?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · More patients than the available resources can handle

A mass-casualty incident is any incident with more patients than the available resources can handle. An MCI starts the moment the number and severity of patients are more than the crews and equipment on scene can manage. Calling an MCI is a triage and command decision, not a headcount. That decision tells you whether to start a triage system like START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment). It also tells you whether to call for mutual aid and set up incident command before treatment begins. Running an overwhelmed scene like a routine call delays care for the patients who need it most.

Why the others are wrong

Three or more patients are involved: Some agencies use three or more patients as a trigger to start their MCI plan. The number is set by local policy, and it is not the definition of an MCI. A crash with three stable patients and four ambulances on scene is not an MCI.

At least one patient is in critical condition: One critical patient is a high-acuity call that needs fast transport and advanced care. Severity alone does not overwhelm a properly staffed response. One critical patient with enough crews on scene is a serious call, not an MCI.

More than one agency is dispatched: More than one agency gets sent because of the type or location of an incident. A highway crash, for example, needs fire, law enforcement, and EMS. The number of agencies has nothing to do with whether resources are overwhelmed. Mutual aid gets requested on plenty of single-patient calls too.

Question 6 of 10

A paramedic is preparing to transport a 62-year-old patient from a homeless shelter who reports three weeks of coughing, night sweats, and unintended weight loss. The patient is alert and speaks in short phrases, and the breathing is labored. The vital signs are BP 132/84, P 110, R 26, and SpO₂ 86% on room air. The paramedic and the partner are already wearing gloves, goggles, and fitted N95 respirators. What is the most appropriate action for the paramedic to take?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Place an NRB on the patient at 15 L/min

Three weeks of coughing, night sweats, and weight loss in a patient from a homeless shelter make you suspect tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is spread through the air. A patient with suspected tuberculosis normally wears a surgical mask to keep the germs in. This patient also has a saturation of 86% on room air and labored breathing, so this patient needs oxygen. Once the patient needs oxygen, the surgical mask comes off and an NRB goes on at 10 to 15 L/min. The NRB still covers the patient's mouth and nose. You and your partner are protected by the fitted N95 respirators, goggles, and gloves you already have on.

Why the others are wrong

Place a surgical mask on the patient over a nasal cannula: A surgical mask over a nasal cannula keeps the mask on and adds some oxygen. A nasal cannula will not fix a saturation of 86% with labored breathing. The NRB replaces the surgical mask instead of going under the mask.

Place a particulate respirator on the patient over a nasal cannula: A particulate respirator is the mask you wear to protect yourself. On the patient, a particulate respirator is uncomfortable and adds nothing. The patient also still has a saturation of 86% that a nasal cannula will not fix.

Place a surgical mask on the patient and continue to monitor: A surgical mask and monitoring is the usual plan for a coughing patient who does not need oxygen. This patient has a saturation of 86% on room air and labored breathing. Watching without giving oxygen leaves the hypoxia untreated.

Question 7 of 10

A crew has transferred a patient with a large scalp laceration at the emergency department. Blood is on the squad bench and on the stretcher rails. The paramedic has removed and discarded the gloves worn during patient care, has washed the hands, and is now preparing to clean and disinfect the patient compartment. Which gloves should the paramedic put on for this task?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Heavy-duty utility gloves

Heavy-duty utility gloves are the gloves for cleaning and disinfecting the ambulance. Cleaning the unit is a different job from patient care, and it takes a different glove. The question tells you there is blood on the squad bench and on the stretcher rails. Lightweight latex and vinyl gloves are not used for cleaning. Examination gloves are for patient contact and procedures. Put on utility gloves before you start cleaning the patient compartment.

Why the others are wrong

Two pairs of latex examination gloves: Double gloving is a real recommendation for patient care when there is a lot of bleeding. This patient has already been handed off at the emergency department. Two pairs of lightweight latex gloves are still not cleaning gloves.

A fresh pair of vinyl examination gloves: A fresh pair of examination gloves is what you put on for patient contact. Vinyl examination gloves are one of the lightweight gloves that are not used for cleaning.

Leather rescue gloves over examination gloves: Leather rescue gloves are chosen to protect your hands from punctures during extrication, not for handling disinfectants. Leather also has to be treated as contaminated until it can be decontaminated, so wearing leather adds one more thing to clean.

Question 8 of 10

A paramedic is returning an ambulance to service after transporting a patient with a bleeding head wound. A patch of dried blood remains on the squad bench. The used linen has been stripped from the stretcher and the contaminated disposable supplies have been discarded. The paramedic is holding a spray bottle of hospital-approved disinfectant. What should the paramedic do next?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Wash the bench with soap and water, then apply the disinfectant

Wash the dried blood off the bench with soap and water first, then apply the disinfectant. Cleaning and disinfecting are two different steps, and cleaning always comes first. Cleaning means removing the blood you can see. Disinfecting means killing the germs with a chemical made for that job. The disinfectant cannot work if the blood is still there. Spraying the disinfectant onto dried blood leaves the blood on the bench, and the chemical never reaches the germs underneath.

Why the others are wrong

Spray the disinfectant on the blood and wipe the bench dry: Spraying and wiping skips the wash, and then wiping the bench dry makes it worse. Most disinfectants, including bleach solutions, have to stay wet on the surface for a set contact time. Wiping the bench dry cuts that contact time short.

Spray the disinfectant on the blood and let the bench air dry: Letting the bench air dry is the right way to finish. This option still skips the wash. The dried blood stays on the bench and keeps the disinfectant from reaching the germs under it.

Spray the disinfectant on the blood and repeat at the station: Spraying a second time does not make up for the wash you skipped. The blood is still on the bench under both sprays, and the ambulance carries that blood back to the station.

Question 9 of 10

A 72-year-old patient in a skilled nursing facility has acute abdominal pain. The patient has had repeated episodes of diarrhea, has not vomited, and has no visible bleeding. Several other patients in the facility are quarantined in a separate wing because of a gastroenteritis outbreak. Which precautions should the paramedic apply for this patient contact?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Gloves and a gown, for possible exposure to gastrointestinal fluid

Wear gloves and a gown. This patient has acute abdominal pain and repeated diarrhea, and the facility has a gastroenteritis outbreak. Diarrhea in a facility with a gastroenteritis outbreak should be treated as infectious. Infectious diarrhea calls for contact precautions. Gloves protect your hands when you touch the patient, the linens, and nearby surfaces. A gown keeps stool off your clothes while you move and care for this patient. The patient has not vomited, and nothing in the question describes a cough. Without vomiting or coughing, nothing is spraying toward your face, so you do not need a mask or eye protection.

Why the others are wrong

Gloves only, because there is no visible bleeding: Gloves alone are enough for a well patient with no body fluid exposure, like a twisted ankle. Visible bleeding is not the only exposure that matters. This patient has repeated diarrhea during a gastroenteritis outbreak. Infectious diarrhea needs a gown on top of the gloves.

Gloves and a mask, given the gastroenteritis outbreak: Gloves and a mask fit a respiratory illness that spreads by droplets, like influenza. Nothing in the question describes a cough or any other respiratory sign. The risk with this patient is contact with stool. A mask does nothing for that contact, and it leaves your clothes uncovered.

Gloves, mask, gown, and eye protection, as for active infection: A mask and eye protection go on when a patient is vomiting or coughing hard and can splash or spray you. This patient has not vomited and is not described as coughing. You pick PPE by what you might contact, not by the diagnosis. Gloves and a gown already cover contact with stool.

Question 10 of 10

A paramedic responds to a single-vehicle rollover on a rural highway. The vehicle has rolled about three times and is on its side. One occupant is alert, asking for help, and reporting arm pain. The vehicle is stable and no hazards are apparent. Which resource request is most appropriate?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Police for traffic control and fire for extrication standby

Call police for traffic control and fire for extrication standby. Only one patient has been found, and that patient is alert with arm pain. Your ambulance can handle the transport once care starts. The vehicle rolled about three times and is on its side. A vehicle like that can shift or trap the patient. An alert patient can still have injuries you cannot see yet. That's why fire comes on standby, ready to extricate if the patient needs it. Police protect the traffic lane on the rural highway. You do not need a second ambulance unless you find a second patient.

Why the others are wrong

Police, fire for extrication standby, and one more ambulance: A second ambulance is the right call once you have more than one patient. Only one occupant has been found here, alert and reporting arm pain. Calling a unit for a patient you do not have ties up an ambulance this scene does not need.

No additional resources; transport the patient immediately: Transporting right away with no extra help fits a simple call with no scene problems. A rollover on a rural highway still needs police for traffic control. A vehicle on its side after rolling about three times still needs fire on standby, even with an alert patient who only has arm pain.

Police only; extrication is unlikely given the alert patient: Calling police only assumes an alert patient will not need to be cut out. A vehicle that rolled about three times and landed on its side can still shift or trap the patient. Fire needs to be on standby even if extrication looks unlikely right now.

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