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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 is completing the occupational health requirements for a new position with an EMS agency. Which vaccination must the employer make available at no cost to a paramedic who may be exposed to blood on the job?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Hepatitis B vaccination

The employer must offer the hepatitis B vaccine at no cost. The everyday infection risk for a paramedic is contact with blood and other body fluids that can carry infection. Hepatitis B is a bloodborne virus, and the hepatitis B vaccine reliably prevents infection. Federal bloodborne pathogen rules require the employer to offer the hepatitis B vaccine series at no cost. The rule covers every employee whose job means they can be expected to come in contact with blood.

Why the others are wrong

Hepatitis A vaccination: The hepatitis A vaccine protects against a disease that is not usually spread through the blood and body fluid contact you have on calls.

Rabies vaccination: Rabies vaccine is for people at risk of animal bites. Animal bites are not the routine exposure behind the federal rule for EMS providers.

Yellow fever vaccination: Yellow fever vaccine protects against a disease spread by mosquitoes. Mosquito bites have no connection to the bloodborne exposure paramedics face on calls.

Question 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 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 6 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 7 of 10

The paramedic responds to a report of a person injured inside a large storage tank at an industrial site. The patient fell into the tank approximately 15 minutes ago and is conscious but unable to climb out. What is the correct action?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Do not enter the tank; stage outside and request a specialized rescue team

A large storage tank is a confined space, and getting a patient out of a confined space is a technical rescue. The patient fell into the tank about 15 minutes ago, is conscious, and cannot climb out. Getting this patient out takes skills and equipment that go past entry-level EMS training. In a confined space, the air itself can be wrong. You do not go in without the training, even for a patient you can see. If you go down in the tank, the rescue team has a second patient to get out. Stay outside the tank, request a technical rescue team, and set up at the staging area. The full assessment and packaging happen at staging, once the team brings the patient out.

Why the others are wrong

Enter the tank with a rope and harness to retrieve the patient quickly: A rope and harness is rescue gear, and a quick pull looks like the fastest way to reach this patient. Going in on a rope still puts you inside the confined space. Confined space rescue belongs to a trained technical rescue team, not to the EMS crew.

Have a site supervisor enter the tank first to assess the environment before the paramedic goes in: A site supervisor knows the site and can tell you about the tank. The supervisor is not a confined space rescuer either. Sending the supervisor in puts another untrained person into the same tank the patient fell into. If the supervisor goes down too, the rescue team has a second patient in the tank.

Lower a ladder into the tank and direct the patient to climb out while monitoring from above: A ladder gets a patient out without anyone going in. This patient is injured and has not been able to climb out in 15 minutes. A ladder still asks this injured patient to climb. Getting the patient out of the tank is still a technical rescue, and that job belongs to the rescue team.

Question 8 of 10

A paramedic responds to a call at a residential address and finds a 32-year-old patient sitting in the front yard with a laceration to the forehead. The patient states, 'I fell,' but the injury pattern suggests blunt force trauma. Shouting and the sound of breaking glass are coming from inside the house. What is the paramedic's immediate priority?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Stage at a safe distance, notify dispatch of the scene hazard, and request police to secure the scene before providing care

This scene is not safe. You can hear shouting and breaking glass coming from inside the house. Those sounds tell you violence may still be going on in there. The patient says "I fell," but the forehead injury looks like blunt force trauma. You check scene safety before you touch the patient on every call. If you walk into a scene that is not secure, you can become a second victim, and then you cannot help anyone. Stage away from the house. Tell dispatch exactly what you are hearing. Wait for police to secure the house before you start care.

Why the others are wrong

Enter the house to assess the full scene and determine if other patients require assistance: The shouting and breaking glass mean the house is still dangerous, and going inside puts you in the middle of an assault with no protection. Police can check for other patients once they secure the house.

Quickly assess and transport the patient to the hospital before the situation inside escalates further: A quick load and go still puts you next to the patient while the shouting and breaking glass go on inside. Hurrying through care does not remove that threat, and you still need police on scene before you get close enough to load anyone.

Provide full assessment and treatment from inside the ambulance while monitoring the house until police arrive: Nobody has made this scene safe yet, and a full assessment and treatment is still patient care. Staging means you notify dispatch and request police first. Treating the patient in the ambulance a few yards from a disturbance you have not reported is not staging.

Question 9 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 10 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.

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