TheoryCaregiver PCA
Practice Test
Practice for the Caregiver PCA with realistic exam questions, full explanations, timed mock exams and progress tracking — fully offline.
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Caregiver PCA exam — full Q&A walkthrough
Every question read aloud with the answer explained. Play it on your commute, then test yourself.
30 free Caregiver PCA questions
Sampled across every topic area — not just the first page. Try them as a quiz or flip them as flashcards.
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Activities of Daily Living
Which of the following is considered a basic Activity of Daily Living (ADL)?
Correct — B. Basic ADLs are self-care tasks such as eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and continence. Managing money, laundry, and transportation are Instrumental ADLs (IADLs). -
Activities of Daily Living
A resident can bathe and dress independently but needs help paying bills and grocery shopping. These bill-paying and shopping tasks are best classified as:
Correct — C. IADLs are more complex tasks that support independent community living, such as managing finances, shopping, cooking, and housekeeping, as opposed to basic self-care ADLs. -
Activities of Daily Living
When assisting a resident with dressing, the caregiver should:
Correct — A. Promoting independence and self-care supports dignity and preserves function. Caregivers assist only as needed and let residents do what they safely can. -
Activities of Daily Living
When dressing a resident who has weakness on the right side from a stroke, the caregiver should put the garment on:
Correct — B. Dress the weak or affected side first and undress it last. This reduces strain on the limb and makes the task easier and safer. -
Activities of Daily Living
When undressing a resident with a weak left arm, the caregiver should remove the garment from:
Correct — C. When undressing, remove clothing from the strong side first so the weak limb is moved last with the most room and least strain. -
Activities of Daily Living
Grooming care that a caregiver may routinely assist with includes:
Correct — A. Routine grooming includes hair care, shaving, and oral care. Diabetic foot/nail care and ear canal cleaning are restricted to licensed staff due to injury and infection risk. -
Activities of Daily Living
Before feeding a resident who eats in bed, the caregiver should position the resident:
Correct — B. An upright sitting position (high Fowler’s, about 90 degrees) uses gravity to help swallowing and greatly lowers the risk of choking and aspiration. -
Activities of Daily Living
When feeding a resident who eats slowly, the caregiver should:
Correct — C. Small bites and a relaxed pace let the resident chew and swallow safely between bites, reducing choking risk and supporting dignity. -
Activities of Daily Living
When providing mouth care to an unconscious resident, the caregiver should position the resident:
Correct — C. A side-lying position with the head turned lets fluids drain out of the mouth instead of into the airway, preventing aspiration in a resident who cannot swallow on command. -
Activities of Daily Living
When cleaning a resident's dentures, the caregiver should:
Correct — B. Padding the sink or filling it with water prevents the dentures from breaking if dropped. Hot water can warp them and abrasives or bleach damage the material. -
Activities of Daily Living
A toileting schedule for a resident with incontinence is best described as:
Correct — A. Scheduled (timed) toileting offers the bathroom at regular intervals to maintain continence, protect skin, and preserve dignity. Restricting fluids is unsafe. -
Activities of Daily Living
To prevent infection, a resident's urinary drainage (catheter) bag should always be kept:
Correct — B. Keeping the bag below bladder level lets urine drain downward and prevents backflow of urine into the bladder, which would carry bacteria and cause infection. -
Activities of Daily Living
When making an occupied bed, the caregiver should:
Correct — C. Raising the far side rail and having the resident roll toward it keeps them safe from falling while you change the linens one side at a time. -
Activities of Daily Living
Safe water temperature for a resident's bath or shower is approximately:
Correct — B. Bath water around 100 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit is warm and comfortable without scalding. Always test water and check the resident's care plan for skin sensitivity. -
Activities of Daily Living
During a complete bed bath, the caregiver should wash the resident's eyes by:
Correct — A. Wiping from inner to outer corner with a clean section for each eye prevents moving debris into the tear duct and avoids spreading infection between eyes. Soap is not used on the eyes. -
Activities of Daily Living
Passive range-of-motion (ROM) exercises are performed when:
Correct — C. In passive ROM the caregiver moves the joints because the resident cannot move them independently; this maintains joint mobility and prevents stiffness and contractures. -
Activities of Daily Living
While performing range-of-motion exercises, if the resident reports pain in a joint, the caregiver should:
Correct — B. ROM should never be forced past the point of pain. Stop, support the joint, and report the pain, which may signal injury or a developing problem. -
Activities of Daily Living
Recording how much a resident drinks is part of monitoring:
Correct — A. Tracking fluid intake (and output) helps detect dehydration and overhydration. Accurate measurement and documentation are core caregiver ADL tasks. -
Activities of Daily Living
When giving perineal care to a female resident, the caregiver should wipe:
Correct — A. Wiping front to back moves away from the urethra toward the rectum, preventing bacteria from the anal area from reaching the urinary tract and causing infection. -
Activities of Daily Living
When giving perineal care to an uncircumcised male resident, the caregiver should:
Correct — C. The foreskin is gently retracted for cleaning and then returned to its normal position; leaving it retracted can cut off circulation to the tip of the penis. -
Activities of Daily Living
Before shaving a resident, the caregiver should always check whether the resident:
Correct — B. Residents on blood thinners bleed easily, so an electric razor is usually safer than a blade. Knowing this prevents excessive bleeding from nicks. -
Activities of Daily Living
Which resident's foot and nail care should be left to a nurse or podiatrist rather than the caregiver?
Correct — C. Diabetics have poor circulation and reduced sensation; a small nick can become a serious infection or ulcer, so their nail care is reserved for licensed clinicians. -
Activities of Daily Living
Daily hair care for most residents includes:
Correct — A. Routine hair care is brushing/combing and keeping hair clean and neat using the resident's own supplies. Cutting and coloring are not routine caregiver duties. -
Activities of Daily Living
When walking (ambulating) a resident who is weak, the caregiver should:
Correct — B. A gait belt gives a secure hold, and staying to the side and slightly behind lets the caregiver guide the resident safely and ease them down if they begin to fall. -
Activities of Daily Living
While assisting with toileting, the caregiver notices the resident's stool is black and tarry. The caregiver should:
Correct — D. Black, tarry stool can indicate bleeding in the upper digestive tract. This is an important change that must be reported to the nurse for evaluation. -
Activities of Daily Living
A resident's urinal contains 350 mL in the morning and 450 mL in the afternoon. The total recorded urine output for these two voids is:
Correct — C. Output is the sum of the measured amounts: 350 mL plus 450 mL equals 800 mL. Accurate totals are needed to monitor kidney function and fluid balance. -
Activities of Daily Living
A reacher, sock aid, and long-handled sponge are examples of:
Correct — B. Adaptive devices help residents perform ADLs themselves despite limited reach or mobility, supporting independence and dignity. -
Activities of Daily Living
Bath time is a good opportunity for the caregiver to:
Correct — C. Bathing lets the caregiver inspect the whole body for redness, breakdown, rashes, or bruises and report any new findings, which supports early intervention. -
Activities of Daily Living
To help prevent pressure injuries, a bed-bound resident should generally be repositioned at least every:
Correct — B. Repositioning a bed-bound resident at least every 2 hours relieves pressure over bony areas and helps prevent pressure ulcers (bedsores). -
Activities of Daily Living
Before a resident walks, the caregiver should make sure the resident is wearing:
Correct — A. Well-fitting, non-skid shoes give traction and stability, reducing the risk of slips and falls during walking.
Caregiver PCA sample questions
Tap any question below to reveal the answer and a plain-English explanation.
Activities of Daily Living To support dignity at mealtimes for a resident who needs feeding assistance, the caregiver should:
A. Feed several residents at once quickly
B. Stand over the resident while feeding
C. Wipe the resident's face constantly without asking
D. Sit at eye level and engage the resident in the meal ✓
Correct — D. Sitting at eye level, going at the resident's pace, and involving them in their meal preserves dignity and makes the experience pleasant rather than rushed.
Personal Care & Hygiene Before and after assisting a resident with personal care, the caregiver should first:
A. Perform hand hygiene ✓
B. Document the care
C. Open the window
D. Lower the bed
Correct — A. Hand hygiene before and after care is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection between caregiver and resident.
Safety & Fall Prevention Which of the following increases a resident's risk of falling?
A. A clutter-free room
B. Well-fitting non-skid shoes
C. Poor lighting and clutter on the floor ✓
D. A working call light within reach
Correct — C. Environmental hazards like dim lighting and floor clutter are leading causes of falls. Removing them is a key fall-prevention strategy.
Infection Control The single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection is:
A. Wearing two pairs of gloves
B. Spraying air freshener
C. Proper hand hygiene ✓
D. Keeping the lights on
Correct — C. Hand hygiene removes germs picked up from residents, surfaces, and body fluids and is recognized as the most effective measure to prevent healthcare-associated infections.
Nutrition & Hydration Which sign suggests a resident may be dehydrated?
A. Moist lips and frequent urination
B. Bounding pulse and swelling
C. Dark concentrated urine and dry mouth ✓
D. Clear pale urine
Correct — C. Dark, concentrated, scant urine along with a dry mouth signals fluid deficit; encouraging fluids and reporting are needed to prevent serious dehydration.
Communication Active listening when a resident is talking includes:
A. Interrupting to give advice
B. Making eye contact and not rushing the resident ✓
C. Looking at your phone
D. Finishing the resident's sentences
Correct — B. Active listening means giving full attention, making appropriate eye contact, and allowing time, which shows respect and helps the resident feel heard.
Body Mechanics & Transfers Good body mechanics when lifting include:
A. Keeping the feet close together
B. Standing with feet shoulder-width apart for a wide base of support ✓
C. Locking the knees
D. Bending at the waist
Correct — B. A wide base of support with feet shoulder-width apart gives stability and balance, reducing the risk of losing footing and injuring the back.
Emergencies & Resident Rights On finding a resident collapsed on the floor, the caregiver should first:
A. Move the resident to bed
B. Check responsiveness and call for help ✓
C. Clean up the area
D. Leave to find paperwork
Correct — B. Checking whether the resident responds and immediately calling for help starts the emergency response so trained staff and the team can act quickly.
About the Caregiver PCA test
Built around Nursing/Medical, this Caregiver PCA question bank mirrors the real exam format instead of guessing at trick questions. Work through the free sample, read every explanation, then move on to full timed mock exams once you're ready.
You will be tested on
- Safe and effective care environment
- Health promotion and maintenance
- Psychosocial and physiological integrity
- Pharmacology, infection control and patient safety
How TheoryPractice helps you pass
- Real exam-style questions with instant, detailed explanations
- Full timed mock exams that mirror the real test format
- Flashcards & quiz modes from the same question bank
- Progress tracking so you know exactly when you're ready
Topics in this question bank
Safe and effective care environment
Health promotion and maintenance
Psychosocial and physiological integrity
Pharmacology, infection control and patient safety
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