FREE CEN® PRACTICE

Try 10 free CEN practice questions.

Experience original CEN-style questions and immediate feedback with detailed explanations that show why each answer is right or wrong.

10 questions • About 15 minutes • Immediate explanations

Free CEN Practice Quiz

1 / 10

1. A stable adult with a hand laceration arrives with a person described as a work supervisor. The supervisor answers every question, keeps the patient's identification, insists on interpreting, and refuses to leave. The patient appears fearful and gives rehearsed responses. What should the nurse do next?

2 / 10

2. A patient with thyroid storm has a temperature of 40.1°C (104.2°F), agitation, vomiting, and atrial fibrillation at 156/min. The patient also has severe active asthma with diffuse wheezing. Which prescription should the nurse question?

3 / 10

3. While moving boxes in a garage, a patient feels a pinprick on the forearm. Within an hour, the patient develops severe generalized muscle cramping, diaphoresis, hypertension, tachycardia, nausea, and a rigid, painful abdomen. The bite site has only mild swelling and two tiny puncture marks. Which exposure best fits this presentation?

4 / 10

4. After blunt head trauma, a patient has mastoid ecchymosis and clear, blood-tinged fluid draining from the right ear. Which nursing action is most appropriate?

5 / 10

5. A hemodynamically unstable trauma patient has a suspected open-book pelvic fracture. A pelvic binder is correctly centered over the greater trochanters, massive-transfusion support is underway, and blood pressure has improved from 70/40 to 92/58 mm Hg. A team member proposes removing the binder now for a complete skin examination. What should the nurse do?

6 / 10

6. A patient with a penetrating left-chest wound has an occlusive dressing taped on three sides. Minutes later, the patient develops severe respiratory distress, jugular venous distention, blood pressure of 76/44 mm Hg, and absent left breath sounds. What should the nurse do first?

7 / 10

7. A patient with a permanent demand pacemaker reports intermittent dizziness. The cardiac monitor shows an intrinsic rhythm near 70 beats/min, but pacing spikes still appear after native QRS complexes and occasionally within T waves. Which pacemaker malfunction best explains this finding?

8 / 10

8. A term newborn is delivered through meconium-stained fluid. The newborn is crying, breathing effectively, has good muscle tone, and has a heart rate of 142/min. What should the nurse do next?

9 / 10

9. After wrestling practice, a patient has a tender, tense, fluctuant swelling on the anterior pinna. The ear canal is clear, hearing is unchanged, and no other facial injury is found. Which treatment plan is most appropriate?

10 / 10

10. A patient has several episodes of forceful retching, followed by bright-red hematemesis. The patient is hemodynamically stable and has no severe chest pain, dyspnea, neck swelling, or crepitus. Which condition is most likely?