NCCPA Occupational Medicine CAQ Examination Practice Test
Occupational medicine applies clinical assessment to health risks arising from work. This practice page samples workplace exposure recognition, occupational injury first aid, and prevention strategies, including evaluation of chemical, physical, and respiratory hazards. Questions also address communicating about workplace health risks and choosing actions that protect the worker without overlooking immediate safety.
Exam overview
About the NCCPA Occupational Medicine CAQ Examination Exam
Occupational health decisions connect a worker’s symptoms and exposure history with the likely hazard, route, intensity, and timing of exposure. The practice questions include selecting controls that reduce hazards at their source, recognizing when protective equipment is not the first-line measure, and responding safely to an unknown release. Other items involve acute care, such as eye irrigation after a chemical splash and preservation of an amputated fingertip, alongside assessment of possible chronic effects from silica, lead, vibration, or carcinogens. Clinical judgment also includes explaining uncertainty about future risk, considering appropriate testing, and understanding when occupational illness may be reported to public health authorities. These scenarios are useful for practicing how to prioritize immediate worker safety while linking clinical findings to prevention and exposure reduction.
Sample Practice Questions
Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.
A worker with a suspected occupational disease asks whether a clinician can report the case to a public health agency. Which response is most accurate?
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Correct answer: AReporting duties vary by condition and jurisdiction. Clinicians should follow applicable public health and occupational reporting requirements while protecting patient confidentiality and disclosing only information permitted or required.
A worker who uses an enclosed spray booth reports eye irritation and throat discomfort near the end of each shift. What workplace control is generally preferred before relying on personal protective equipment alone?
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Correct answer: AThe hierarchy of controls prioritizes eliminating or reducing hazards through measures such as substitution and engineering controls. Adequate local exhaust ventilation can reduce airborne exposure at its source; personal protective equipment is important when higher-level controls do not fully control the hazard.
A worker's hand is caught in a machine, causing a partial fingertip amputation. Bleeding is controlled, and the amputated part is available. How should the part generally be preserved for transport?
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Correct answer: AA clean amputated part is generally wrapped in moist sterile gauze, sealed in a waterproof bag, and cooled indirectly by placing the bag on ice. Direct contact with ice, freezing, or soaking in alcohol can damage tissue and reduce the chance of successful reattachment.
A worker has a superficial cut while handling raw meat at work. The wound is clean and the worker has no signs of infection. Which routine wound-care approach is most appropriate?
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Correct answer: ARoutine care of a minor clean wound includes cleaning, appropriate dressing, assessment of tetanus immunization status, and instructions to seek care for signs of infection. Systemic antibiotics and cultures are not routinely needed for uncomplicated clean cuts.
A worker has a suspected acute chemical splash to the eye. What is the most appropriate immediate first aid?
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Correct answer: BPrompt, copious irrigation is the priority for a chemical eye exposure. Do not delay irrigation to identify the agent, and do not attempt chemical neutralization, which may worsen injury. Medical evaluation should follow or occur concurrently when feasible.
A worker who frequently uses a vibrating pneumatic tool reports intermittent finger blanching and numbness. Which workplace change is most likely to reduce the causal exposure at its source?
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Correct answer: ASubstitution with lower-vibration equipment or eliminating the vibration-generating task reduces exposure at its source. Engineering and work-practice controls are preferable to increasing exposure or relying solely on personal measures.
A foundry worker with years of exposure to respirable crystalline silica is being evaluated for an occupational lung disease. Which test is generally most useful for characterizing the parenchymal abnormalities?
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Correct answer: AHigh-resolution chest CT can characterize the distribution and pattern of interstitial and nodular lung abnormalities associated with pneumoconioses such as silicosis. Imaging should be interpreted alongside exposure history, examination, and pulmonary function testing.
How to use this practice test
Access is free. The published bank contains 50 questions; each practice session presents up to 20 random questions and shows results after completion. Use the results to identify which exposure assessments, hazard controls, or first-aid decisions need closer review.
Preparation tips
- For exposure scenarios, organize the history by task, material, route of entry, timing, duration, and whether coworkers have similar symptoms.
- Compare workplace controls by hierarchy: consider elimination, substitution, and engineering controls before relying on administrative measures or personal protective equipment.
- Practice immediate responses to chemical eye exposure, unknown atmospheric releases, wounds, and traumatic amputations; prioritize scene safety and time-sensitive first aid.
- Review how occupational histories guide evaluation of suspected silica-related lung disease, lead absorption, vibration-related symptoms, and delayed carcinogenic risk.
- Distinguish clinical documentation and counseling from public health reporting, and consider confidentiality and applicable reporting requirements when discussing suspected occupational disease.