Interviewing and History Practice Questions

40 multiple-choice questions on Interviewing and history for paramedic and EMT students, from Chapter 5 (Communications). Read each question, pick your answer, then tap Show answer to check it and read the explanation.

40 practice questions

1. The chief complaint is:

   1. A. Your working field impression
   2. B. The reason for the call given by dispatch
   3. C. The main problem in the patient's words
   4. D. The most serious finding on your exam
   Show answer

   Answer: C. The main problem in the patient's words

   Record it in quotation marks where you can.

2. OPQRST is used to explore:

   1. A. The patient's past medical history
   2. B. The current medication list and doses
   3. C. The present complaint
   4. D. Known allergies and prior reactions
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   Answer: C. The present complaint

   OPQRST explores the present complaint, especially pain: onset, provocation, quality, region and radiation, severity, and timing.

3. SAMPLE stands for:

   1. A. Symptoms, allergies, meds, past history, last intake, events
   2. B. Scene, airway, meds, pulse, level of consciousness, events
   3. C. Signs, assessment, meds, past history, last meal, exam
   4. D. Symptoms, age, mechanism, pain, last intake, environment
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Symptoms, allergies, meds, past history, last intake, events

   Signs and symptoms, allergies, medications, pertinent past history, last oral intake, events leading up. It structures the history so nothing important is missed.

4. A patient begins, "Well, it started last night after dinner, and then..." Your partner cuts in with, "Any chest pain?" What is the most likely effect?

   1. A. The history becomes more accurate and focused
   2. B. The interview is shorter with no real downside
   3. C. Rapport improves because the crew seems focused
   4. D. Details she was about to give may be lost
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Details she was about to give may be lost

   Early interruption is one of the main reasons histories miss information. Patients who are allowed to finish their opening statement usually take less than a minute and often give the key detail themselves. Once interrupted, they tend to answer only the narrow questions asked. It also signals that you are not interested.

5. Asking about sensitive topics such as drug use is best done:

   1. A. Not at all, to avoid offense
   2. B. Only if the patient seems intoxicated
   3. C. In front of family for accuracy
   4. D. Privately and without judgment
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Privately and without judgment

   Ask matter-of-factly. Explaining why you are asking improves honesty.

6. Before you leave the scene, which step best confirms that the history you gathered is accurate?

   1. A. Summarize it aloud and ask the patient to correct it
   2. B. Ask your partner whether the story sounds right
   3. C. Re-read the dispatch notes for the call to compare
   4. D. Ask every question again in a different order
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Summarize it aloud and ask the patient to correct it

   Summarizing back to the patient lets them correct errors and often turns up something they forgot, such as a medication taken before you arrived. Your partner and the dispatch notes are secondhand. Repeating every question wastes time and frustrates the patient.

7. Note-taking during an interview should:

   1. A. Be avoided completely in the field
   2. B. Capture every word the patient says
   3. C. Replace eye contact during your questions
   4. D. Be brief so it doesn't disrupt the flow
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Be brief so it doesn't disrupt the flow

   Jot numbers and quotes; write the narrative later.

8. If a patient's family repeatedly answers for a capable patient, the paramedic should:

   1. A. Ask the family to leave in every case
   2. B. Politely redirect questions to the patient
   3. C. Accept the family's answers as more accurate
   4. D. Stop questioning and rely on the exam
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Politely redirect questions to the patient

   You need the patient's own account whenever they can give it.

9. The best way to handle a patient who gives vague answers is to:

   1. A. Abandon the history and simply treat
   2. B. Assume the worst-case diagnosis applies
   3. C. Use clarifying and closed questions
   4. D. Document them as uncooperative and move on
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Use clarifying and closed questions

   Pain, fear, and hypoxia all produce vague answers.

10. A patient's reported history that conflicts with the scene findings should be:

    1. A. Recorded objectively with the findings
    2. B. Reported to police automatically
    3. C. Corrected in the report to match the scene
    4. D. Ignored in favor of scene findings
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Recorded objectively with the findings

    Record both the statement and the findings. Your job is to record accurately, not to adjudicate.

11. The history of present illness should establish:

    1. A. Past surgeries and prior hospitalizations
    2. B. Allergies and prior reactions
    3. C. Insurance and billing details
    4. D. Onset, character, course, and symptoms
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    Answer: D. Onset, character, course, and symptoms

    It covers the onset, character, course, and associated symptoms of the current problem. It is the core of the interview.

12. The O in OPQRST asks:

    1. A. How severe the pain feels
    2. B. When and how the symptom began
    3. C. What makes the pain worse
    4. D. Where the pain is felt and spreads
    Show answer

    Answer: B. When and how the symptom began

    Sudden onset suggests different causes than gradual.

13. The R in OPQRST asks about:

    1. A. Relief from rest or medication
    2. B. Recurrence of prior episodes
    3. C. Region and radiation
    4. D. Rate of symptom progression
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Region and radiation

    Where is it and does it spread?

14. The S in OPQRST asks about:

    1. A. Scene safety and any hazards present
    2. B. Associated symptoms that are present
    3. C. Severity, often on a 0-10 scale
    4. D. Speed of symptom onset and progression
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Severity, often on a 0-10 scale

    It allows comparison over time.

15. The T in OPQRST asks about:

    1. A. Transport destination choice
    2. B. Time course and duration
    3. C. Temperature of the patient's skin
    4. D. Treatment tried before arrival
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Time course and duration

    Time covers how long and whether it is constant or intermittent. Duration guides urgency.

16. The A in SAMPLE stands for:

    1. A. Assessment
    2. B. Allergies
    3. C. Age
    4. D. Airway
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Allergies

    Include medication and environmental allergies.

17. The M in SAMPLE stands for:

    1. A. All current medications
    2. B. Mental status and orientation
    3. C. Movement and motor function
    4. D. Mechanism of injury
    Show answer

    Answer: A. All current medications

    Include prescription, over-the-counter, and supplements. Ask about recent changes.

18. The P in SAMPLE stands for:

    1. A. Pertinent past medical history
    2. B. Plan for treatment and transport
    3. C. Pulse rate and quality
    4. D. Pain description and severity
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Pertinent past medical history

    Focus on what relates to the complaint.

19. Associated symptoms are:

    1. A. Complaints unrelated to today's problem
    2. B. Other symptoms occurring with the complaint
    3. C. Symptoms from prior episodes
    4. D. Symptoms reported by family members
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Other symptoms occurring with the complaint

    They help narrow the cause. Chest pain with diaphoresis differs from chest pain alone.

20. A review of systems involves:

    1. A. A rapid head-to-toe survey
    2. B. A full hands-on physical examination
    3. C. Asking about symptoms by body system
    4. D. A complete set of baseline vital signs
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Asking about symptoms by body system

    It finds problems the patient did not mention. It is abbreviated in the field.

21. Asking about medication compliance should be:

    1. A. Delegated to family members
    2. B. Skipped if bottles are present
    3. C. Done without judgment
    4. D. Avoided as too personal
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Done without judgment

    Nonadherence is common and clinically important. Ask: when did you last take it?

22. Asking about alcohol and drug use is appropriate because:

    1. A. It confirms the cause of an altered mental status
    2. B. It affects assessment, treatment, and safety
    3. C. It is required on every refusal form
    4. D. It is required for insurance and billing records
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    Answer: B. It affects assessment, treatment, and safety

    Explain that it affects care. Substance use can contribute to altered mental status but never rules out other causes such as hypoglycemia or head injury, and asking is about care, not paperwork.

23. The CAGE questions screen for:

    1. A. Drug allergy history
    2. B. Chronic pain severity
    3. C. Depressive disorders
    4. D. Alcohol use disorder
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Alcohol use disorder

    Cut down, annoyed, guilty, eye-opener.

24. Asking about sexual history is appropriate when:

    1. A. When the patient raises the subject first
    2. B. Always, on every patient
    3. C. It is relevant to the complaint
    4. D. Never, since it is too personal
    Show answer

    Answer: C. It is relevant to the complaint

    For example, abdominal pain in a woman of childbearing age. Ask privately and explain why. Waiting for the patient to raise it misses relevant history, since many patients will not volunteer it.

25. Last menstrual period should be asked of:

    1. A. Childbearing-age women with abdominal pain
    2. B. Only women known to be pregnant
    3. C. Only teenage female patients
    4. D. No one, since it is outside EMS scope
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Childbearing-age women with abdominal pain

    Ask with any abdominal or pelvic complaint. Ectopic pregnancy is a life threat.

26. Asking about safety at home screens for:

    1. A. Medication storage
    2. B. Domestic violence
    3. C. Fall hazards only
    4. D. Sleep problems
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Domestic violence

    Ask when alone with the patient. Sleep problems are asked about directly, not through questions about safety at home.

27. A patient who gives inconsistent answers may be:

    1. A. Hypoxic, hypoglycemic, or intoxicated
    2. B. Deliberately lying to protect themselves
    3. C. Naturally confused at their usual baseline
    4. D. Simply choosing not to cooperate with care
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Hypoxic, hypoglycemic, or intoxicated

    Inconsistency may reflect hypoxia, hypoglycemia, intoxication, fear, or a head injury. Investigate the cause.

28. A patient says he "hasn't had anything to drink," but his breath smells of alcohol and there are empty beer cans beside him. How should you document this?

    1. A. Write "patient is drunk" in the narrative section
    2. B. Record only what the patient himself told you
    3. C. Quote his statement and describe the odor and cans
    4. D. Write "patient is lying about his alcohol use"
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Quote his statement and describe the odor and cans

    Document what was said, in quotation marks, and what you observed, without drawing conclusions. 'Drunk' and 'lying' are judgments that you cannot prove and that a court may challenge. Recording only his statement leaves out findings the next providers need. An alcohol odor can also hide hypoglycemia or a head injury.

29. Secondhand history from a bystander should be:

    1. A. Treated as established, reliable fact
    2. B. Gathered and recorded with its source
    3. C. Rejected as unreliable hearsay
    4. D. Ignored unless the patient confirms it
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Gathered and recorded with its source

    Gather it, weigh it, and note who provided it.

30. A patient's medication list can be obtained from:

    1. A. Only the patient's own recall of them
    2. B. Only family present at the scene
    3. C. Bottles, pharmacy records, and family
    4. D. Only the receiving hospital's records
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Bottles, pharmacy records, and family

    Also use the patient's own account and medical alert devices. Bring the bottles when possible.

31. Herbal supplements should be asked about because they:

    1. A. Are rarely used by most patients
    2. B. Are harmless because they are natural
    3. C. Can interact with medications
    4. D. Require a prescription to purchase
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Can interact with medications

    They can affect bleeding and heart rhythm. Patients often omit them.

32. Recent travel history matters for:

    1. A. Screening for an inherited disorder
    2. B. Checking medication adherence
    3. C. Gauging the patient's fitness level
    4. D. Infection exposure and clot risk
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    Answer: D. Infection exposure and clot risk

    Long flights raise embolism risk. Inherited disorders come from family history, adherence from medication questions, and fitness from activity questions; travel history points to infections acquired elsewhere and clot risk from immobility.

33. Occupational history matters because:

    1. A. It affects how the call is billed and coded
    2. B. Exposures and demands can explain symptoms
    3. C. It helps build casual rapport
    4. D. It is required on every report
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Exposures and demands can explain symptoms

    Ask what they do.

34. Family history is relevant when:

    1. A. Only with pediatric patients
    2. B. Never, in the prehospital setting
    3. C. Hereditary disease is suspected
    4. D. Always, on every patient
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Hereditary disease is suspected

    Early heart disease or sudden death in a young relative matters.

35. Social history includes:

    1. A. Hobbies and recreational activities
    2. B. Living situation and support
    3. C. Employment history and nothing else
    4. D. Names and ages of close family members
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Living situation and support

    Social history covers living situation, support, substance use, and daily function. It guides disposition.

36. Documenting the history should include:

    1. A. Positive findings only, summarized in medical terms
    2. B. The chief complaint and your working diagnosis
    3. C. Pertinent positives and negatives, quoting the patient
    4. D. Only the findings that support your impression
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Pertinent positives and negatives, quoting the patient

    Negatives narrow the picture. Use the patient's own words where possible.

37. A patient who answers before you finish the question:

    1. A. May be anxious or in pain; slow down and repeat
    2. B. Understands well, so you can speed up
    3. C. Is likely confused and needs a mental status exam
    4. D. Is being evasive and may be hiding information
    Show answer

    Answer: A. May be anxious or in pain; slow down and repeat

    Patience improves accuracy; slow down and repeat questions as needed.

38. During a busy call, which details are most important to jot down right away?

    1. A. The patient's whole story, written word for word
    2. B. Nothing at all; it is better to rely on memory
    3. C. Only the chief complaint and the destination
    4. D. Times, vital signs, drug doses, and key quotes
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Times, vital signs, drug doses, and key quotes

    Numbers and exact words are what memory loses first and what the PCR and hand-off depend on: times, vitals, doses, and quotes such as the chief complaint or refusal statements. Writing the whole story breaks eye contact and slows care. Relying on memory alone produces errors. The chief complaint and destination alone leave gaps.

39. The best time to gather a detailed history is:

    1. A. After life threats are addressed
    2. B. Only during transport to the hospital
    3. C. Before the primary assessment begins
    4. D. At the hospital, after hand-off
    Show answer

    Answer: A. After life threats are addressed

    Critical patients get history in pieces.

40. The purpose of the history is to:

    1. A. Complete the required fields of the chart
    2. B. Guide the exam, differential, and treatment
    3. C. Give the hospital a full social history
    4. D. Satisfy protocol documentation requirements
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Guide the exam, differential, and treatment

    History often reveals the diagnosis and guides the physical exam, differential, and treatment.