Medical terminology test practice

What the real test usually looks like

There is no single medical terminology test. Employers, schools, training programs and credential exams each use their own, so the length and the mix of questions vary. Ask whoever sent your test what it covers and how long it takes. Some public examples:

• An employer screening test. HR Avatar describes its medical terminology skills test as a quick check of commonly used medical terms, covering medical terms, prefixes, suffixes, root words, and abbreviations and acronyms, taking about 10 minutes. It draws questions from a bank, so two people may see different questions (HR Avatar).
• Another employer test. SHL's catalog lists a medical terminology test on prefixes, suffixes and combining forms, designed for medical office staff such as nurses, medical assistants, medical coders and administrative assistants (SHL catalog).
• Inside credential exams. Terminology also appears within wider exams. AMT's phlebotomy (RPT) outline has a work area of 10 questions on terminology, anatomy and physiology, including suffixes, prefixes and root words (AMT RPT outline), and the PTCE outline for pharmacy technicians lists abbreviations and medical terminology under order entry (PTCE outline).

Question types commonly reported:

• Prefixes: the start of a word, which often tells you amount, position, speed or time (hypo-, tachy-, peri-).
• Suffixes: the end of a word, which often tells you the condition or procedure (-itis, -ectomy, -algia).
• Word roots and combining forms: the core of a word, usually a body part or organ (cardi/o, nephr/o, hepat/o).
• Abbreviations and acronyms: the shorthand of charts and orders (NPO, PRN, BP).
• Body system terms: which system a structure belongs to and what common terms mean.

What our mocks cover. Our full mocks are 50 questions in 40 minutes, in five sections in this order: prefixes (8), suffixes (8), word roots (10), abbreviations (10) and body system terms (14). You can go back and flag questions, and there is no calculator. They test definitions only: they do not test spelling, pronunciation, anatomy diagrams or medical decisions.

Question types with worked examples

One worked example for each section, with the trap most people fall into.

1. Prefixes. What does "peri-" mean in pericardium? Around: the pericardium is the sac around the heart. Trap: confusing it with "para-" (beside) or "endo-" (within). Learn prefixes in pairs and opposites.

2. Suffixes. What is the difference between gastrotomy and gastrectomy? A gastrotomy is a cut into the stomach; a gastrectomy is removal of all or part of it. Trap: reading only the root. The suffix changes the meaning completely.

3. Word roots. Break down "osteoarthritis": oste/o (bone), arthr (joint), -itis (inflammation). So it names a joint condition involving bone. Trap: trying to recall the whole word. Split it into parts and read each one.

4. Abbreviations. What does "BID" mean on an order? Twice a day. Trap: mixing it up with "TID" (three times a day) or "QID" (four times a day). Read every letter.

5. Body system terms. Which system does the term "renal" belong to? The urinary system, because renal means relating to the kidneys. Trap: choosing digestive because the word sounds unfamiliar. Link each root to its organ, then the organ to its system.

How to prepare

1. Ask what your test covers. A short employer test such as HR Avatar's takes about 10 minutes (HR Avatar), while a course exam may be much longer. Knowing the length tells you how fast to go.
2. Learn the parts, not whole words. A few dozen prefixes, suffixes and roots unlock thousands of words. Make flash cards for each part with one example word.
3. Group by body system. Learn the roots for each system together: heart and vessels, lungs, digestion, kidneys and urinary tract, bones and joints, nerves.
4. Learn opposites in pairs. Hypo- and hyper-, brady- and tachy-, endo- and exo-. Pairs are easier to remember and easier to tell apart.
5. Practice breaking words down. Take a long term, split it into prefix, root and suffix, and define each part before you read the meaning.
6. Drill the common abbreviations. NPO, PRN, BP, PO, BID and TID come up often. Say the meaning out loud as you go.
7. Practice at the real pace. Short tests leave little time per question. Take full timed mocks so a quick pace feels normal on the day.

How scoring usually works

Scoring depends on who gives the test. There is no standard scale or pass mark for medical terminology. An employer may compare your result with other applicants or set its own cut-off, and a school or credential exam scores terminology as part of a wider test.

HR Avatar, for example, says its medical terminology test is meant to confirm a base level of knowledge and is not intended to pinpoint an exact skill level, and it recommends using such tests alongside other measures (HR Avatar).

Our practice score is the number of our own questions you answered correctly, with a breakdown by section, so you can see where to focus. It is a practice score: it is not a score on any employer's or school's test, and it does not predict whether you will pass.

Common mistakes on medical terminology tests

• Memorizing whole words. Learn the parts instead. You will be able to work out words you have never seen.
• Mixing up look-alike parts. "-otomy" (cutting into), "-ostomy" (making an opening) and "-ectomy" (removal) differ by a few letters.
• Confusing similar roots. "Arthr" is joint and "arteri" is artery; "my/o" is muscle and "myel/o" is bone marrow or spinal cord.
• Reading only one part. Check the prefix, root and suffix before you choose. The answer often hinges on the one you skipped.
• Guessing abbreviations from English. Many come from Latin, such as NPO and PRN, so the letters do not match the English words.
• Going too slowly. Short tests leave little time. Answer what you know, flag the rest and come back.