BMS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield BMS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. During the manufacture of caskets, kapok is employed as → a padding material
2. Which of the following aftercare services is considered a best practice for funeral homes to support long-term bereavement needs? → Hosting or referring families to community grief support groups
3. Which federal law specifically addresses the rights of veterans regarding burial and funeral benefits? → Title 38 of the United States Code
4. A preneed funeral contract is funded through an irrevocable trust. What does 'irrevocable' mean for the consumer in this context? → The funds cannot be withdrawn or redirected by the purchaser once placed in trust
5. One-site injection and drainage is referred to as: → one point injection
6. What role does the modifying agent in embalming fluid serve? → It buffers the solution to control the rate and quality of tissue firming
7. Which of the following, when applied to a deceased person's body, is unethical? → All of the above
8. What is the correct mortuary science term for placing cremated remains into an urn? → Inurnment
9. What is the funeral director's primary ethical obligation when meeting with a bereaved family for an arrangement conference? → Providing full disclosure of prices and service options
10. What is the typical direction of eyebrow growth? → Obliquely upward and outward
11. What is the purpose of a trocar during the cavity embalming process? → To aspirate gases and fluids from body cavities
12. A funeral director receives preneed contract funds from a client. In most US states, what is the legal requirement for handling these funds? → The funds must be placed in a trust or insurance product as required by state law
13. The complaint was filed 20 years after the funeral home stole the defendant's wedding ring, and the most likely reason it was "Throwed out of Court" was? → The Statute of Limitations
14. What is the approximate weight range of cremated remains from an average adult? → 3 to 9 pounds
15. Which embalming chemical is primarily used as a preservative to inhibit decomposition by cross-linking proteins? → Formaldehyde
16. What is the standard flag-folding protocol at a military funeral ceremony? → The flag is folded into a triangular shape and presented to the next of kin
17. What is a document of title that contains the specifics of the agreement between the shipper and the carrier? → Bill of lading
18. During the embalming process, what does the term 'short stop' refer to? → A blockage in the vascular system that prevents fluid distribution to a region
19. a plan that specified standards for figuring out when someone has passed away. → Uniform Determination of Death Act
20. Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the committal service in the context of a traditional funeral rite? → To complete the final disposition of the body.
21. Which sociologist introduced the concept of 'awareness contexts' to describe how dying patients and their caregivers manage knowledge of impending death? → Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss
22. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, which item must a funeral home allow families to use if purchased from an outside source? → A casket
23. Which chemical compound is the primary preservative agent used in arterial embalming fluids? → Formaldehyde
24. According to Therese Rando's 'Six R' processes of mourning, which process involves revising one's assumptive world after a significant loss? → Readjust adaptively
25. Which of the following rare contagious diseases can only be accurately identified postmortem through a brain exam? → CJD / KURU / RABIES
26. The surface gels may include preservatives to aid in preservative penetration during surface embalming. → sodium lauryl sulfate.
27. What does OSHA require funeral homes to provide employees who may be exposed to formaldehyde during embalming? → Hazard communication training and personal protective equipment
28. Formaldehyde achieves its preservative effect primarily by which chemical mechanism? → Cross-linking proteins
29. If formaldehyde exposure is discovered on monitoring equipment inside a funeral home, must the funeral home notify the employee? → 15 Day's
30. Which wax is most commonly used for restorative art surface restorations due to its pliability and skin-like finish? → Maschke's cream wax