BMS Funeral NBE 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is NOT a legal requirement under the FTC Funeral Rule?
- Providing a General Price List to in-person inquirers
- Itemizing prices on the Statement of Goods and Services Selected
- Embalming bodies prior to burial (Correct answer)
- Disclosing casket prices over the telephone
Correct answer: Embalming bodies prior to burial
The FTC Funeral Rule does not require embalming; it requires disclosure of the conditions under which embalming is legally required.
Question 2: Livor mortis typically becomes fixed (non-blanchable) approximately how many hours after death?
- 2–4 hours
- 6–8 hours
- 8–12 hours (Correct answer)
- 18–24 hours
Correct answer: 8–12 hours
Livor mortis generally becomes fixed and non-blanchable 8–12 hours after death as blood cells hemolyze and stain surrounding tissue.
Question 3: A casket retailer sells a casket to a family who then brings it to a funeral home for use. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, the funeral home:
- May refuse the casket for sanitary reasons
- Must accept the casket and cannot charge a handling fee
- May charge a reasonable, itemized handling fee (Correct answer)
- Must provide a full refund on its own casket purchase
Correct answer: May charge a reasonable, itemized handling fee
The FTC Funeral Rule prohibits funeral homes from refusing third-party caskets but allows them to charge a disclosed, itemized handling fee.
Question 4: Which vein is most commonly used as a drainage site during arterial embalming?
- Subclavian vein
- Internal jugular vein (Correct answer)
- Femoral vein
- Brachial vein
Correct answer: Internal jugular vein
The right internal jugular vein is the most commonly used drainage point because it is near the right atrium and allows effective removal of blood.
Question 5: The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) Code of Professional Conduct primarily addresses:
- Federal price disclosure requirements
- Ethical standards and conduct for funeral professionals (Correct answer)
- State licensing examination content
- Cremation equipment specifications
Correct answer: Ethical standards and conduct for funeral professionals
The NFDA Code of Professional Conduct establishes ethical guidelines governing the behavior and professional responsibilities of funeral directors.
Question 6: Which of the following postmortem changes is caused by bacterial activity?
- Rigor mortis
- Algor mortis
- Putrefaction (Correct answer)
- Livor mortis
Correct answer: Putrefaction
Putrefaction is caused by anaerobic bacteria breaking down soft tissues, producing gases and causing discoloration and odor.
Question 7: Under most state laws, who has the highest priority right to control disposition of human remains?
- Attending physician
- Surviving spouse or domestic partner (Correct answer)
- Adult children of the deceased
- Funeral director of record
Correct answer: Surviving spouse or domestic partner
In most U.S. jurisdictions, the surviving spouse or domestic partner has first priority in the hierarchy of next-of-kin rights over disposition of remains.
BMS Funeral NBE 3
Which of the following is NOT a legal requirement under the FTC Funeral Rule?