CBET General Practice — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A biomedical technician is troubleshooting an infusion pump that delivers inconsistent flow rates. Which component is MOST likely responsible?

Occlusion sensor
Peristaltic pump mechanism (Correct answer)
AC power supply
LCD display module

Correct answer: Peristaltic pump mechanism

The peristaltic pump mechanism directly controls fluid delivery, and wear or misalignment causes inconsistent flow rates.

Question 2: According to NFPA 99, the maximum allowable ground resistance for a receptacle in a patient care area is:

0.5 ohms
0.1 ohms (Correct answer)
1.0 ohms
0.2 ohms

Correct answer: 0.1 ohms

NFPA 99 requires receptacle ground resistance to not exceed 0.1 ohms in patient care areas to ensure electrical safety.

Question 3: Which type of fire extinguisher is appropriate for electrical equipment fires in a biomedical equipment area?

Class A (water)
Class B (foam)
Class C (CO2 or dry chemical) (Correct answer)
Class D (dry powder)

Correct answer: Class C (CO2 or dry chemical)

Class C extinguishers use non-conductive agents like CO2 or dry chemical, making them safe for energized electrical equipment fires.

Question 4: A patient monitor displays an artifact that disappears when the patient's lead wires are disconnected. This MOST likely indicates:

A faulty amplifier in the monitor
EMI from external sources coupling through the leads (Correct answer)
A defective power supply
Software corruption in the monitor

Correct answer: EMI from external sources coupling through the leads

When artifact disappears upon lead disconnection, the leads are acting as antennas picking up electromagnetic interference from external sources.

Question 5: The term 'microshock' refers to hazardous current delivered:

Through intact skin at levels above 100 mA
Directly to the heart via an intracardiac catheter at levels as low as 10 µA (Correct answer)
Through a defibrillator paddle during cardioversion
Via a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator

Correct answer: Directly to the heart via an intracardiac catheter at levels as low as 10 µA

Microshock occurs when current bypasses skin resistance and reaches the heart directly, where as little as 10 µA can induce ventricular fibrillation.

Question 6: During preventive maintenance on a ventilator, the BIOMED finds the exhalation valve is slow to close. The MOST immediate patient safety concern is:

Increased FiO2 delivery
Inadequate tidal volume delivery due to gas leakage (Correct answer)
Elevated baseline airway pressure
Reduced alarm sensitivity

Correct answer: Inadequate tidal volume delivery due to gas leakage

A slow-closing exhalation valve allows delivered gas to escape before full tidal volume is delivered to the patient's lungs.

Question 7: Which standard specifically governs the safety requirements for medical electrical equipment in the United States?

IEC 60601-1
ANSI/AAMI ES60601-1 (Correct answer)
UL 2601-1
NFPA 70E

Correct answer: ANSI/AAMI ES60601-1

ANSI/AAMI ES60601-1 is the US adoption of IEC 60601-1 and governs general safety requirements for medical electrical equipment.

Question 8: A hospital's isolated power system (IPS) is designed primarily to protect against:

Power surges from the utility grid
Macroshock from single-fault ground currents in wet locations (Correct answer)
Electromagnetic interference from adjacent equipment
Overloading of the facility's main circuit breakers

Correct answer: Macroshock from single-fault ground currents in wet locations

An IPS isolates the patient care circuit from ground so a single fault does not create a complete circuit for dangerous ground currents (macroshock).

Question 9: When testing a line isolation monitor (LIM), the alarm should activate when the hazard current exceeds:

1 mA
2 mA
5 mA (Correct answer)
10 mA

Correct answer: 5 mA

NFPA 99 requires the LIM alarm to activate when total hazard current reaches 5 mA, indicating the IPS isolation has degraded to a dangerous level.

Question 10: A technician notices the hospital's oxygen wall outlet delivers flow but at a lower pressure than specification. The MOST likely cause is:

Contamination of the oxygen supply with nitrogen
A partially closed or faulty zone valve upstream
A calibration error in the flowmeter
Excessive demand from too many simultaneous users on that zone (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Excessive demand from too many simultaneous users on that zone

Excessive simultaneous demand on a piped medical gas zone creates a pressure drop due to flow resistance in the supply piping.

Question 11: In a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) used in medical equipment, increasing the bit resolution from 8-bit to 12-bit:

Doubles the output voltage range
Increases the number of discrete output levels from 256 to 4,096 (Correct answer)
Reduces conversion speed by a factor of 4
Decreases the signal-to-noise ratio

Correct answer: Increases the number of discrete output levels from 256 to 4,096

An 8-bit DAC produces 2^8 = 256 levels while a 12-bit DAC produces 2^12 = 4,096 levels, providing finer output resolution.

Question 12: A technician is performing annual PM on a hospital bed. Which safety check is MOST critical for patient fall prevention?

Verifying the bed's Trendelenburg angle accuracy
Testing siderail locking mechanisms for secure engagement (Correct answer)
Calibrating the bed's weight scale
Inspecting the mattress cover for tears

Correct answer: Testing siderail locking mechanisms for secure engagement

Siderail locking mechanism failure is directly linked to patient falls, making it the highest-priority safety check during hospital bed PM.

Question 13: The International System of Units (SI) base unit for electric current is the:

Volt
Watt
Ampere (Correct answer)
Coulomb

Correct answer: Ampere

The ampere (A) is the SI base unit for electric current, defined as the flow of electric charge past a point per unit time.

Question 14: A biomedical technician must ensure an ECG machine's patient lead leakage current does not exceed which limit for a CF-type device per IEC 60601-1?

100 µA under normal conditions
10 µA under normal conditions (Correct answer)
50 µA under normal conditions
500 µA under normal conditions

Correct answer: 10 µA under normal conditions

For CF (cardiac floating) applied parts, IEC 60601-1 limits patient leakage current to 10 µA under normal conditions due to direct cardiac risk.

Question 15: When using a multimeter to measure AC voltage on a 120V circuit, the technician should set the range to:

The lowest range below 120V for best accuracy
A range equal to or above 120V to prevent meter damage (Correct answer)
DC voltage at 200V
Resistance mode to check the circuit first

Correct answer: A range equal to or above 120V to prevent meter damage

Always select a range at or above the expected voltage to prevent damage to the meter and ensure safe, accurate measurement.

Question 16: A hospital laboratory centrifuge vibrates excessively during operation. The MOST likely cause is:

Motor bearing wear causing rotor imbalance
An unbalanced load due to improperly paired or misplaced samples (Correct answer)
Excessive ambient temperature in the lab
A failed tachometer sensor

Correct answer: An unbalanced load due to improperly paired or misplaced samples

Centrifuges must have balanced loads; unequal or improperly positioned samples create centrifugal force imbalance causing severe vibration.

Question 17: Which type of radiation is MOST effectively stopped by a thin sheet of aluminum foil?

Gamma rays
X-rays
Beta particles (Correct answer)
Alpha particles

Correct answer: Beta particles

Beta particles (electrons) have moderate penetration and are effectively shielded by a few millimeters of aluminum, unlike alpha (paper stops it) or gamma (requires dense shielding).

Question 18: A technician completing a work order should document which of the following to satisfy Joint Commission traceability requirements?

Only the parts replaced and their cost
Device identification, service performed, test results, technician ID, and date (Correct answer)
The patient census count at time of service
Only failures found, not routine PM results

Correct answer: Device identification, service performed, test results, technician ID, and date

Joint Commission requires complete service records including device ID, work performed, test results, technician identification, and the service date for full traceability.

Question 19: The output impedance of a device should ideally be low because:

It increases the device's power consumption
It minimizes signal voltage drop when driving a load (Correct answer)
It prevents electromagnetic interference
It increases current draw from the power supply

Correct answer: It minimizes signal voltage drop when driving a load

Low output impedance ensures minimal voltage drop across the source impedance when current flows, maintaining signal integrity to the load.

Question 20: Which sterilization method is MOST appropriate for heat-sensitive flexible endoscopes?

Steam autoclave at 134°C
Ethylene oxide (EtO) gas sterilization (Correct answer)
Dry heat oven at 160°C
UV light irradiation

Correct answer: Ethylene oxide (EtO) gas sterilization

Ethylene oxide gas sterilizes at low temperatures (37–63°C), making it suitable for heat-sensitive devices like flexible endoscopes that would be damaged by steam or dry heat.

Question 21: In an op-amp configured as an inverting amplifier with Rf = 100 kΩ and Rin = 10 kΩ, the voltage gain is:

+10
-10 (Correct answer)
+0.1
-0.1

Correct answer: -10

The inverting amplifier gain is -Rf/Rin = -100kΩ/10kΩ = -10, where the negative sign indicates phase inversion.

CBET General Practice

A biomedical technician is troubleshooting an infusion pump that delivers inconsistent flow rates.
Which component is MOST likely responsible?

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