Epic Skills Assessment Cognitive Assessment Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A train travels 60 mph. Another train travels 90 mph in the opposite direction on a parallel track. If they are 300 miles apart, in how many hours will they pass each other?
- 2 hours (Correct answer)
- 3 hours
- 2.5 hours
- 4 hours
Correct answer: 2 hours
Combined speed = 60+90=150 mph. Time = 300/150 = 2 hours.
When objects move toward each other, their effective closing speed is the sum of their individual speeds: 60+90=150 mph. Distance 300 miles ÷ 150 mph = 2 hours. This relative motion problem tests numerical reasoning under time pressure — a key element of Epic's cognitive assessment designed to simulate rapid problem-solving in clinical operations.
Question 2: Working memory test: Remember this sequence: 7, 3, 8, 1, 5. If asked to recall the third number, what is it?
Correct answer: 8
The sequence is 7(1st), 3(2nd), 8(3rd), 1(4th), 5(5th). The third number is 8.
Working memory is the ability to hold and manipulate information in mind over a short period. Sequence recall tests this directly. In clinical settings, working memory affects a provider's ability to juggle multiple patient priorities, remember verbal orders, and navigate multi-step Epic workflows without losing context. Epic's cognitive assessment includes sequence recall items as a validated measure of this cognitive capacity.
Question 3: Processing speed: Which set of numbers is in DESCENDING order?
- 3, 7, 11, 15
- 20, 15, 10, 5 (Correct answer)
- 5, 10, 5, 20
- 1, 3, 2, 4
Correct answer: 20, 15, 10, 5
20, 15, 10, 5 decreases consistently. The others increase, vary, or are unordered.
Descending order: each subsequent value is strictly less than the previous. 20>15>10>5 ✓. Set A is ascending. Sets C and D are neither consistently ascending nor descending. Speed and accuracy in identifying ordered sequences is a processing speed measure included in cognitive assessments for healthcare roles requiring rapid information scanning.
Question 4: Problem-solving: A clinic has 3 exam rooms, each serving 4 patients/hour. If the clinic is open 8 hours/day, 5 days/week, how many patients can be seen per week?
- 480 (Correct answer)
- 400
- 360
- 240
Correct answer: 480
Patients/hour = 3×4=12. Per day = 12×8=96. Per week = 96×5=480.
Multi-step multiplication: 3 rooms × 4 patients/room/hr = 12/hr. 12 × 8 hrs = 96/day. 96 × 5 days = 480/week. Multi-step word problems test both numerical reasoning and the ability to organize information before calculating — a cognitive skill directly applicable to Epic's capacity planning and scheduling analytics.
Question 5: Spatial reasoning: A square piece of paper is folded in half (left to right) and then a hole is punched in the center of the folded paper. When unfolded, how many holes are visible?
Correct answer: 2
Folding left-to-right aligns the left and right halves. A single punch through the folded paper creates holes in both layers, so 2 holes appear when unfolded.
One fold creates 2 layers. One punch through 2 layers = 2 holes when unfolded. The holes are symmetrically placed about the fold line. Paper folding/hole punch questions test spatial visualization and mental rotation — core cognitive skills measured in Epic's assessment and relevant to reading anatomical diagrams, flow charts, and spatial interface layouts.
Question 6: Reasoning under constraint: You have a 3-liter jug and a 5-liter jug. How can you measure exactly 4 liters using only these two jugs and a tap?
- Fill the 3L, pour into 5L, fill 3L again, pour into 5L until full (1L remains), empty 5L, pour 1L from 3L into 5L, fill 3L and pour into 5L: total = 4L (Correct answer)
- Fill the 5L and pour 1L into the 3L: 4L remains
- Fill both jugs and combine them
- It is impossible to measure exactly 4L
Correct answer: Fill the 3L, pour into 5L, fill 3L again, pour into 5L until full (1L remains), empty 5L, pour 1L from 3L into 5L, fill 3L and pour into 5L: total = 4L
Fill 3L → pour into 5L (5L has 3L). Fill 3L again → pour into 5L until full (5L needs 2L more, so 1L remains in 3L). Empty 5L. Pour 1L from 3L into 5L. Fill 3L and add to 5L: 1+3=4L.
Classic water jug problem: Step 1: Fill 3L → pour into 5L [3L in 5L jug]. Step 2: Fill 3L again → pour into 5L until full (needs 2 more) → 1L left in 3L jug, 5L jug full. Step 3: Empty 5L jug. Step 4: Pour 1L from 3L into 5L [1L in 5L]. Step 5: Fill 3L, pour into 5L [1+3=4L in 5L]. Done. This constraint-satisfaction problem tests executive function and systematic thinking.
