Epic Skills Assessment Verbal Reasoning & Comprehension Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read the following passage and answer the question below.
'Healthcare data interoperability, the ability of different information technology systems and software applications to communicate, exchange data, and use the information that has been exchanged, is a cornerstone of modern patient care. While the adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) has been widespread, the seamless flow of information between disparate systems remains a significant challenge. This lack of interoperability can lead to fragmented patient histories, redundant testing, and delays in treatment. Consequently, industry-wide standards and robust application programming interfaces (APIs) are being developed to bridge these gaps, fostering a more integrated and efficient healthcare ecosystem.'
Which of the following statements can be most logically concluded from the passage?
- The widespread adoption of EHRs has solved the problem of data exchange in healthcare.
- A lack of interoperability is a primary cause of rising healthcare costs.
- Application programming interfaces (APIs) are a key technological solution for improving data sharing between healthcare systems. (Correct answer)
- Healthcare providers are resistant to adopting new industry-wide standards for data exchange.
Correct answer: Application programming interfaces (APIs) are a key technological solution for improving data sharing between healthcare systems.
The passage explicitly states that APIs are being developed to 'bridge these gaps' in seamless data flow, directly supporting the conclusion that they are a key solution to improve interoperability. The passage states the opposite of answer A, does not mention costs (answer B), and does not discuss provider attitudes towards standards (answer D).
Question 2: A hospital's patient admission policy states: 'A patient may be admitted for an overnight stay only if they have a doctor's order, have verified insurance coverage, and a bed is confirmed to be available in the appropriate unit. If a patient arrives at the emergency department after 10 PM without a prior doctor's order but requires immediate critical care, they may be provisionally admitted pending insurance verification, which must be completed by 8 AM the following morning.'
On Tuesday at 11 PM, a patient arrives at the emergency department with critical injuries from a car accident. They have no doctor's order. A bed is available in the Intensive Care Unit. Based on the policy, what is the correct course of action?
- Admit the patient immediately and verify their insurance by 8 AM Wednesday. (Correct answer)
- Refuse admission because the patient does not have a doctor's order.
- Admit the patient only after their insurance coverage has been fully verified.
- Place the patient in a waiting area until a doctor's order can be obtained.
Correct answer: Admit the patient immediately and verify their insurance by 8 AM Wednesday.
The policy provides a specific exception for emergency situations after 10 PM. It allows for provisional admission for immediate critical care without a prior doctor's order, with the condition that insurance is verified by 8 AM the next day. All conditions for this exception are met in the scenario.
Question 3: All software developers at the company must complete annual security training. Maria is a software developer at the company. All employees who work remotely must use a VPN. Maria works remotely.
Based on these statements, which of the following must be true?
- All employees who use a VPN are software developers.
- Maria has completed her annual security training.
- Maria must complete annual security training and use a VPN. (Correct answer)
- Some employees who complete annual security training do not work remotely.
Correct answer: Maria must complete annual security training and use a VPN.
The first statement establishes that as a software developer, Maria must complete the training. The second statement establishes that as a remote worker, she must use a VPN. Therefore, both conditions apply to her. We cannot be certain she has *completed* the training this year (B), only that she is required to. There is not enough information to support A or D.
Question 4: Read the following sentence: 'The project manager's decision to **truncate** the meeting was a welcome one, as the team was eager to begin the implementation phase.'
Which of the following words is the best synonym for 'truncate' as used in the sentence above?
- extend
- cancel
- shorten (Correct answer)
- reschedule
Correct answer: shorten
To 'truncate' means to shorten something by cutting off the top or the end. In the context of a meeting, it means to make it shorter than originally planned. The team's eagerness to begin the next phase supports the idea that ending the meeting early was positive.
Question 5: A user manual contains the following instruction: 'To prevent data corruption, the application must be closed before the system is shut down. The system automatically saves a backup log upon successful shutdown, but this process will be **aborted** if the application is still running, potentially leading to the loss of the most recent session's data.'
What is the most likely consequence if a user shuts down the system while the application is still running?
- The system will not shut down.
- The application will close automatically, and data will be saved.
- The user will be prompted to close the application before shutdown proceeds.
- The backup log for the recent session may not be created, and data could be lost. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The backup log for the recent session may not be created, and data could be lost.
The passage states that the backup log process will be 'aborted' (stopped) if the application is running during shutdown. It directly links this to the potential loss of the most recent session's data. The other options are not mentioned in the text.
Question 6: Statement 1: All members of the analytics team know how to use SQL. Statement 2: Sarah knows how to use SQL. Conclusion: Therefore, Sarah is a member of the analytics team.
Which of the following is the best assessment of the conclusion?
- The conclusion is definitely true.
- The conclusion is definitely false.
- The conclusion is uncertain and may not be true. (Correct answer)
- The conclusion is true only if Sarah also knows Python.
Correct answer: The conclusion is uncertain and may not be true.
This is a logical fallacy. While all members of the analytics team know SQL, the statements do not preclude others outside the team from also knowing SQL. Sarah could be a database administrator, a data scientist on another team, or anyone else who uses SQL. Therefore, her membership on the analytics team cannot be confirmed from the given information.
