Epic Skills Assessment Verbal Reasoning & Comprehension 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage describes two competing theories about hand hygiene compliance. The author presents both sides equally without taking a position. This writing style is best described as:
- Persuasive
- Objective (Correct answer)
- Emotional
- Anecdotal
Correct answer: Objective
Presenting both sides without bias or personal position reflects an objective writing style.
Question 2: Select the correctly punctuated sentence:
- The doctor reviewed the chart, and she updated the care plan. (Correct answer)
- The doctor reviewed the chart and, she updated the care plan.
- The doctor, reviewed the chart and she updated the care plan.
- The doctor reviewed the chart and she, updated the care plan.
Correct answer: The doctor reviewed the chart, and she updated the care plan.
A comma before a coordinating conjunction (and) is correct when joining two independent clauses.
Question 3: Which word is a SYNONYM for 'adverse'?
- Favorable
- Beneficial
- Harmful (Correct answer)
- Neutral
Correct answer: Harmful
Adverse means unfavorable or harmful, so 'harmful' is its closest synonym.
Question 4: A patient's chart notes 'the condition is benign.' In this context, 'benign' most likely means:
- Severe and life-threatening
- Not harmful or cancerous (Correct answer)
- Requiring immediate surgery
- Difficult to diagnose
Correct answer: Not harmful or cancerous
Benign in a medical context means not malignant or harmful, often used to indicate a non-cancerous condition.
Question 5: A supervisor's email reads: 'Going forward, incident reports must be submitted by end of shift.' An incident occurs the next day. When must the report be submitted?
- Within 24 hours of the next shift
- By the end of that same shift (Correct answer)
- Within one business week
- Only if the incident is serious
Correct answer: By the end of that same shift
The policy states reports must be submitted by end of shift, and the incident occurs after the policy is in effect.
Question 6: Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: 'The treatment plan was _____ revised after the patient's condition worsened.'
- Consequently
- Reluctantly
- Subsequently (Correct answer)
- Conversely
Correct answer: Subsequently
Subsequently means happening after something else, which fits the sequence of the worsening condition leading to revision.
Question 7: In a passage about patient privacy, the author states HIPAA 'serves as both a shield and a framework.' This is an example of:
- A simile
- A metaphor (Correct answer)
- An analogy
- A hyperbole
Correct answer: A metaphor
Calling HIPAA a 'shield and framework' is a metaphor — a direct comparison without using 'like' or 'as.'
Epic Skills Assessment Verbal Reasoning & Comprehension 4
A passage describes two competing theories about hand hygiene compliance.
The author presents both sides equally without taking a position.
This writing style is best described as: