FCE Fundamentals & Core Principles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which principle requires FCE evaluators to use standardized, reproducible protocols when testing a client's physical abilities?
- Normative comparison
- Reliability (Correct answer)
- Face validity
- Predictive validity
Correct answer: Reliability
Reliability ensures that FCE results are consistent and reproducible across evaluators and test sessions.
Question 2: In an FCE, 'validity' refers to the degree to which a test:
- Produces consistent results over time
- Measures what it is intended to measure (Correct answer)
- Can be completed quickly by the evaluator
- Matches the client's self-reported capabilities
Correct answer: Measures what it is intended to measure
Validity confirms that the FCE assessment tool actually measures the functional capacity it claims to assess.
Question 3: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) influences FCE practice primarily by:
- Requiring evaluators to be licensed physicians
- Mandating that FCEs include psychological testing
- Informing how essential job functions are identified and evaluated (Correct answer)
- Setting maximum duration limits for FCE testing
Correct answer: Informing how essential job functions are identified and evaluated
The ADA's definition of essential job functions directly guides how FCE evaluators analyze work demands and assess residual capacity.
Question 4: Which term describes the maximum amount of weight a worker can safely lift on an occasional basis (up to 1/3 of the workday)?
- Functional work capacity
- Occasional lift maximum
- Maximum acceptable weight of lift (Correct answer)
- Ceiling load tolerance
Correct answer: Maximum acceptable weight of lift
Maximum acceptable weight of lift (MAWL) is the heaviest load a worker can handle occasionally without exceeding safe biomechanical limits.
Question 5: When an FCE evaluator observes a significant discrepancy between a client's observed and self-reported pain levels, the BEST next step is to:
- Immediately terminate the evaluation
- Document the discrepancy and note it in the report (Correct answer)
- Increase the task demand to challenge the client
- Refer the client to a pain psychologist before continuing
Correct answer: Document the discrepancy and note it in the report
Objective documentation of behavioral inconsistencies is essential for a defensible FCE report without making clinical judgments beyond the evaluator's scope.
Question 6: The concept of 'safe maximum' in FCE refers to the level of physical activity that:
- Eliminates all risk of re-injury
- A client can perform without causing measurable physiological harm (Correct answer)
- Is approved by the treating physician before the FCE
- Matches the client's pre-injury work level
Correct answer: A client can perform without causing measurable physiological harm
Safe maximum is the highest demand level at which testing can proceed without creating unacceptable risk of harm to the client.
Question 7: Which functional activity is classified as 'sedentary work' according to the U.S. Department of Labor's physical demand classification system?
- Lifting up to 20 lbs occasionally with frequent lifting of 10 lbs
- Lifting up to 10 lbs occasionally with negligible amounts of walking and standing (Correct answer)
- Lifting 21–50 lbs occasionally with frequent lifting of 11–25 lbs
- Lifting 51–100 lbs occasionally with frequent lifting of 26–50 lbs
Correct answer: Lifting up to 10 lbs occasionally with negligible amounts of walking and standing
DOL defines sedentary work as lifting no more than 10 lbs occasionally, with minimal walking and standing.
FCE Fundamentals & Core Principles 2
Which principle requires FCE evaluators to use standardized, reproducible protocols when testing a client's physical abilities?