MT Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield MT facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. When transcribing, the physician dictates 'oriented times three.' What does this mean? → The patient is oriented to person, place, and time
2. What action should an MT take when SR output contains a sentence that is grammatically correct but clinically implausible? → Review the audio and correct to the clinically accurate term
3. Which of the following is a fundamental principle of speech recognition & editing as it applies to Certified Medical Transcription? → Systematic evaluation and adherence to established industry standards
4. Which of the following best describes a 'business associate' under HIPAA? → A vendor or contractor who performs functions involving PHI on behalf of a covered entity
5. Which is an example of a run-on sentence? → She loves to write she writes every day.
6. Which section of an H&P documents the patient's tobacco, alcohol, and drug use history? → Social History
7. The abbreviation 'IHC' in a pathology report refers to: → Immunohistochemistry
8. In a pathology report, the 'GROSS DESCRIPTION' section refers to: → Macroscopic examination findings visible to the naked eye
9. The term 'subcutaneous' refers to tissue located: → beneath the skin
10. Under HIPAA, which minimum standard applies when accessing a patient's medical record for transcription? → Access only the information necessary to complete the transcription task
11. What is the maximum civil monetary penalty per violation category under HIPAA for willful neglect that is not corrected? → $100,000
12. Which of the following correctly transcribes a subcutaneous insulin dosage of 10 units? → 10 units subcut
13. Which anatomical plane divides the body into equal left and right halves? → midsagittal plane
14. When a physician dictates a range of values, such as 'three to five days,' it should be transcribed as: → Either '3 to 5 days' or '3-5 days' per facility preference
15. Under what circumstances may a CMT request a hardship waiver or extension for recertification? → During documented serious illness, military deployment, or natural disaster
16. A physician's H&P includes 'social history: the patient smokes half a pack per day for 20 years.' The appropriate way to express this in transcription is: → 10 pack-year smoking history
17. Which of the following drug names contains a 'look-alike/sound-alike' pairing the transcriptionist must distinguish carefully? → metformin and metoprolol
18. A dictated sentence reads: 'The patient denies fever chills nausea or vomiting.' How should commas be applied? → The patient denies fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting.
19. Which quality assurance method is most commonly applied in speech recognition & editing to verify that MT professional standards are being met? → Structured audits, peer reviews, and performance metrics aligned with industry benchmarks
20. The prefix 'brady-' in a medical term indicates: → slow
21. When editing SR output, an MT notices the system consistently misrecognizes a specific physician's pronunciation of 'subcutaneous.' The best long-term fix is: → Retrain or update the physician's SR voice profile
22. A QA department tracks 'first-pass acceptance rate.' What does an improvement in this metric indicate? → Fewer reports require correction before final delivery to the client
23. What is the purpose of 'calibration sessions' among QA reviewers in an MT department? → To ensure consistent application of scoring criteria across all reviewers
24. The dictator says 'pre-operative orders.' Which transcription is correct per current BOS style? → preoperative orders
25. When transcribing vital signs, which format is standardly correct? → Temperature 98.6, pulse 72, respirations 16, blood pressure 120/80
26. Which combining form refers to the kidney? → nephro-
27. In radiology transcription, 'interval change' refers to: → Changes seen when comparing current imaging to prior studies
28. How should the dictated phrase 'status post appendectomy' be transcribed? → Status post appendectomy
29. What does 'back-end SR' mean in a medical transcription workflow? → SR that processes audio after the dictation session ends
30. A facility's style guide conflicts with an AHDI formatting guideline. The MT should: → Follow the facility's style guide, as client preferences take precedence