NFHS Practice Test

The NFHS Concussion in Sports course is a self-paced online course on NFHSLearn.com, offered in English and Spanish. It is recommended for coaches, parents, administrators, officials and performing arts staff, and it needs a free NFHSLearn account. This page gives you practice sets by topic, worked questions with explanations, a study plan and answers to common questions.

NFHS Exam at a Glance

What changed for NFHS in 2026

• Oct 25, 2026: Eligibility changed to Recommended for coaches, parents, administrators, officials and performing arts; free NFHSLearn account required (previously Open to coaches, officials, parents and students; a free NFHSLearn account is required).^[1]

What the NFHS is and how it works

According to National Federation of State High School Associations, “Recommended for: Coach, Parent, Administrator, Official, and Performing Arts”^[1]

The course is published by the National Federation of State High School Associations and delivered on NFHSLearn.com. You work through it at your own pace, in English or in Spanish, so you can stop and come back later. A free NFHSLearn account is required before you start.

The course is recommended for coaches, parents, administrators, officials and performing arts staff. When you finish, you receive a Certificate of Completion, and the course is approved for 1 clock hour.

The official outline is split into units: Concussion Overview, The Problem, Your Responsibilities and Review. Our practice sets are not a copy of that material. They are questions we wrote to help you check whether you can recognise a concussion, know who is qualified to evaluate an athlete, and understand what a coach or official should do next.

Some things are not set out in the facts we have, and we will not guess at them. Whether your state, school district or athletic association requires this course, whether it accepts the certificate, and whether you must renew it all vary by location. Fees and any assessment details are shown on the course page itself. Check NFHSLearn.com and your own school or state association before you rely on anything here.

NFHS content outline and where to practise each area

The content areas below are copied from the official NFHS content outline published by National Federation of State High School Associations. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.

Worked examples: how to reason through NFHS questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: A school's concussion policy states athletes must be evaluated by a 'licensed healthcare professional.' Which of the following does NOT typically qualify under NFHS guidance?

1. Team physician
2. Certified athletic trainer
3. Emergency medical technician (EMT)
4. Neuropsychologist

Answer: C. Emergency medical technician (EMT)

Explanation:

The correct answer is the emergency medical technician. EMTs are trained to stabilise and transport people in an emergency, but that is a different job from the licensed healthcare professionals a school policy names for evaluating and clearing an athlete. A team physician and a neuropsychologist are both clinicians who deal with brain injury, so they fit the description. A certified athletic trainer works directly with athletes and is commonly named in school policies as qualified to evaluate them. The rule to remember: emergency response and clinical clearance are separate roles. When a question asks who may evaluate or clear an athlete, look for a licensed clinician, and check your own school or state policy, because the exact list can vary by location.

Example 2

Question: Which standardized on-field assessment tool is commonly recommended by NFHS for evaluating concussion symptoms in the immediate aftermath of a suspected injury?

1. GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale)
2. SCAT (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool)
3. MRI neuroimaging
4. EEG brainwave analysis

Answer: B. SCAT (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool)

Explanation:

The correct answer is the SCAT, the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool. It is a standardized sideline tool with a symptom checklist and simple checks that trained personnel can use right after a suspected injury. The Glasgow Coma Scale rates level of consciousness and is used mainly in emergency and hospital care, so it is not the usual sideline concussion tool. MRI neuroimaging needs a scanner and is not something done on the field. EEG brainwave analysis also needs specialist equipment and is not a sideline assessment. The rule to remember: on the field, use a quick, standardized, symptom-based tool in trained hands, and leave imaging and lab-style tests to later medical care.

Example 3

Question: What is the first step in recognizing a concussion?

1. Checking for a broken bone
2. Observing dizziness, confusion, or unconsciousness
3. Asking the athlete about their diet
4. Testing grip strength

Answer: B. Observing dizziness, confusion, or unconsciousness

Explanation:

The correct answer is observing dizziness, confusion or unconsciousness. Recognition starts with what you can see and hear: an athlete who looks dazed, seems confused, has memory problems or briefly loses consciousness may have a head injury and needs attention right away. Checking for a broken bone looks for a different kind of injury and does not tell you about the brain. Asking about diet has no link to spotting a concussion. Testing grip strength is not a recognised sign check for concussion. The rule to remember: begin with observable signs and reported symptoms, and if you suspect a concussion, act on it rather than waiting for proof.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official course on NFHSLearn.com, since that is the source that counts. Read or watch each unit in order, and write down any term or step you could not explain to a colleague.

Then use our practice sets to find gaps. Begin with the foundational concepts set and the concussion awareness set, which match the early units. Move on to injury recognition and symptom evaluation, then return-to-play and recovery. After each set, read the explanation for every question you missed, including the ones you got right by guessing, and note the rule behind the answer.

Spend extra time on questions about who is qualified to evaluate an athlete and what a coach should do when an injury is suspected, because these depend on roles and responsibilities rather than memorised facts. Our emergency response, communication and documentation, and safety regulations sets add useful practice on those themes.

Before you finish, go back to the course review unit and redo the sets where you were weakest. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so treat them as a way to test your understanding, not to predict what you will see. Check your school or state association for any local requirements.

Sources & last verified

1. National Federation of State High School Associations — validity, delivery, eligibility, other (official source). “Approved for 1 Clock Hour” Verified Nov 1, 2026 · source checked Oct 21, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.