The SMQT (Surveyor Minimum Qualifications Test) is required by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) for state agency surveyors who inspect nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies, hospices, and other Medicare/Medicaid-certified healthcare facilities. Passing the SMQT is a mandatory step before a surveyor can enter facilities to conduct official surveys.
This free SMQT practice test PDF covers all major exam domains including federal healthcare regulations, the CMS survey process, nursing home survey procedures, infection control, medication management, resident rights, quality of care, life safety code basics, and the deficiency citation process. Download, print, and study at your own pace.
The SMQT tests a wide range of knowledge that surveyors must demonstrate before entering healthcare facilities. Below is a breakdown of the major content domains.
You must understand Conditions of Participation (CoP) versus Conditions for Coverage, as well as the three main survey types: standard surveys, complaint investigations, and focused surveys.
Topics include the Minimum Data Set (MDS), care plan review, resident rights under OBRA-87, and abuse and neglect investigation procedures specific to long-term care settings.
Surveyors must identify infection control deficiencies. Questions cover standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, and how to recognize gaps in a facility's infection control program.
Expect questions on the five rights of medication administration, oversight of high-alert medications, and the identification of medication errors during a survey visit.
Topics include the long-term care ombudsman role, mandatory reporting requirements, and the definition and procedural process for immediate jeopardy situations.
You will be tested on standards for pressure ulcer prevention, falls prevention, restraint use, and nutrition and hydration requirements in long-term care.
Questions cover NFPA 101 fire safety requirements including egress standards and how to identify life safety deficiencies during a healthcare facility survey.
The exam tests interview strategies for residents, staff, and family members, as well as observation skills and medical record review methods used during surveys.
You must understand the scope and severity matrix — how to classify deficiencies as isolated, pattern, or widespread and as minimal, moderate, serious, or immediate jeopardy harm. Plan of Correction requirements are also tested.
Pairing this PDF with interactive online practice gives you the best preparation for the SMQT. Our SMQT practice test features questions covering every exam domain — from the CMS survey process and federal regulations to the deficiency citation matrix and life safety code. Work through timed online sessions to build the speed and accuracy you need to pass the Surveyor Minimum Qualifications Test on your first attempt.