Free NACC PSW Practice Exam: 25 Questions With Answers

This free practice exam covers the topics tested on the NACC PSW certification exam — infection control, safety, body mechanics, personal care, communication, and more. Answer all 25 questions, then check the answer key below. No sign-up, no payment.

How to use it: treat it like the real thing. Sit somewhere quiet, don't peek at the answers, and aim for at least 20 out of 25 before exam day.

Questions

1. How long should you wash your hands with soap and water?
   A) 5 seconds  B) At least 20 seconds  C) Only until they look clean  D) 1 full minute, every time
2. Which piece of PPE should be removed FIRST?
   A) Mask  B) Gown  C) Gloves  D) Eye protection
3. In the fire safety acronym RACE, the "R" stands for:
   A) Run  B) Rescue  C) Report  D) Restrain
4. When lifting, a PSW should:
   A) Bend at the waist and lift quickly  B) Keep feet together for stability  C) Bend the knees and hold the load close to the body  D) Twist at the hips to place the load
5. A conscious client suddenly cannot speak, cough, or breathe while eating. You should:
   A) Offer sips of water  B) Slap their back and wait  C) Call for help and give abdominal thrusts if trained  D) Leave to find a nurse
6. When speaking with a client who has dementia, it is best to:
   A) Give all instructions at once so they can plan  B) Use short, simple sentences and one step at a time  C) Speak loudly from across the room  D) Correct them firmly when they are confused
7. A client asks you to change their sterile wound dressing. You should:
   A) Do it carefully  B) Ask the family to do it  C) Explain it is outside your role and report it to your supervisor  D) Skip it and say nothing
8. When providing perineal care for a female client, always clean:
   A) Back to front  B) Front to back  C) In a circular motion  D) With the same section of cloth throughout
9. When transferring a client with one-sided weakness, move them toward:
   A) Their weaker side  B) Their stronger side  C) Either side  D) The side closest to the door
10. You notice a client is suddenly confused, which is new for them. You should:
    A) Chart it at the end of the week  B) Assume it is normal aging  C) Report it to your supervisor right away  D) Ask the client to rest
11. Which of the following respects client confidentiality?
    A) Discussing a client at the bus stop without using their name  B) Posting about your day with a client on social media  C) Discussing the client only with the care team  D) Telling a neighbour who asks kindly
12. You see unexplained bruises on a client who seems fearful of a family member. You should:
    A) Confront the family member  B) Wait to see if it happens again  C) Report your observations according to policy and law  D) Promise the client you will keep it secret
13. A client with dysphagia (trouble swallowing) should be:
    A) Fed lying down for comfort  B) Given regular thin fluids  C) Positioned upright and given fluids of the consistency in the care plan  D) Rushed through meals to reduce fatigue
14. The single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection is:
    A) Wearing a mask at all times  B) Hand hygiene  C) Taking vitamins  D) Disinfecting floors daily
15. Restraints may be used:
    A) Whenever a client is annoying staff  B) To save time during busy shifts  C) Only as directed in the care plan, with frequent monitoring  D) Never, under any circumstance
16. Which is a common sign that death is near?
    A) Increased appetite  B) Cool, mottled hands and feet with irregular breathing  C) Sudden burst of physical strength  D) Elevated alertness for days
17. A PSW's role with medications is usually to:
    A) Adjust doses when needed  B) Give injections  C) Remind and assist as directed, and report refusals  D) Decide which medications to skip
18. Which of the following helps prevent falls?
    A) Loose slippers  B) Clear walkways, proper footwear, and locked wheelchair brakes  C) Dim lighting at night  D) Moving furniture often for variety
19. Routine practices mean you treat:
    A) Only clients with known infections as infectious  B) All blood and body fluids as potentially infectious  C) Only visibly soiled items as infectious  D) Nothing as infectious unless told
20. A client refuses their bath. You should:
    A) Bathe them anyway for their own good  B) Respect the refusal, offer again later, and report and document it  C) Tell them they have no choice  D) Skip it and never mention it
21. When making an occupied bed, you should:
    A) Ask the client to stand in the hallway  B) Roll the client to the far side with the side rail up, and work one side at a time  C) Lift the client onto a chair without help  D) Shake the linens to freshen them
22. When oxygen is in use, it is most important to:
    A) Keep open flames and smoking away  B) Close all windows  C) Increase the flow if the client seems tired  D) Remove the tubing during meals
23. To help prevent pressure injuries, reposition an at-risk client at least every:
    A) 30 minutes  B) 2 hours  C) 6 hours  D) Shift change
24. A grateful client offers you an expensive gift. You should:
    A) Accept it quietly  B) Politely decline and follow your employer's policy  C) Ask for money instead  D) Accept it but hide it
25. Good documentation is:
    A) Written before care, to save time  B) Based on opinions and guesses  C) Factual, objective, and completed after care is given  D) Optional on busy days

Answer Key

1. B — Wash for at least 20 seconds, covering all surfaces of the hands.
2. C — Gloves are the most contaminated and come off first, followed by hand hygiene.
3. B — RACE: Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish/Evacuate.
4. C — Bend the knees, keep a wide base of support, hold the load close, never twist.
5. C — No air movement means choking: get help and give abdominal thrusts if trained.
6. B — Short, calm, one-step instructions work best in dementia care.
7. C — Sterile procedures are outside PSW scope; explain kindly and report.
8. B — Front to back prevents urinary tract infections; use a clean section per stroke.
9. B — Lead with strength: transfer toward the client's stronger side.
10. C — Sudden confusion is a significant change — report immediately.
11. C — Client information is shared only with the care team on a need-to-know basis.
12. C — Suspected abuse must be reported according to policy and law — never kept secret.
13. C — Upright at 90°, correct fluid consistency, unhurried meals, upright after eating.
14. B — Hand hygiene breaks the chain of infection better than anything else.
15. C — Restraints are a last resort, used only as ordered and monitored closely.
16. B — Circulation slows near death: cool, mottled extremities and irregular breathing.
17. C — PSWs remind and assist as directed; they do not administer or adjust medications.
18. B — Clear paths, good footwear, locked brakes, adequate lighting.
19. B — Routine practices: treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious.
20. B — Clients have the right to refuse; respect it, retry later, report and document.
21. B — Work one side at a time with the far rail up for safety; never shake linens.
22. A — Oxygen feeds fire: no smoking, candles, or open flames nearby.
23. B — Reposition at least every 2 hours and report skin redness that doesn't fade.
24. B — Expensive gifts cross professional boundaries; decline and follow policy.
25. C — Chart facts, not opinions, and always after the care is provided.

How Did You Score?

22–25: You're in great shape — keep reviewing lightly. 18–21: Almost there; drill your weak topics. Below 18: Don't panic — work through our free guides one category at a time, then retake this test.