Exam topics
One topic per page: the exact figures, the specific confusion that loses the point, and a scored drill with an explanation on every answer.
13 topics · all free, in English and Spanish
HHA vital signs: normal ranges and how to measure them
Temperature, pulse and respiration are named in the federal training rule itself, and a measurement is one of the most common skills on the test. The written questions are mostly about two things: knowing the normal adult ranges cold, and knowing the small technique rules that make a reading wrong, like an oral temperature taken right after coffee or a pulse counted with the thumb.
Drill it · 12 questionsPerineal and catheter care: the steps HHAs get tested on
Toileting and elimination care is on the federal list of personal care skills, and the questions turn almost entirely on direction: which way you wipe, which way you clean a catheter, where the drainage bag hangs. Each direction exists for the same reason, which is to keep bacteria from the rectal area away from the urinary opening. Knowing that reason answers most of them.
Drill it · 10 questionsTransfers, gait belts, canes and walkers for HHAs
Safe transfer techniques and ambulation are on the federal list of skills a nurse must watch an aide perform, and the written questions test the same decisions. Which side does the chair go on? Which hand holds the cane? Where does the aide walk? Nearly every answer follows from one rule: the client's strong side does the work, and the aide guards the weak side.
Drill it · 11 questionsPressure injuries and skin tears: what HHAs check and report
Recognizing and reporting changes in skin condition is its own line in the federal training rule. An aide sees a client's skin more often than anyone else on the team, so the questions focus on spotting the first stage early, knowing where injuries form, and the handful of well-meant habits that make them worse, such as massaging a red spot or rubbing fragile skin dry.
Drill it · 8 questionsFood safety for home health aides: the temperatures to know
Planning and preparing meals while following food safety guidelines is in DC's HHA outline, and it produces some of the most reliable points on the test, because the answers are fixed USDA numbers. Older and chronically ill clients are among the people most likely to be seriously harmed by food poisoning, which is why these numbers matter in the job and not only on the exam.
Drill it · 11 questionsHHA scope of practice: what a home health aide can and cannot do
These are the questions where every answer sounds like it helps the client. The test is whether you know which help belongs to the aide and which belongs to the nurse. The aide follows a care plan written by a registered nurse or therapist, does only tasks they were trained and found competent in, and reports anything beyond that.
Drill it · 6 questionsDementia care for home health aides: communication that works
A large share of home care clients live with dementia, and the questions about them test one counterintuitive idea: correcting a person with dementia rarely helps. The brain cannot hold on to the correction, so arguing produces distress, not understanding. What works is responding to the feeling, simplifying the task and keeping the client safe without force.
Drill it · 6 questionsHand hygiene, gloves and PPE order for home health aides
Basic infection prevention and control is on the federal subject list, and hand hygiene is the step skills evaluators watch most closely. The written questions test exact rules: how long to scrub, when alcohol rub is not enough, the order PPE goes on and comes off, and which mask a given germ requires.
Drill it · 10 questionsFire, oxygen and electrical safety in a client's home
Maintaining a safe environment and recognizing emergencies are both on the federal subject list, and in a home there is no fire team down the hall. These questions test two acronyms, RACE and PASS, and the specific rules for clients on home oxygen, which makes any spark far more dangerous.
Drill it · 6 questionsPositioning and range of motion: Fowler's, Sims' and ROM terms
Normal range of motion and positioning is its own line in the federal training rule, and range of motion is one of the skills a nurse must watch the aide perform. The written questions are mostly vocabulary, positions by angle and movements by name, plus the one safety rule that never changes: stop at pain.
Drill it · 7 questionsClient rights, abuse and neglect: what HHAs must report
Home care happens behind a closed door, which is why rights and abuse take up a real share of the aide's role on every outline. The questions test whether you can tell respect from control, such as honoring a refusal or keeping information private, and whether you know that suspected abuse is reported, not investigated or confronted.
Drill it · 12 questionsEmergencies for home health aides: choking, stroke, seizures
Recognizing emergencies and knowing how to respond is on the federal subject list, and an aide is often the only person in the home when one happens. These questions test recognition, such as the signs of a stroke or low blood sugar, and the first action, which is nearly always to call 911 or get help and then notify the agency.
Drill it · 12 questionsAssisting with medications: an HHA's role and limits
DC's HHA outline lists assisting with self-administration of medication under basic care skills, and the questions test exactly where assisting ends. An aide can remind, bring the labeled container and observe. The client takes the medicine, and anything involving a decision about the drug or dose goes to the nurse. State law sets the details, so the safe answer is always the most limited one.
Drill it · 7 questions