Free CNA Practice Test
Patient Rights
25 NNAAP-style questions, one at a time — just like exam day. Score and full explanations at the end.
Free CNA practice test on resident and patient rights, OBRA 87, HIPAA, dignity, privacy, abuse and neglect reporting, restraints, advance directives, and the right to refuse care. Questions mirror the Client Rights section of the NNAAP content outline.
Need a refresher first? Read our free Patient Rights study guide before taking the test.
Exam-simulator mode: picking an answer saves it and automatically moves you to the next question. You will not see right/wrong until you finish — just like the real NNAAP.
Question 1 of 25.Which federal law established the Resident Bill of Rights for long-term care facilities?
Prefer to read? All 25 questions with answers
Which federal law established the Resident Bill of Rights for long-term care facilities?
- HIPAA (1996)
- OBRA '87 (Nursing Home Reform Act) (correct answer)
- ADA (1990)
- Patient Self-Determination Act (1990)
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA '87) created the federal Resident Bill of Rights for every facility receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds. It remains the single most-tested law on the NNAAP exam.
A daughter calls the unit and asks about her mother's blood pressure. What is the CNA's BEST response?
- Tell her the latest reading
- Refer her to the nurse and confirm she is on the approved contact list (correct answer)
- Hang up the phone
- Ask her to come in person
Under HIPAA, a CNA may not disclose PHI over the phone without verifying the caller is authorized. Always refer family inquiries to the nurse, who can confirm the approved contact list.
A resident with capacity refuses her morning bath. What should the CNA do?
- Bathe her anyway because it is policy
- Threaten to call her family
- Stop, ask why, offer alternatives, document, and report to the nurse (correct answer)
- Wait until she is asleep and proceed
Residents have a federally protected right to refuse care. The correct sequence is stop, ask why, offer reasonable alternatives, document the refusal, and report it to the charge nurse.
Which of the following BEST demonstrates respect for a resident's dignity?
- Calling the resident 'sweetie'
- Knocking and waiting before entering the room (correct answer)
- Discussing the resident at the nurses' station within earshot
- Choosing the resident's outfit without asking
Knocking and waiting for permission acknowledges the resident's privacy and dignity. Pet names like 'sweetie' or 'honey' are dignity violations on the NNAAP exam.
Which of the following is an example of physical abuse?
- Yelling at a resident
- Slapping a resident's hand (correct answer)
- Ignoring a call light
- Taking money from a resident's drawer
Physical abuse is intentional bodily harm — hitting, slapping, pinching, or rough handling. Yelling is emotional abuse, ignoring care is neglect, and taking money is financial exploitation.
A CNA suspects that a coworker is striking a resident. What should the CNA do?
- Confront the coworker
- Tell the family
- Report the suspicion immediately to the charge nurse and administrator (correct answer)
- Wait for proof before saying anything
CNAs are mandatory reporters in every state. You must report any suspicion of abuse immediately — not investigate, not collect proof. Failure to report can mean termination and loss of certification.
Under OBRA '87, restraints may be used only when:
- The staff is short-handed
- A physician orders them to treat a documented medical symptom and less restrictive alternatives have failed (correct answer)
- A roommate complains
- The resident is wandering
Restraints require a physician's order to treat a specific medical symptom, must use the least restrictive option, and can never be used for staff convenience or discipline.
How often must a CNA release a restrained resident for repositioning, toileting, and fluids?
- Every 30 minutes
- Every hour
- At least every 2 hours (correct answer)
- Every 4 hours
Federal regulations require restraint release at least every 2 hours for range of motion, repositioning, toileting, fluids, and skin checks. Visual checks must occur every 15-30 minutes.
A resident with a valid DNR order stops breathing. The CNA should:
- Begin CPR immediately
- Call for the nurse and provide comfort, do NOT start CPR (correct answer)
- Try to revive the resident with rescue breaths only
- Move the resident to the floor
A DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order is a physician's order. Starting CPR on a DNR resident violates their advance directive. The CNA should call the nurse, stay with the resident, and provide comfort.
Which of the following is an advance directive?
- A care plan
- A living will (correct answer)
- A nurse's note
- A medication list
Advance directives are legal documents that state a person's healthcare wishes in advance. The three main types are the living will, the healthcare power of attorney, and the DNR order.
Which action is a HIPAA violation?
- Telling the nurse a resident's vital signs
- Discussing a resident's diagnosis with a coworker in the elevator (correct answer)
- Charting a resident's intake
- Reporting suspected abuse
Discussing PHI in a public space like an elevator, cafeteria, or parking lot is a HIPAA violation. Information may only be shared with care-team members who need it on a 'need-to-know' basis.
A resident's son brings in a $50 bill and offers it to the CNA for 'taking such good care of Mom.' The CNA should:
- Accept it discreetly
- Politely decline and explain that staff cannot accept tips or gifts of money (correct answer)
- Put it in the resident's drawer
- Accept it and share it with coworkers
Accepting money or gifts from residents or families is considered financial exploitation and is grounds for termination and loss of certification in most states. The CNA must politely refuse.
Which statement BEST describes 'privacy' during personal care?
- The CNA hums during the bath
- The CNA closes the door, pulls the curtain, and drapes the resident (correct answer)
- The CNA opens the curtain so the resident can see outside
- The CNA leaves the door open for safety
Privacy requires closing the door, pulling the privacy curtain, closing blinds, and draping the resident with a bath blanket so only the area being washed is exposed at any time.
Which of the following is an example of NEGLECT?
- Striking a resident
- Forgetting to reposition an immobile resident for 8 hours (correct answer)
- Stealing jewelry
- Yelling at a resident
Neglect is the failure to provide care a reasonable caregiver would provide — such as not repositioning a bed-bound resident, ignoring call lights, or failing to offer meals. It is just as illegal as active abuse.
A confused resident with severe dementia tries to leave the unit. Which action is BEST?
- Apply a vest restraint
- Lock the resident in the room
- Use redirection, distraction, and a wander-alarm system (correct answer)
- Argue with the resident
Wandering is best managed with restraint alternatives — redirection, distraction, calming activities, secure-unit doors, and wander alarms. Restraints are a last resort and require a physician's order.
A resident wants to vote in the upcoming election. The CNA should:
- Tell her it is not allowed
- Help her contact her family or social worker to arrange voting (correct answer)
- Vote on her behalf
- Ignore the request
Residents retain all civil rights, including the right to vote. The CNA should support the resident in contacting family or social services to arrange an absentee ballot or transportation.
A CNA sees a coworker take a photo of a resident with a personal cell phone and post it on social media. This is:
- Acceptable if no name is mentioned
- A HIPAA violation that must be reported (correct answer)
- Acceptable if the resident smiles
- Acceptable on a private account
Photographing or posting any image of a resident without written consent is a HIPAA violation, even if no name is given. Identifiable images are protected health information. This must be reported.
Which item is NOT considered protected health information (PHI)?
- Diagnosis
- Room number
- Anonymous aggregate statistics published in a report (correct answer)
- Date of birth
PHI is any information that can be linked back to an identifiable individual. De-identified aggregate statistics are not PHI because they cannot be traced to one person.
An alert resident says, 'I want to change who makes decisions for me.' The CNA should:
- Witness the change
- Tell the resident they cannot change it
- Report the request to the nurse so the proper legal process can begin (correct answer)
- Change the chart
A CNA does not sign, witness, or modify advance directives. Report any expressed change in the resident's wishes to the nurse so the social worker or attorney can update the legal document.
Which of the following is a sign that a resident may be experiencing emotional abuse?
- Smiling when staff enters
- Withdrawal, fear of certain staff, and flinching when touched (correct answer)
- Eating well
- Sleeping comfortably
Signs of emotional abuse include withdrawal, fearfulness around specific staff members, flinching, depression, sudden changes in mood, and unexplained anxiety.
A resident's daughter wants to read her mother's chart. The CNA should:
- Hand her the chart
- Refer her to the nurse to verify authorization (correct answer)
- Refuse and leave
- Photocopy it for her
Family access to records requires a written release or designation as healthcare power of attorney. Always refer such requests to the nurse, who can verify legal authorization.
Which of the following is the BEST example of supporting a resident's self-determination?
- Setting the wake-up time at 6 a.m. for all residents
- Asking the resident what time she wants to get up and what she wants to wear (correct answer)
- Picking out the resident's clothes
- Making the resident eat at the table
Self-determination means residents control their own daily routines — when to wake, what to wear, what to eat, and which activities to attend. Offering meaningful choice is the CNA's daily duty.
A resident in a wheelchair complains that another resident verbally bullies her at meals. The CNA should:
- Tell her to ignore it
- Listen, thank her for sharing, report to the nurse, and document factually (correct answer)
- Confront the other resident
- Move her to her room
Resident-to-resident mistreatment is reportable abuse. The CNA listens calmly, never argues, reports up the chain, and documents the complaint factually. Retaliation of any kind is prohibited.
Under OBRA '87, residents have the right to:
- Choose which physician they see
- Refuse a roommate change
- Form and participate in a resident council
- All of the above (correct answer)
OBRA '87 protects all of these rights: choice of physician, advance notice of room or roommate changes, the right to organize resident and family councils, and many others.
What is the BEST way to address an 82-year-old resident named Mrs. Eleanor Perez?
- Sweetie
- Grandma
- Mrs. Perez, unless she invites a first-name basis (correct answer)
- Hey, you
Always address residents by their preferred name and title — usually Mr., Mrs., or Ms. with the last name unless they invite a first-name basis. Pet names violate dignity.
FAQ: Patient Rights on the CNA Exam
How many patient rights questions are on the actual NNAAP exam?
The NNAAP written exam has 60 scored questions distributed across eight content areas. Patient Rights is one of the most heavily tested categories, with several questions appearing on every form of the exam. Drilling these questions repeatedly until you can explain why each correct answer is correct is the best way to lock in the material.
What should I do if I miss several questions on this patient rights practice test?
Re-read the corresponding free study guide (linked above and below) before retaking the test. Take notes on the exact concept you missed — for example, 'I confused contact and droplet precautions' — and review the explanations until the pattern is clear. Most students need 2 to 3 cycles of test, review, and retake before consistently scoring above 80%.
Are these questions identical to the real CNA exam?
No. The actual NNAAP, Prometric, Headmaster, and PSI exams are confidential and only the official testing vendors have access to live items. Our questions are written by us to mirror NNAAP style, difficulty, and content distribution based on the publicly available NNAAP content outline. Performing well here is a strong predictor of passing the real test.
Do I have to pay or sign up to take this practice test?
No. Every practice test, study guide, and resource on freecnatraining.org is 100% free, with no signup or paywall. Most other CNA practice test sites charge $30 to $100 per month for access; we are funded by our nursing-school directory and keep the study material free for students.