Medical Terminology Quiz: Master Essential Terms and Meanings
Answer 20 medical terminology questions-get instant results and spot gaps.
Editorial: Review CompletedUpdated Aug 24, 2025
This 20-question medical terminology quiz helps you check key terms, prefixes, and suffixes with instant feedback to find what to review next. For more practice, try a medical terminology practice test, focus on word parts with a medical prefixes and suffixes quiz, or build speed with a medical abbreviation quiz before your next class.
Study Outcomes
- Understand fundamental medical terminology and its significance in clinical contexts.
- Apply medical terms accurately in exam-style scenarios.
- Analyze complex medical vocabulary by breaking down prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
- Evaluate case-based questions using targeted feedback to identify key health science concepts.
- Reinforce exam preparation skills by demonstrating proficiency in medical term comprehension.
Medical Term Quiz: Practice Questions Cheat Sheet
- Dissect medical word parts - Every medical term is a combo of prefixes (beginnings), roots (core meanings), suffixes (endings) and combining forms. By conquering these four building blocks you'll feel like a decoding master when you see terms like cardiology (cardi- = heart, -ology = study of). Practice daily and watch your confidence soar! CliffsNotes
- Master common prefixes - Prefixes like hyper- (excessive), hypo- (under) and brady- (slow) give you huge clues right off the bat. Spotting hypertension or bradycardia becomes effortless once these little bundles of meaning stick in your brain. Keep quizzing yourself with flashcards for extra fun! CliffsNotes
- Know your suffixes - Suffixes like -itis (inflammation), -ectomy (surgical removal) and -ology (study of) tell you what's happening at the end of the word. They turn mystery terms into understandable ideas like appendicitis and nephrology. Make a suffix chart that looks like a pizza for extra memorability! CliffsNotes
- Build your own terms - Combine what you know to craft words like gastroenterology (gastro- = stomach, enter- = intestine, -ology = study of). Playing with these pieces is like LEGOs for language - endless creations and surprises! Challenge friends to see who makes the funniest real or fake term. CliffsNotes
- Use mnemonic devices - Mnemonics turn long lists into easy hooks - 'FAST' for stroke symptoms (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call). They're your memory's secret weapon. Whip up your own quirky phrases to make facts stick for the long haul! NursingCenter
- Crack medical abbreviations - Symbols like BP for blood pressure and HR for heart rate are shorthand shortcuts in charts and conversations. Knowing them makes you feel like a real healthcare insider. Create abbreviation flashcards for speedy recall during study sessions! CliffsNotes
- Memorize the cranial nerves - Use the classic line "On Old Olympus's Towering Tops, A Finn And German Viewed Some Hops" to anchor the 12 names in order. Turning it into a rap or jingle adds extra oomph. Sing it in the shower and you'll nail those nerves before you know it! Osmosis
- Spot eponyms - Many diseases, like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, bear the names of the legends who discovered them. Knowing these makes terms more memorable and ties you to medical history. Bonus: try pronouncing each name like a true expert! CliffsNotes
- AEIOU-TIPS for altered mental status - This nifty acronym covers Alcohol, Epilepsy, Insulin, Overdose, Uremia, Trauma, Infection, Psychogenic causes, and Stroke. It's like a diagnostic GPS when you're in a clinical scenario. Drill it until it's second nature! Wikipedia
- Break down long terms - Take osteoporosis apart: 'osteo-' (bone) + '-porosis' (porous condition) to decode it as bones becoming fragile. Practicing this with tricky words turns you into a terminology ninja. Soon you'll breeze through any multisyllabic monster! CliffsNotes
