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Quizzes > Science

CBRN Board Questions Quiz for Army Board Prep

Quick, free CBRN practice test with instant results and review.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Emma RobinsonUpdated Aug 24, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art quiz on teal background featuring CBRN board questions testing chemical biological radiological nuclear defense

This quiz helps you practice CBRN board questions and spot gaps before your Army board. Work through agent ID, detection, PPE, MOPP, and decon scenarios, then review answers with instant feedback. If you need more prep, check out ar 350-1 board questions and build response skills with the hazmat operations practice test.

Which of the following is classified as a vesicant agent?
Chlorine
Sarin
Phosgene
Sulfur mustard
Sulfur mustard is a classic blister or vesicant agent that causes severe chemical burns and blisters upon contact with skin and mucous membranes. It was first used in World War I and remains a key training example for vesicant response. Mustard agents alkylate DNA and proteins, disrupting cellular function.
What is the primary purpose of the M40 protective mask in CBRN defense?
Provide ballistic protection
Supply oxygen in confined spaces
Detect radiological contamination
Filter chemical and biological agents
The M40 protective mask is designed to filter out airborne chemical and biological threats using activated charcoal and particulate filters. It does not provide ballistic protection or supply oxygen, nor does it detect radiation. Its a cornerstone of individual CBRN protection for U.S. forces.
What term describes a device that disseminates radioactive material using conventional explosives?
Dirty bomb
Criticality device
Isotopic separator
Nuclear warhead
A Dirty Bomb, or Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), uses conventional explosives to spread radioactive material without a nuclear detonation. Its primary effect is contamination and panic rather than massive blast damage. RDDs are considered a low?yield CBRN threat but pose significant health and cleanup challenges.
Which level of PPE in CBRN defense provides full body and respiratory protection?
Level A
Level D
Level C
Level B
Level A protection involves a fully encapsulating suit with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), providing the highest level of respiratory, skin, and eye protection. Level B offers respiratory protection but less skin protection, while Levels C and D offer progressively lower protection. Level A is reserved for known high?hazard environments.
Miosis (pinpoint pupils) is an early sign of exposure to which type of CBRN agent?
Nerve agents
Blister agents
Biological toxins
Radiological particulates
Nerve agents inhibit acetylcholinesterase, leading to excessive acetylcholine and parasympathetic overstimulation, one manifestation of which is miosis (pinpoint pupils). Blister agents typically cause skin and mucosal injury, not miosis. Radiological and biological exposures present with different symptom clusters.
What does the term LD50 refer to in chemical agent toxicity?
Time to incapacitation for 50% of a population
Radiation dose causing 50% cell mutation
Concentration that causes 50% contamination
Dose lethal to 50% of a population
LD50 (lethal dose, 50%) is the amount of a substance required to kill half of a test population, typically measured in mg/kg. Its a standard toxicological metric to compare acute toxicity of chemicals. The lower the LD50, the more toxic the substance.
The bacterium Bacillus anthracis is primarily associated with which form of anthrax?
Gastrointestinal anthrax
Injection anthrax
Cutaneous anthrax
Inhalation anthrax
Inhalation anthrax occurs when Bacillus anthracis spores are inhaled into the lungs, leading to severe respiratory distress and systemic infection. It is the deadliest form and of greatest concern in bioterrorism. Cutaneous and gastrointestinal forms have different exposure routes and clinical presentations.
Which paper-based detector is used to identify the presence of nerve agents in the field?
M18 photoluminescent paper
M9 chemical agent detector paper
M256 kit
M8 detector paper
M8 detector paper is impregnated with reagents that change color in the presence of nerve and blister agents, allowing rapid field identification. M9 paper only indicates the presence of a general chemical threat without agent-specific identification. The M256 kit provides confirmatory testing, not simple field screening.
What is the recommended initial decontamination solution for skin exposed to sulfur mustard?
Copious water wash
0.5% bleach solution
Neutralizing powder
Isopropyl alcohol wipe
Immediate and thorough washing with water is the first and most critical step in skin decontamination after sulfur mustard exposure. Bleach solutions may be used for equipment or secondary decontamination stages, but not initially on skin. Timely water decontamination helps reduce absorption.
Which radiation unit measures the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation?
Roentgen (R)
Gray (Gy)
Sievert (Sv)
Curie (Ci)
The Gray (Gy) is the SI unit of absorbed radiation dose, equal to one joule of energy absorbed per kilogram of matter. The Sievert (Sv) accounts for biological effect by applying a weighting factor. Roentgen measures exposure in air, and Curie measures radioactivity, not absorbed dose.
SCBA commonly used in CBRN incidents stands for:
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
Systematic Contamination Breathing Aid
Sealed Chemical Bio-suit Accessory
Standard Chemical Barrier Apparatus
SCBA stands for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, providing an independent air supply for personnel operating in toxic atmospheres. Its critical in high-threat CBRN environments. It is not a passive filter and requires proper training to use.
What biosafety level (BSL) is required for work with Ebola virus?
BSL-1
BSL-4
BSL-3
BSL-2
Ebola virus is handled in BSL-4 laboratories due to its high transmissibility and mortality rates. BSL-4 requires maximum containment, specialized ventilation, and full-body air-supplied suits. Lower BSL levels do not provide adequate protection for such pathogens.
Which type of shielding is most effective against gamma radiation?
Lead
Aluminum
Wood
Plastic
High-density materials such as lead are most effective at attenuating gamma rays due to their atomic number and mass. Lighter materials like wood or plastic provide minimal attenuation, and aluminum is less effective than lead. Shield thickness must be calculated based on energy and half-value layers.
The G-series nerve agents include GA, GB, GD, and GF. What does G denote?
General use
Gas phase
Gasoline-based
German origin
The G-series nerve agents were first synthesized by German scientists before and during World War II, hence the G designation. GB (Sarin), GD (Soman), and GA (Tabun) are all of German origin. This nomenclature distinguishes them from later V-series agents.
Which instrument is primarily used to detect and measure alpha radiation in the field?
Scintillation probe
Geiger-Mueller counter
Ionization chamber
Dosimeter pen
Scintillation probes equipped with a thin ZnS(Ag) window are optimized for detecting low-penetrating alpha particles. Geiger-Mueller counters with standard windows cannot reliably detect alpha radiation. Ionization chambers and dosimeter pens measure beta and gamma more effectively.
What is the main component of standard military decontamination kits for chemical agents?
Sodium hydroxide
Calcium hypochlorite
DS2 solution
Hydrogen peroxide
DS2 (Decontamination Solution 2) is a standard U.S. military decontaminant composed of a proprietary mixture of solvents and solvents with bleach; it effectively neutralizes most chemical warfare agents. Calcium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide can also be used but are not the primary issued solution.
In the context of CBRN defense, what does the acronym MOPP stand for?
Multi-Operational Protective Position
Maximum Operational Protective Protocol
Military Occupational Protective Procedure
Mission-Oriented Protective Posture
MOPP stands for Mission-Oriented Protective Posture, which defines standardized levels (04) of CBRN protective gear readiness based on threat assessment. It streamlines command and control for protective posture changes under chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
Which biological agent is classified as a Category A priority pathogen by the CDC?
Ricin toxin
Abrin toxin
Coxiella burnetii
Yersinia pestis
Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, is a CDC Category A priority pathogen due to its high mortality rate, ease of dissemination, and potential for major public health impact. Other Category A agents include Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium botulinum toxin. Ricin and abrin are listed as category B.
Which enzyme is irreversibly inhibited by organophosphate nerve agents?
Monoamine oxidase
Cytochrome P450
Acetylcholinesterase
ATP synthase
Organophosphate nerve agents phosphorylate the active site of acetylcholinesterase, preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine and causing cholinergic crisis. This inhibition is effectively irreversible without specific reactivators. Other enzymes listed are not primary targets.
What principle explains the attenuation of radiation intensity as distance doubles?
Inverse square law
Half-value layer concept
Beer-Lambert law
Exponential decay law
The inverse square law states that radiation intensity falls off proportionally to the square of the distance from the source. Doubling the distance reduces intensity to one-quarter. This is fundamental to radiation protection through distance.
In nuclear forensics, isotopic ratio analysis is used primarily to:
Measure external dose absorption
Determine explosive yield
Detect biological contamination
Identify the source reactor or processing history
Isotopic ratio analysis (e.g., U-235/U-238) in nuclear forensics reveals the origin and processing history of fissile material. It does not directly measure dose or biological threats. This technique supports attribution in nuclear security incidents.
Which decontamination method uses ultrasonic waves to remove contaminants from small equipment?
Steam autoclave
Dry ice blasting
Ultrasonic bath
High-pressure spray wash
An ultrasonic bath uses high-frequency sound waves to create cavitation bubbles that agitate and remove chemical or biological contaminants from small or delicate equipment. It is often used for precision instruments. Other methods rely on physical or thermal processes.
The Criticality Safety Index (CSI) applies to which type of hazard classification?
Chemical warfare agents
Radioactive fissile material
Biological toxins
High-explosive munitions
The Criticality Safety Index is assigned to packages containing fissile radioactive materials to prevent inadvertent criticality during transport by limiting the number of packages that can be shipped together. It does not apply to chemical or biological hazards.
BZ (3-quinuclidinyl benzilate) is classified as which type of chemical warfare agent?
Incapacitant
Choking agent
Nerve agent
Blister agent
BZ is an anticholinergic incapacitant that disrupts neurotransmitter function, causing delirium and incapacitation without high mortality. It does not inhibit acetylcholinesterase like nerve agents nor cause blisters or pulmonary edema.
What is the typical half-value layer (HVL) for lead shielding against 1 MeV gamma rays?
~0.7 cm
~1.2 cm
~2.0 cm
~0.3 cm
The half-value layer for lead against 1 MeV gamma rays (as emitted by Co-60) is approximately 1.2 cm. This means each 1.2 cm of lead reduces the gamma intensity by half. HVL values vary with energy and material.
What is the principle behind the use of ion mobility spectrometry in CWA detection?
Mass-to-charge ratio separation
UV absorbance spectroscopy
Charge drift time in an electric field
Thermal conductivity changes
Ion mobility spectrometry separates ionized chemical warfare agents based on their drift time through an electric field at atmospheric pressure. The measured drift time creates a characteristic fingerprint for rapid detection. It does not rely on mass spectrometry or optical properties.
Which mathematical model describes the relationship between contaminant concentration, air flow, and time in a CBRN shelter air filtration system?
Langmuir isotherm
First-order exponential decay
Michaelis-Menten equation
Zero-order kinetics
A CBRN shelters contaminant removal through air filtration follows a first-order exponential decay model where concentration decreases exponentially over time based on air changes per hour. This reflects constant fractional removal per time unit. Zero-order and other models do not apply to ventilation-driven decay.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand CBRN Defense Principles -

    Learn the core concepts of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense to build a solid foundation for tackling CBRN board questions.

  2. Analyze Realistic CBRN Scenarios -

    Evaluate hypothetical chemical and biological incident scenarios to sharpen critical thinking and scenario-based decision-making skills in the cbrn quiz.

  3. Identify CBRN Threat Agents -

    Differentiate between common chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents and recall their key characteristics during the CBRN board questions quiz.

  4. Apply Protective and Decontamination Measures -

    Practice selecting appropriate personal protective equipment and decontamination procedures in army cbrn test contexts.

  5. Evaluate Army CBRN Response Protocols -

    Assess standard operating procedures and response guidelines for CBRN incidents to reinforce professional readiness.

  6. Strengthen Knowledge Retention -

    Use immediate feedback from the cbrn trivia quiz to identify knowledge gaps and reinforce learning for long-term mastery.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Agent Classification and Characteristics -

    Master the four CBRN agent categories - chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear - and their key traits like persistence and volatility. Use the NATO mnemonic "NATO" (Nerve, Asphyxiants, Toxic industrial, Oxidizers) to recall major chemical threats. Trusted sources like US Army CBRN School fact sheets provide detailed exposure routes and symptom onset timelines.

  2. PPE and MOPP Level Proficiency -

    Know each Mission-Oriented Protective Posture (MOPP) level and the corresponding Personal Protective Equipment ensemble from the Army's Technical Guide. A handy mnemonic is "G, M, B, S" for Garment, Mask, Boots, and Gloves in ascending order. Practice timed donning/drdoffing drills using guidelines from the CDC to reduce contamination risks under 3 minutes.

  3. Detection and Identification Techniques -

    Familiarize yourself with field detectors like the M256A1 kit for chemical agents and the AN/VDR-2 for radiation surveys. Remember the "Color, Code, Confirm" sequence when using colorimetric tubes and Ion Mobility Spectrometry. Official Army manuals and peer-reviewed journals outline calibration intervals and sampling best practices.

  4. Decontamination Formulas and Procedures -

    Review the standard 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution (5,000 ppm) recipe - 1 part household bleach to 9 parts water - for equipment decon. Learn the "SOAP" mnemonic (Scrub, Observe, Apply neutralizer, Protect) to streamline personnel decontamination. FEMA and WHO guidelines detail dwell times to ensure full pathogen and toxics removal.

  5. Response Protocols and Critical Mnemonics -

    Internalize RICEM - Recognize, Isolate, Contain, Eliminate, Mitigate - to structure incident response steps in any CBRN scenario. Pair it with SALUTE (Size, Activity, Location, Unit, Time, Equipment) for accurate reporting under pressure. Official NATO and DoD training materials validate these frameworks for board exam readiness.

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