This medical terminology quiz gives you ten quick questions that mix chart abbreviations, word parts and plain language terms, so you can see what you know and what needs another look. It is free, takes a few minutes, and works as a basic medical terminology quiz for beginners or as part of a longer review.
Below the quiz you will find tips for studying between rounds, a table of sample practice items with explanations, and ideas for turning your misses into flashcards and worksheets. If you are just starting, the medical terminology hub explains how medical words are built.
At a glance
Questions
Ten per round, four choices eachTopics
Abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes, roots, plain wordsFeedback
Right or wrong shown at once, with a link to the pagePrivacy
Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or storedCost
Free, no sign up
How the medical terminology quiz works
The quiz sits just below the quick facts box. Each round has ten questions, and every question offers four choices. When you pick one, it shows straight away whether you were right, gives the correct answer, and links to the page on this site that explains the term. At the end you get a score out of ten.
Everything runs in your browser. No answers or scores are sent anywhere or saved, and you do not need to sign up. That makes it easy to use as a quick medical terminology practice test before class or a shift, as often as you like.
Sample questions to try first
These ten items show the style of question you will meet. Cover the answer column and test yourself before reading across.
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| What does the suffix -ectomy mean? | Surgical removal | Appendectomy is removal of the appendix. See the suffix list. |
| Brady- in bradycardia means: | Slow | Its opposite is tachy-, meaning fast. See the prefix list. |
| The combining form nephr/o refers to the: | Kidney | Renal comes from the Latin root for the same organ. See root words. |
| Syncope is the medical term for: | Fainting | See the fainting page. |
| Epistaxis is the medical term for: | A nosebleed | See the nosebleed page. |
| On a prescription, BID means: | Twice a day | From the Latin bis in die. See BID. |
| NPO on a patient's chart means: | Nothing by mouth | Often ordered before surgery. See NPO. |
| Tax/o, as in ataxia, refers to: | Order or coordination | See the tax/o page. |
| Urticaria is another word for: | Hives | See the hives page. |
| Amblyopia is the clinical name for: | Lazy eye | See the lazy eye page. |
Notice the spread: four word parts, four plain word terms and two abbreviations. A real round draws from the same mix, so studying only one type leaves gaps.
Getting more from every round
A score is only useful if you act on it. After each round, write down every question you missed and look up the linked page. Then try these habits:
- Split before you guess. If a choice is a long word, break it into prefix, root and suffix before deciding.
- Eliminate opposites. Many wrong choices swap hyper for hypo or brady for tachy. Spot the pair and the answer narrows fast.
- Space your rounds. One round today, one tomorrow and one in three days beats five rounds in an evening.
- Read the explanation even when you are right. A lucky guess is not the same as knowing the term.
Flashcards, worksheets and games
The quiz works best alongside your own study tools. Turn every miss into one of your medical terminology flashcards, with the term on one side and the meaning plus an example word on the other. Writing the card yourself is half the learning.
A simple medical terminology worksheet also helps: draw three columns headed prefix, root and suffix, list ten words from the sample table or your notes, and split each one. Some teachers turn the same lists into medical terminology games, such as building the longest correct word from a pile of part cards. For a full study schedule, follow the eight week self study plan.
Using it to prepare for a course test
Students preparing for a medical terminology test in a nursing assistant, coding, medical assistant or pharmacy technician program can use the quiz as a quick check before longer study sessions. A CNA medical terminology practice test usually leans on abbreviations, positioning words and body parts, so spend extra time on the chart note and nursing abbreviations and the common roots.
Pharmacy technician students should add the prescription and dosing shorthand, while coding learners benefit most from procedure suffixes and condition names.
Frequently asked questions
Is this medical terminology quiz free?
Yes. There is no charge and no account, and you can take as many rounds as you like.
Are my answers or scores saved?
No. The quiz runs entirely in your browser and nothing is sent or stored. Write your score down if you want to track progress over time.
What topics does the practice test cover?
Each round mixes common abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes, combining forms and plain language terms such as fainting or hives. Every answer links to the page that explains it.
Is it enough to pass a class exam?
It is a good check, but ten questions cannot cover a full course. Use it with your own flashcards and a structured study plan, and review the pages behind any question you miss.