Free Acupuncture Examination Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Acupuncture Examination practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1A chiropractor using Five Elements theory is explaining the normal restraining (controlling) cycle to a patient. In this cycle, the wood phase normally restricts or checks which phase?

   1. A. Earth
   2. B. Fire
   3. C. Metal
   4. D. Water

   Answer: A

   Explanation: The WHO standard terminology defines the restraining relation of wood restraining earth as "the category of wood restricts or checks the category of earth, also called wood controlling earth". Fire is the phase wood engenders (generating cycle), water engenders wood, and metal is the phase that restrains wood, so none of these is the phase wood checks.

   Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region — Basic Theories, term 1.1.36 (wood restrains earth), p. 16

2. 2The WHO standard terminology lists the five viscera (zang organs) explicitly. Which of the following is NOT one of the five viscera?

   1. A. Spleen
   2. B. Heart
   3. C. Kidney
   4. D. Pericardium

   Answer: D

   Explanation: The WHO terminology defines the five viscera as "a collective term for the heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney". The pericardium is defined separately as "the outer covering of the heart, including the pericardium collateral" and is not counted among the five viscera, while the heart, spleen and kidney are on the list.

   Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region — Basic Theories, terms 1.3.6 (five viscera) and 1.3.15 (pericardium), pp. 21-22

3. 3Which group of meridians runs through the anterior aspect of the upper limbs from the chest to the hands?

   1. A. The three yang meridians of the hand
   2. B. The three yin meridians of the foot
   3. C. The three yin meridians of the hand
   4. D. The three yang meridians of the foot

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The WHO terminology defines the three yin meridians of the hand as "the meridians/channels running through the anterior aspect of the upper limbs from the chest to the hands, namely, the lung meridian, the heart meridian and the pericardium meridian". The three yang meridians of the hand run on the posterior aspect from the hands to the head, and the foot meridians run on the lower limbs.

   Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region — Basic Theories, terms 1.4.4 to 1.4.7, p. 28

4. 4A practitioner needles a tender spot found on palpation that is neither a meridian point nor an extra point and has no specific name or location. How is this point classified?

   1. A. Extra point
   2. B. Ashi point
   3. C. Specific point
   4. D. Ryodo point

   Answer: B

   Explanation: The WHO 2022 terminology defines Ashi points as "The points of sensitivity or tenderness. They are neither meridians points nor extra points, and they do not have specific names or locations." Extra points have specific names and locations, specific points are meridian points with special names and functions, and ryodo points are defined by low skin electrical resistance.

   Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Chinese Medicine — 3.5 Acupuncture and moxibustion, term 2967 (Ashi points)

5. 5A practitioner places a slice of fresh ginger between a burning moxa cone and the patient's skin. Which category of moxibustion is this?

   1. A. Direct moxibustion
   2. B. Scarring moxibustion
   3. C. Indirect moxibustion
   4. D. Warm needling

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The WHO terminology defines indirect moxibustion as "moxibustion performed by placing some insulating material between the moxa cone and the skin", and moxibustion on ginger uses ginger as that insulating medium. Direct and scarring moxibustion place the cone on the skin itself, and warm needling places moxa on the needle handle.

   Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region — Acupuncture and Moxibustion, terms 5.2.8 and 5.2.9, p. 252

6. 6A patient's headache is located at the vertex (parietal region). Pathogenic factors affecting which meridian are held responsible for this type of headache?

   1. A. Shaoyang meridian
   2. B. Yangming meridian
   3. C. Taiyang meridian
   4. D. Jueyin meridian

   Answer: D

   Explanation: The WHO 2022 terminology defines Jueyin headache as "Headache that is located in the parietal region. It is caused by pathogenic factors affecting the Jueyin meridian, which meets with the Du meridian at the vertex of the head." Shaoyang headache is temporal, Yangming headache is frontal, and Taiyang headache radiates to the occiput.

   Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Chinese Medicine — 2.2 Four diagnostic methods, term 775 (Jueyin headache)

7. 7During needling, a first-time patient reports giddiness and nausea, turns pale, and has a weak pulse. What is the practitioner's immediate management?

   1. A. Remove the needles immediately and lay the patient flat with the head down and the legs raised
   2. B. Leave the needles in place and have the patient sit upright with the head between the knees
   3. C. Rotate the needles in the opposite direction and ask the patient to relax before withdrawing them
   4. D. Ask the patient to keep still and remove only the needles that are causing local pain

   Answer: A

   Explanation: The WHO safety guidelines state: "If warning symptoms appear, remove the needles immediately and make the patient lie flat with the head down and the legs raised, as the symptoms are probably due to a transient, insufficient blood supply to the brain." Counter-rotating the needle is the remedy for a stuck needle, not for impending faintness, and leaving needles in or seating the patient upright does not address the reduced cerebral blood supply.

   Reference: WHO Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture — Section II, 3.3 Fainting, p. 21

8. 8A patient asks how the night can contain both yin and yang. Using the WHO subdivision of day and night, which period represents the yang part within yin?

   1. A. From dawn to noon
   2. B. From midday to nightfall
   3. C. From midnight to dawn
   4. D. From nightfall to midnight

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The WHO terminology defines yang within yin as "the yang aspect of the yin category, for example, the night is regarded as yin in relation to daytime, the period between midnight and dawn is the yang part within yin". Nightfall to midnight is yin within yin, dawn to noon is yang within yang, and midday to nightfall is the yin part of yang.

   Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region — Basic Theories, terms 1.1.9 to 1.1.12 (yang within yin; yin within yang), pp. 14-15

9. 9Which zang organ, located in the right hypochondrium below the diaphragm, stores blood, facilitates the coursing of qi, and is closely related to the sinews and eyes?

   1. A. Spleen
   2. B. Liver
   3. C. Kidney
   4. D. Heart

   Answer: B

   Explanation: The WHO terminology defines the liver as "the organ located in the right hypochondrium below the diaphragm, which stores blood, facilitates the coursing of qi, and is closely related to the function of the sinews and eyes". The spleen keeps blood in the vessels and relates to the limbs and flesh, the kidney stores essence and governs bone and marrow, and the heart controls blood circulation and mental activities.

   Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region — Basic Theories, term 1.3.11 (liver), p. 22

10. 10Which three meridians make up the three yang meridians of the foot?

    1. A. Stomach, bladder and gallbladder
    2. B. Spleen, kidney and liver
    3. C. Large intestine, small intestine and triple energizer
    4. D. Lung, heart and pericardium

    Answer: A

    Explanation: The WHO 2022 terminology states: "The three foot-yang meridians are stomach meridian, bladder meridian and gallbladder meridian." The spleen, kidney and liver are the three foot-yin meridians, the large intestine, small intestine and triple energizer are the hand-yang meridians, and the lung, heart and pericardium are the hand-yin meridians.

    Reference: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Chinese Medicine — 3.5 Acupuncture and moxibustion, term 2925 (Three foot-yang meridians)