FOUNDATIONS TEST 1
1.
A patient with the following symptoms: swollen gums, sores in the mouth and on the tongue, possible red, painful
eyes, low-grade fever, constipation, abdominal distention, oral thirst but no great desire to drink, constant hunger
but abdominal discomfort after eating, possible urinary strangury, possible yellowing of the skin and eyes, is due
to?
A. Stomach fire hyperactivity
B. Stomach heat and yin vacuity
C. Stomach yin vacuity with damp heat
D. Stomach blood stasis
2.
A patient has sudden deafness, constant ringing in the ears, flushed face, dry mouth, and easily irritated. The
tongue is red. The pulse is wiry. What is the diagnosis?
A. Wind-Heat Invading Gall Bladder Channel
B. Liver Yang Rising with Deficient Kidney Yin
C. Stagnant Liver Qi transforming to Heat and affecting the ears
D. Liver and Gall Bladder Fire
3.
A patient has irritability, hypochondriac pain, and every other period has menstrual blood with clots. What is the
primary root (ben) pattern?
A. Stagnant Qi
B. Stagnant Blood
C. Stagnant Liver Qi
D. Liver Stagnation
4.
If after rubbing the index finger of a child, venules appear only beyond the first gate or crease, this indicates
A. exterior pathogenic factor
B. interior disorder
C. life threatening disease
D. healthy condition
Source: Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 310
5.
A patient has low-grade afternoon fever, night sweats, hot sensations in the palms, dry mouth at night, and red
tongue without coating. What is the root (ben)?
A. Empty Heat
B. Deficiency
C. Deficient Yin
D. Excess Yang
Source: Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 1119
6.
Excess eating of sweet foods and sugar gives rise to
A. Cold
B. Heat
C. Wind
D. Dampness
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 140
7.
The Stomach likes foods which are
A. Warm and dry
B. Moist and not too dry
C. Greasy
D. Hot and spicy
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 266
8.
The type of Qi that is activated in acupuncture is
A. Nutritive Qi (ying qi)
B. Meridian Qi
C. Defensive Qi (wei qi)
D. Organ Qi
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 44
9.
A numb tongue is always attributable to
A. Failure of Nutritive Qi and Blood in nourishing the tongue
B. Clear Yang not rising
C. Deficient Original Qi
D. Internal Wind
Source: Tongue Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1995, page 81
10. A patient has poor appetite, weak limbs, and tiredness. Two weeks later he also reports symptoms of edema in the
legs and leg pain which is worse in basements. What is the root (ben)?
A. poor appetite, weak limbs, and tiredness
B. Spleen Qi Deficiency
C. leg edema and leg pain
D. Spleen Dampness
Source: Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 1118
11. You have treated a patient in the Shao Yang stage. Two days later the patient has abdominal fullness, poor
appetite, diarrhea, no thirst, pale tongue and deep pulse. What is your diagnosis now?
A. Yang ming
B. Jue yin
C. Tai yin
D. Shao yin
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 479
12. A 75 year old frail patient who you have been treating for fatigue has chills, fever, aversion to heat, sore and
swollen throat and a floating-fast pulse. What is the treatment method?
A. Reducing method
B. Tonifying method
C. Reduce and tonify together
D. Tonify first and reduce later
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 317
13. A patient has abdominal pain, tongue ulcers, and dark-scanty and painful urination. What is the treatment plan?
A. Clear Heart and Small Intestine Fire
B. Move Qi in the Lower Burner, Harmonize the Liver
C. Remove Lower Burner Obstruction, Move Small Intestine Qi
D. Warm and Tonify Small Intestine and Spleen, Expel Internal Cold
Source: Small Intestine Heat - The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 274
14. A patient has poor appetite, weak limbs, and tiredness. Two weeks later he also reports symptoms of edema in the
legs and leg pain which are worse in basements. What is the root (ben)?
A. Spleen Dampness
B. Spleen Qi Deficiency
C. poor appetite, weak limbs, and tiredness
D. leg edema and leg pain
Source: Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 1118
15. A pregnant woman patient has morning sickness with nausea and vomiting of undigested food right after eating,
sleepiness, and lassitude. The tongue is pale with white coating. The pulse is slippery and weak. What is the
diagnosis?
A. Stagnant Liver Qi Invading Stomach
B. Deficient Qi of Spleen and Stomach
C. Rebellious Stomach Qi
D. Deficient Qi and Blood
Source: Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Foreign Language Press, 2003, page 495
16. People who have a strong prenatal constitution have all of the following characteristics except
A. broad forehead and glabella
B. long philtrum
C. the nose is turned up and exposed
D. long ears and ear lobes
Source: Diagnosis in Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2004, page 22
17. A patient has a hypertensive crisis with occasional convulsions and heat symptoms. What is your assessment?
A. Wei stage
B. Qi stage
C. Ying stage
D. Xue stage
Source: The Practice of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1994, page 848
18. A patient has edema more pronounced in the legs and ankles, cold feelings, fullness and distention in abdomen,
sore lower back, and scanty and clear urination, pale swollen tongue and white coating, and deep, weak and slow
pulse. What is the pattern?
A. Kidney Yang Deficiency with Water Overflowing to Heart
B. Kidney Yang Deficiency with Water Overflowing
C. Kidney and Spleen Yang Deficiency
D. Kidney Yang Deficiency with Water Overflowing to Lung
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 257
19. Which level has slight thirst?
A. Defensive-Qi level (wei)
B. Qi level (qi)
C. Nutritive-Qi level (ying)
D. Blood level (xue)
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 724
20. The change from Greater-Yang (tai yang) to Bright-Yang (yang ming) is heralded by
A. the simultaneous presence of aversion to heat and aversion to cold
B. the alternation of aversion to heat and aversion to cold
C. the disappearance of aversion to cold and the onset of aversion to heat
D. the disappearance of aversion to heat and the onset of aversion to cold
Source: Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 715
21. In Bright-Yang (yang ming) channel pattern the heat is
A. in the interior and projected on surface of body
B. on the interior only
C. on surface of body and projected into the interior
D. only on surface of body
Source: Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 715
22. The Nutritive-Qi level (ying) is characterized by
A. no aversion to cold, fever, feeling of heat
B. fever at night, bleeding, macules, internal wind
C. mental changes, fever at night
D. aversion to cold and fever
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 735
23. The pattern identification according to Qi, Blood, and Body Fluids is based on
A. Quality of substances
B. Possible pathological changes
C. Quantity of substances
D. Possible toxins
E. Direction of flow of substances
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, chapter 19, pg. 191
24. A 43 year old woman has pre-mentrual tension. Symptoms include depression, irritability, and vertex headache.
Period is regular, scanty, and not painful. General symptoms include back pain, constipation, dry mouth in the
evening, dry hair, sore eyes and blurry vision. The tongue is a little red and without coating. The pulse is weak (xu
mai) especially in the left rear position. What is the diagnosis?
A. Stagnant Liver Qi, Deficient Liver and Kidney Yin
B. Stagnant Liver Qi, Deficient Heart Blood
C. Deficient Kidney Essence
D. Deficient Kidney Yin, Empty Fire
Source: The Practice of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1994, page 773-774
25. A patient has poor appetite, weak limbs, and tiredness. Two weeks later he also reports symptoms of edema in the
legs and leg pain which are worse in basements. What is the root (ben)?
A. Spleen Dampness
B. Spleen Qi Deficiency
C. Poor appetite, weak limbs, and tiredness
D. Leg edema and leg pain
Source: Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 1118
26. A 35 year old female patient has had migraines for 10 years. The location of the headaches are on the top of the
head and behind the eyes. They start with a dull pain and proceed to become severe with nausea, vomiting, and
diarrhea. The headaches improve with the patient lying down. The headaches occur every day. The tongue is thin
and pale and the pulse is weak (xu mai) on the right side and wiry (xuan mai) on the left side. What is the treatment
plan?
A. Regulate Liver, Smooth Qi
B. Nourish Liver Blood, Subdue Liver Yang
C. Tonify Spleen Qi
D. Remove Retention of Food, Descend Lung Qi
Source: Deficient Liver Blood with Liver Yang Rising - The Practice of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1994, page 27
27. A patient has stabbing pain in the epigastrium, vomiting dark blood. What is the diagnosis?
A. Stomach Yin Deficiency
B. Blood Stasis in the Stomach
C. Stomach Fire
D. Stomach Phlegm-Fire
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 272
28. A 27 year old woman has constipation as the main complaint. She has on the average two bowel movements per
week. Her period has a scanty blood flow with PMS. She has poor memory and insomnia. The tongue is pale. The
pulse is choppy (se mai). What is the diagnosis?
A. Stagnant Liver Qi
B. Heart Yin Deficient
C. Deficient Blood
D. Deficient Kidney Yin with Empty Fire
Source: The Practice of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1994, page 486
29. A young married couple are unable to conceive. The 27 year old husband has frequent desire for sex. He has no
difficulty with maintaining an erection. He can have sex for up to one hour but is not able to ejaculate. He has
spontaneous emission a few hours after the sex act. His other symptoms include restlessness, dark yellow urine,
and dry mouth. He has a red face and blood tinged eyes. The tongue is red. The pulse is fast and wiry. What is the
diagnosis?
A. Liver Yang Rising
B. Liver Fire Blazing
C. Damp-Heat Obstructing
D. Heart Fire
Source: Acupuncture Case Histories, Chen and Wang, 1988, page 60
30. A 40 year old female complains of fatigue, feeling of oppression in the chest, hypochondrial distention, and dull
pain behind the eyes with blurry vision. She feels hot in the evening and has restless sleep with many dreams. She
has late painful periods with breast distention and dark clotted blood. She feels she has no direction in life. The
tongue is red without coating. The pulse is floating (fu mai), empty (xu mai) and slightly wiry (xuan mai) on the left.
What is the treatment plan?
A. Nourish Kidney and Heart Yin, Clear Empty Fire, Regulate Liver, Smooth Qi
B. Regulate Liver, Move Qi, Clear Fire
C. Nourish Yin, Strengthen Heart, Regulate Liver, Smooth Qi
D. Nourish Liver Yin, Move Liver Qi, Move Liver Blood
Source: Deficient Liver Yin, Stagnant Liver Qi, Stagnant Liver Blood - The Practice of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1994,
page 275
31. Which level has intense thirst with desire for cold drinks?
A. Defensive-Qi level (wei)
B. Qi level (qi)
C. Nutritive-Qi level (ying)
D. Blood level (xue)
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 2005, page 724
32. A patient has dry stools which are difficult to pass and dryness in the throat and mouth. What is the treatment
plan?
A. Clear Heat
B. Clear Heat in the Large Intestine and Stomach, Promote Body Fluids
C. Clear Heat in Stomach and Large Intestine, Promote Bowel Movement
D. Promote Fluids in Large Intestine
Source: Dry Large Intestine - The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 280
33. A patient has mental confusion, rattling sound in throat and greasy-slippery tongue coating. What is the
diagnosis?
A. Phlegm-Fire Harassing the Heart
B. Heart Fire Blazing
C. Heart Yin Deficiency
D. Phlegm Misting the Mind
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 211
34. A patient has sudden epigastric pain, vomiting, cold feelings, and deep and tight pulse. What is the diagnosis?
A. Stomach Qi Deficiency
B. Stomach Deficient and Cold
C. Cold Invading the Stomach
D. Retention of Food in Stomach
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 270
35. A patient has palpitations, insomnia, poor memory and a pale tongue. What is the diagnosis?
A. Heart Yang Deficiency
B. Heart Qi Deficiency
C. Heart Blood Deficiency
D. Kidney Qi Deficiency
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 205
36. A patient has dizziness, loose stools, scanty menses, and pale tongue. What is the treatment plan?
A. Tonify Spleen Qi
B. Tonify Spleen Qi, Promote Blood, Tonify Liver Blood
C. Tonify Spleen to Resolve Damp, Promote Smooth Flow of Liver Qi, Clear Heat
D. Tonify Spleen Qi, Tonify Lung Qi
Source: Spleen and Liver Blood Deficiency - The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 242
37. Which of the following indicate Empty-Cold?
A. Sharp pain, worse on pressure
B. Sallow-white face
C. Abdominal pain better after bowel movement
D. Full-tight-deep pulse
E. Thick-white tongue coating
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, chapter 16, pg. 185
38. Essence (jing) differs from Qi in all these ways EXCEPT
A. Essence (jing) changes slowly over long periods of time whereas Qi changes quickly
B. Essence (jing) follows shorter cycles whereas Qi follows cycles of 7 to 8 years
C. Essence (jing) comes from the parents whereas Qi is made after birth
D. Essence (jing) is difficult to replenish whereas Qi is easily replenished
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 39
39. Which of the following is NOT a hot-energy food?
A. Lamb
B. Beef
C. Peanuts
D. Deep-fried foods
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 140
40. A patient has burning sensations in the epigastrium, thirsty with desire for cold drinks, and red tongue with thick
yellow and dry coating, and full-deep-fast pulse. What is the treatment plan?
A. Tonify Stomach Qi
B. Remove Stasis, Invigorate Blood, Stimulate Stomach Descending Function
C. Nourish Stomach Yin, Nourish Fluids
D. Clear Stomach Heat, Stimulate Stomach Descending Function
Source: Stomach Fire - The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 269
41. Yellow discharge with pus in the blood in a woman after menopause indicates
A. Damp-Heat in the Liver channel
B. Toxic Damp-Heat in the uterus
C. Damp-heat in the Lower burner
D. Stagnation of Liver-Qi
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 161
42. A new onset of exterior disease with a good prognosis involving Yang and Qi deficiency is likely to present in the
complexion as
A. Concentrated, deep, dry, dull and thick color
B. Scattered, floating, moist, clear and thin color
C. Scattered, deep, dry, clear and thin color
D. Scattered, floating, moist, dull and thick color
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 146
43. Empty-Heat from deficiency of Kidney-Yin is evident from teeth that are
A. Bright and dry like stone
B. Moist and grayish like bones
C. Bleeding
D. Dry and grayish like bones
E. Yellow and moist
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, chapter 16, pg. 148
44. Original Qi (yuan qi) spreads to the internal organs and channels via the
A. Kidney Yin
B. Lungs
C. Triple Burner
D. Kidney Yang
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 42
45. The part of the soul that lives on after death and leaves the body is known as
A. Shen
B. Hun
C. Po
D. Yi
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 73
46. The Spleen likes foods which are
A. Warm and dry
B. Moist and not too dry
C. Greasy
D. Hot and spicy
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 266
47. A patient has deficient Kidney Qi. Which of the following nuts would you recommend?'
A. walnuts
B. peanuts
C. pine nuts
D. almonds
Source: http://www.aaaom.org/FOOD%20ENERGETICS.htm
48. The most difficult type of cough to treat is due to
A. Lung Yin Deficiency
B. Lung Qi Deficiency
C. Phlegm-Heat Obstructing Lungs
D. Lung Heat
Source: The Practice of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1994, page 193
49. A patient has fever, aversion to cold, sore throat, and floating-fast pulse. What is the diagnosis?
A. Wind-Cold Invading Lungs
B. Wind-Damp Invading Lungs
C. Wind-Heat Invading Lungs
D. Damp-Cold Obstructing Lungs
Source: The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, 1989, page 236
50. Which sea food Nourishes the Liver and Kidney and Tonifies the Blood and Essence?
A. carp
B. crab
C. clam
D. mussel
Source: http://www.aaaom.org/FOOD%20ENERGETICS.htm
Answer Key Below
Answers:
1. C 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. C 6. D 7. B 8. A 9. A 10. B 11. C 12. A 13. A 14. B 15. B 16. C 17. D 18. B
19. A 20. C 21. A 22. C 23. B 24. A 25. B 26. B 27.B 28. C 29. B 30. D 31. B 32. D 33. D 34. C
35. C 36. B 37. B 38. B 39. C 40. D 41. B 42. B 43. D 44. C 45. B 46. A 47. A 48. A 49. C 50. D