Level 3 Exercise for Older Adults Mock Exam

Qualified instructor working with older adults
Qualified instructor working with older adults

The following Level 3 Older Adult mock exam is provided as a FREE resource for students that are working towards or considering completing the Level 3 Award for Exercise with Independent Older Adults. The assessment will also be relevant for those students undertaking, or thinking about, the HFE Level 3 Special Populations Diploma.

Older adults are not the same as their younger counterparts and so exercise very often needs to be tailored and adapted to meet the specific needs of the older client. The following assessment includes questions on a variety of related subjects, including, the ageing process, theories of ageing, benefits of exercise for older adults, exercise recommendations for older adults, pathologies associated with ageing and functional assessments for older adults.

There are 40 multiple-choice questions in this mock exam and you are required to answer 28 correctly (70%) to pass.

Whether you are taking your training with HFE, or another provider, the mock assessment below is completely FREE.

Level 3 Exercise for Older Adults Mock Exam

1/40: Which of the following is not a typical anthropometric change associated with older adults?

A

Loss of height

B

Loss or stabilisation of FM

C

Loss of body weight

D

Loss of waist circumference

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2/40: Post 20 years of age, Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) generally declines at a rate of:

A

1-2% per decade

B

4-5% per decade

C

9-10% per decade

D

13-15% per decade

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3/40: Which of the following is NOT considered to be a factor that is associated with a loss of height in older adults?

A

Dehydration of cartilage

B

Compression of vertebral structures

C

Postural slump

D

Hyper-hydration of cartilage

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4/40: Which of the following explains why older adults are at a greater risk of falling?

A

Lower body strength is lost faster than upper body strength

B

Upper body strength is lost faster than lower body strength

C

Increased abdominal mass moves the centre of gravity

D

The spinal extensors are much weaker in older adults

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5/40: Which of the following does NOT contribute to the older adults' reduced ability to stay warm?

A

Sarcopenia

B

Loss of FM

C

Hypertension

D

Impaired neural function

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6/40:  

Which

of the following adaptations associated with ageing affects the motor units?

A

Increased number of active units

B

Decreased number of active units

C

Increased size of motor units

D

Increased number of type 2 motor units

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7/40: Which of the following degenerative processes is likely to reduce the motor skills of older adults?

A

Death of motor neurons in the spine

B

Death of muscle cells

C

Loss of calcium in skeletal muscles

D

Loss of fat surrounding muscles

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8/40: Which of the following explains the reason why the hip is so prone to fracture in older adults?

A

It has a high volume of cortical bone which is affected most by bone loss

B

It has a high volume of trabecular bone which is affected most by bone loss

C

The epiphyseal growth plate opens in old age

D

Loss of FM leaves this joint more vulnerable

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9/40: Which of the following most influences the health of the skeleton in later life?

A

Peak bone mass achieved in adulthood

B

Physical activity levels in later life

C

Diet and nutrition in later life

D

Peak bone mass achieved in childhood

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10/40: Which of the following muscular changes associated with advancing age is likely to result in stress incontinence during exercise

A

Weakened pelvic floor muscles

B

Weakened diaphragm muscle

C

Overactive bladder

D

Weakened abdominal muscles

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11/40: Which of the following degenerative processes affecting the muscular system is likely to reduce the anaerobic threshold and increase the point at which older adults become prematurely fatigued?

A

Increased size and number of mitochondria

B

Reduced size and number of mitochondria

C

Increased myoglobin concentration

D

Increased acetylcholine concentration

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12/40: Which of the following degenerative cardiovascular processes results in a reduction in maximal heart rate?

A

Reduced sensitivity to catecholamines

B

Increased sensitivity to catecholamines

C

Increased sensitivity to acetylcholine

D

Reduced sensitivity to insulin

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13/40: Which of the following types of exercise are most effective for reducing the risk of diabetes-related myopathy in older adults?

A

Stretching

B

Mobility

C

Resistance

D

Aerobic

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14/40: Which of the following adaptations to exercise can significantly help to improve motor skills like balance, co-ordination and reaction times?

A

Increased glucose sensitivity

B

Reduced glucose sensitivity

C

Increased concentration of cortisol

D

Decreased concentration of catecholamines

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15/40: Which of the following is NOT a common psychological benefit of exercise in older adults?

A

Fewer fears about getting older

B

Reduced incidence of depression

C

Improved mood profile

D

Insomnia

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16/40: Which of the following benefits of cardiovascular exercise would NOT help to reduce blood pressure?

A

Improved kidney function

B

Reduced peripheral resistance

C

Reduced resting heart rate

D

Increased adrenaline in blood plasma

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17/40: Which of the following is not a respiratory adaptation to exercise?

A

Decreased physiological dead space

B

Increase size of alveoli

C

Increased physiological dead space

D

Reduced residual volume

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18/40: Which of the following is a neural benefit of exercise that would reduce an older adult's risk of falls?

A

Increased somatosensory awareness

B

Increased baroreceptor sensitivity

C

Improved mood profile

D

Increased catecholamines in the blood

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19/40: Which of the following is NOT an absolute contraindication to exercise for older adults?

A

Uncontrolled pain or feeling unwell on arrival

B

Recent medication changes

C

Unexplained lethargy

D

Inability to perform the planned exercises

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20/40: Which of the following 'relative' contraindications would NOT necessitate that the exercise professional proceeds with extreme caution when prescribing and teaching exercise to older adults?

A

Known injury/wound

B

Observable pain with a known origin

C

Difficulty in understanding instructions

D

Poor flexibility in the lower limbs

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21/40: Which of the following is NOT a common disease associated with older adults?

A

Arthritis

B

Frozen shoulder

C

Osteoporosis

D

Multiple sclerosis

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22/40: Which of the following would NOT be a common/potential side effect of medication in older adults?

A

Reduced balance

B

Reduced proprioception

C

Increased need/urgency to urinate

D

Improved exercise tolerance

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23/40: Which of the following is NOT a common functional upper body impairment for older adults?

A

Impaired grip

B

Reduced range of motion

C

Postural slump

D

Hyper-mobility of the knee

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24/40: Which of the following functional impairments affecting the lower limbs is common in older adults?

A

Increased range of motion

B

Impaired gait

C

Greater proprioception

D

Greater joint stability

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25/40: Which of the following is a degenerative joint condition affecting the articular cartilage of the synovial joints?

A

Osteoarthritis

B

Rheumatoid arthritis

C

Osteoporosis

D

Kyphosis

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26/40: Which of the following conditions would cause a person to feel generally unwell and present with flu-like symptoms?

A

Osteoarthritis

B

Rheumatoid arthritis

C

Osteoporosis

D

Depression

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27/40: Which of the following terms describes a grinding and popping sensation/sound when moving in people with osteoarthritis?

A

Synovitis

B

Crepitus

C

Senescence

D

Morbidity

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28/40: Which of the following is a common physical symptom of depression?

A

Continually feeling low

B

Feeling guilty

C

Feeling hopeless and helpless

D

Disturbed sleep

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29/40: Which of the following represents the Chief Medical Officer's recommendations for physical activity in the 65+ age group?

A

Target of 100 minutes per week of accumulated activity

B

Target of 125 minutes per week of accumulated activity

C

Target of 150 minutes per week of accumulated activity

D

Target of 175 minutes per week of accumulated activity

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30/40: What is the minimum recommended frequency that the 65+ age group should aim to perform muscular strength activities?

A

1 x PW

B

2 x PW

C

3 x PW

D

4 x PW

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31/40: Older adults who are at risk of falls, are recommended by the Chief Medical Officer to:

A

perform resistance training on 3-4 occasions per week to improve muscular strength

B

incorporate physical activities into their daily lifestyle that improve balance and coordination on 2 or more occasions per week

C

accumulate 30 minutes of continuous aerobic training on 5 days of the week

D

perform daily flexibility training for 15-20 minutes

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32/40: To which of the theories of ageing does 'numerical ageing' pertain?

A

Chronological ageing

B

Biological ageing

C

Physiological ageing

D

Functional ageing

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33/40: Which of the following is NOT a principle of ageing?

A

Inevitable

B

Irreversible

C

Variable

D

Physiological

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34/40: To which of the following theories of ageing does 'a progressive decline in function of bodily systems' pertain?

A

Physiological ageing

B

Biological ageing

C

Chronological ageing

D

Psychological ageing

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35/40: To which theory of ageing does 'the attainment and retention of peak physiological functioning' pertain?

A

Functional ageing

B

Successful ageing

C

Usual ageing

D

Pathological ageing

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36/40: According to the normal ageing curve, at what age does maximal vitality most typically occur?

A

25

B

30

C

40

D

45

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37/40: Which of the following is NOT a common characteristic of morbidity?

A

Discomfort

B

Disability

C

Dependency

D

Distraction

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38/40: Which of the following would explain why self efficacy is a possible barrier to exercise?

A

The person may not exercise effectively

B

The person may doubt the suitability of the instructor

C

The person may be fearful of exercise

D

The person may doubt their own ability to achieve their goal

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39/40: Which of the following would NOT be an appropriate marketing strategy to promote exercise to an older adult population?

A

Older-person friendly images and materials

B

Information rich leaflets with small print

C

Peer mentoring schemes

D

A varied approach to marketing

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40/40: Which of the following is NOT likely to be a common motivator for older adults partaking in, or interested in performing exercise?

A

Maintain independence

B

Disease prevention/management

C

Improve quality of life

D

Achieve peak physical performance

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Level 3 Exercise for Older Adults Mock Exam

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