NPTE Plan

NPTE practice question: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary SystemsDifficulty 2/5

A patient takes a beta blocker. Which method of prescribing exercise intensity is most appropriate?

  1. ARating of perceived exertion, because heart-rate response is blunted
  2. BKarvonen formula using the measured resting heart rate
  3. CA fixed target of 120 beats per minute for all sessions
  4. DAge-predicted maximum heart rate with a 70 percent target
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. Beta blockade blunts the heart-rate response, so any heart-rate-based target misrepresents intensity. Rating of perceived exertion, or a symptom-limited approach, reflects actual effort.

  • D — Age-predicted maxima assume a normal chronotropic response.
  • B — Karvonen is still heart-rate based and remains invalid under beta blockade.
  • C — A fixed rate ignores the individual response entirely.

Concept being tested

22-27 scored items. Exercise physiology and response to activity, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, monitoring vital signs and exercise termination criteria, airway clearance, and lines, tubes and monitoring in acute care. — 14% of the exam. Study guide for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Systems.

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Primary references

  1. NPTE-PT Test Content Outline, effective January 2024 (v1.1) — Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
Last reviewed: 2026-10-07Reviewed by: Dr. Andrew Sullivan, PT, DPT, OCS, Physical therapy curriculum & clinical examination reviewHow we verify facts