DOH Sport Therapist exam questions

The Sport Therapist exam in every GCC country

From each regulator's own exam pages; anything a regulator does not publish says so. Assessment mode also depends on your licence title, so confirm your route on your eligibility notice.

12 worked Sport Therapist practice questions

Original exam-style questions from the bank, spread across the blueprint domains. They are not real or recalled exam questions. Try each one, then open the answer for the rationale and reference. None of them appear in the free mock exam, so reading them will not spoil it.

1. Question 1 · Acute Management and Emergency Care in Sport

   A collapsed athlete on the field is unresponsive and gasping. What is the right approach?

   1. ATreat as cardiac arrest, start CPR and apply an AED
   2. BWait for normal breathing to return
   3. CAssume a seizure and place the athlete in the recovery position
   4. DCheck for injuries to the limbs before starting CPR
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A. Treat as cardiac arrest, start CPR and apply an AED

   Gasping is agonal breathing and a sign of cardiac arrest, so CPR and early defibrillation are life-saving. Waiting or positioning wastes the shockable window, and limb checks delay compressions.

   Reference: Drezner JA et al., Inter-association task force on emergency planning for sudden cardiac arrest in sport, Br J Sports Med (2013)

2. Question 2 · Anatomy, Biomechanics and Kinesiology

   In a typical inversion ankle sprain, which ligament is injured most often?

   1. ACalcaneofibular ligament
   2. BDeltoid ligament
   3. CAnterior talofibular ligament
   4. DPosterior talofibular ligament
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: C. Anterior talofibular ligament

   The anterior talofibular ligament is the weakest and most strained lateral ligament when the plantarflexed foot inverts. The calcaneofibular ligament is injured in more severe sprains, the deltoid is medial, and the posterior talofibular ligament is rarely torn.

   Reference: Moore KL et al., Clinically Oriented Anatomy, 9th ed. (2022)

3. Question 3 · Anatomy, Biomechanics and Kinesiology

   What is the main function of the anterior cruciate ligament?

   1. AResisting backward translation of the tibia on the femur
   2. BResisting valgus stress at the knee
   3. CResisting hyperextension of the patella
   4. DResisting forward translation of the tibia on the femur
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: D. Resisting forward translation of the tibia on the femur

   The ACL limits anterior tibial translation and rotational loads. The posterior cruciate ligament resists posterior translation, the medial collateral ligament resists valgus stress, and the patellar tendon and quadriceps handle patellar loads.

   Reference: Neumann DA, Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System, 3rd ed. (2017)

4. Question 4 · Rehabilitation and Return to Play

   During graded return after concussion, the athlete tolerates light aerobic exercise with no symptoms. What is the next step?

   1. AFull-contact practice
   2. BSport-specific exercise without head impact risk
   3. CReturn to competition
   4. DHeavy resistance training with head-down positions
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: B. Sport-specific exercise without head impact risk

   The next stage after light aerobic exercise is sport-specific activity without head impact, then non-contact drills and full-contact practice, with each stage at least 24 hours. Skipping stages risks a symptom relapse.

   Reference: Patricios JS et al., Consensus statement on concussion in sport, Amsterdam 2022, Br J Sports Med (2023)

5. Question 5 · Rehabilitation and Return to Play

   A footballer returns after eight weeks out with injury. Which loading plan is best?

   1. AFull team training from the first session
   2. BIdentical weekly load increases whatever the response
   3. CA gradual build-up of training load monitored by symptoms and performance
   4. DDelay sprinting until the following season
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: C. A gradual build-up of training load monitored by symptoms and performance

   A staged return with monitoring avoids sudden load spikes, which are linked to injury. Full training right away is a spike, rigid increases ignore the athlete's response, and prolonged avoidance leaves the athlete unprepared.

   Reference: Brukner P, Khan K, Clinical Sports Medicine, 5th ed. (2017)

6. Question 6 · Sports Injury Assessment and Clinical Reasoning

   A volleyball player has pain at the inferior pole of the patella that is reproduced by a single-leg decline squat. Which condition is most likely?

   1. APatellar tendinopathy
   2. BPatellofemoral pain syndrome
   3. COsgood-Schlatter disease
   4. DIliotibial band syndrome
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A. Patellar tendinopathy

   Focal inferior pole pain in a jumping athlete, reproduced by loaded decline squats, is typical of patellar tendinopathy. Patellofemoral pain is diffuse and peripatellar, Osgood-Schlatter involves the tibial tubercle in adolescents, and ITB syndrome is lateral.

   Reference: Brukner P, Khan K, Clinical Sports Medicine, 5th ed. (2017)

7. Question 7 · Anatomy, Biomechanics and Kinesiology

   Which muscles form the main force couple that rotates the scapula upwards during overhead arm elevation?

   1. ALatissimus dorsi and teres major with the deltoid
   2. BRhomboids and levator scapulae with pectoralis minor
   3. CUpper and lower trapezius with serratus anterior
   4. DBiceps brachii and coracobrachialis with the supraspinatus
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: C. Upper and lower trapezius with serratus anterior

   Upward scapular rotation is produced by the upper and lower trapezius working with serratus anterior, which keeps the glenoid facing up as the arm rises. Rhomboids and levator scapulae rotate it downward, and the other groups do not drive scapular rotation.

   Reference: Neumann DA, Kinesiology of the Musculoskeletal System, 3rd edition (2017)

8. Question 8 · Exercise Physiology and Conditioning

   A cyclist rides at steady moderate intensity for three hours, then suddenly cannot continue and feels weak and shaky. What is the most likely physiological cause?

   1. ADepletion of muscle and liver glycogen stores
   2. BExhaustion of the phosphocreatine stores in the working muscle
   3. CAccumulation of lactic acid in the legs
   4. DRupture of the muscle fibres from overuse
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A. Depletion of muscle and liver glycogen stores

   Prolonged endurance exercise depletes muscle and liver glycogen, causing sudden fatigue and low blood glucose, often called hitting the wall. Lactate does not accumulate at steady moderate intensity, phosphocreatine is relevant to short sprints, and fibre rupture would cause pain and a focal injury.

   Reference: Burke LM et al., Carbohydrates for training and competition, Journal of Sports Sciences (2011)

9. Question 9 · Sports Injury Assessment and Clinical Reasoning

   A swimmer has shoulder pain between 60 and 120 degrees of active abduction that eases above 120 degrees. What does this painful arc most suggest?

   1. ASubacromial impingement of the rotator cuff
   2. BGlenohumeral joint dislocation
   3. CAcromioclavicular joint separation
   4. DAdhesive capsulitis causing global loss of shoulder motion
   Show answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A. Subacromial impingement of the rotator cuff

   A painful arc of 60 to 120 degrees is typical of subacromial impingement, as the tendons are compressed beneath the acromion during mid-range elevation. Acromioclavicular problems hurt at the end of range, dislocation causes deformity, and adhesive capsulitis limits motion globally.

   Reference: Hegedus EJ et al., Physical examination tests of the shoulder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2012)

10. Question 10 · Acute Management and Emergency Care in Sport

    During an outdoor match, lightning is seen and thunder is heard within 30 seconds. What should the medical team do?

    1. AMove players under the nearest tree line for cover
    2. BMove the match to the centre of the open pitch
    3. CSuspend play and move everyone to a safe enclosed building or vehicle
    4. DContinue play but warn players to stay away from tall objects and water
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: C. Suspend play and move everyone to a safe enclosed building or vehicle

    A flash to bang interval of 30 seconds or less means the storm is close, so play is suspended and people go to a substantial building or a hard-topped vehicle. Open fields and isolated trees are the most dangerous places to shelter.

    Reference: Walsh KM et al., National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Lightning Safety for Athletics and Recreation, Journal of Athletic Training (2013)

11. Question 11 · Rehabilitation and Return to Play

    Which intervention best reduces the risk of recurrent lateral ankle sprain after rehabilitation?

    1. ABalance training, with bracing for high-risk sport
    2. BRest from sport for a further three months
    3. CStrengthening the upper body
    4. DStatic stretching of the calf before every training session
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: A. Balance training, with bracing for high-risk sport

    Neuromuscular training, such as wobble board work, reduces recurrence, and external support adds protection in high-risk sport. Prolonged rest causes deconditioning, calf stretching does not address instability, and upper body work does not train ankle control.

    Reference: Doherty C et al., Treatment and prevention of acute and recurrent ankle sprain: an overview of systematic reviews with meta-analysis, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2017)

12. Question 12 · Injury Prevention and Athlete Screening

    Athletes from a cool climate arrive in Abu Dhabi to train in summer. Which step best lowers their risk of exertional heat illness?

    1. AAvoiding drinking so the body adjusts to the heat
    2. BFull-intensity training on the first day to adapt faster
    3. CProgressive heat acclimatisation over 10 to 14 days
    4. DWearing extra layers on the first week of training
    Show answer and explanation

    Correct answer: C. Progressive heat acclimatisation over 10 to 14 days

    Gradual exposure over about 10 to 14 days increases sweating efficiency and plasma volume and lowers core temperature at a given load. Starting at full intensity or restricting fluids raises the risk of heat illness, and extra layers add heat load.

    Reference: Racinais S et al., Consensus recommendations on training and competing in the heat, British Journal of Sports Medicine (2015)

Sport Therapist reference books and guidelines

Every question in this bank names the textbook or guideline its answer rests on. These are the sources our Sport Therapist questions cite most often - the reading list to revise from alongside the bank.

Where your regulator publishes a reading list, use the editions it names. Exam questions are not taken from any one book.