If you searched for "CPTE women's health practice questions," "PCE pelvic health sample questions," or "CAPR perinatal questions," here are real ones to attempt. (The PCE and CPTE are the same national exam — CAPR's Physiotherapy Competency Examination — so these apply whichever term you searched.)
Women's and pelvic health on the CPTE tests perinatal adaptation, scar and continence management, and safe practice in pregnancy. Below are five questions pulled directly from the CAPR-aligned PhysioExamPrep bank, each with the correct answer and a full rationale.
How to use these: cover the answer, commit to a choice, and explain why the other options are wrong before you reveal it. Read the rationale even when you're right.
Question 1 — Diastasis recti and labour
A patient at 36 weeks gestation has a visible DRA and is worried it will make "pushing" during labour impossible. How should the PT counsel her regarding the second stage of labour and DRA?
- A. Tell her the DRA will vanish immediately after the baby is born.
- B. Reassure her that DRA is a normal adaptation of the third trimester and that pushing effectively relies more on diaphragm and pelvic-floor coordination than on a closed rectus gap.
- C. She will need a C-section because her abdominals are broken.
- D. Advise her to hold her breath (Valsalva) to keep the gap closed during pushing.
Answer: B — DRA is a normal third-trimester adaptation; effective pushing relies on diaphragm and pelvic-floor coordination.
DRA is nearly universal in late pregnancy. Counselling should emphasize that the gap does not equal dysfunction and that the body is biologically prepared to handle the pressures of labour despite the separation.
Question 2 — Modality safety in pregnancy
A PT wants to use a Class IV Laser on a pregnant patient's shoulder. According to standard safety guidance, what is the contraindication for laser therapy in pregnancy?
- A. Do not apply laser over the gravid uterus or endocrine glands; application to the shoulder is considered safe.
- B. Laser is safe everywhere.
- C. Laser blinds the baby.
- D. Laser causes skin cancer in the fetus.
Answer: A — Avoid laser over the gravid uterus or endocrine glands; the shoulder is considered safe.
Photobiomodulation is considered safe distally but should not be used where it could theoretically affect the uterus or the thyroid/ovaries during pregnancy.
Question 3 — Nerve differentiation
A pregnant patient has symptoms in the little (pinky) finger. Does this patient have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
- A. Yes, if the thumb also hurts.
- B. It is a sign of a heart attack.
- C. Yes.
- D. No; the little finger is supplied by the ulnar nerve. Ulnar nerve compression (Guyon's canal) is less common but can occur in pregnancy; the PT must differentiate between median and ulnar distributions.
Answer: D — No; the little finger is ulnar-nerve territory, not median (carpal tunnel).
Anatomy matters: carpal tunnel syndrome is median-nerve compression and spares the little finger. Little-finger symptoms point to the ulnar nerve, so the PT must differentiate median from ulnar distributions.
Question 4 — C-section scar rehabilitation
At the first assessment of a C-section scar (8 weeks post-op), a 2 cm section is hypersensitive (allodynia) to even light touch from a cotton swab. What is the physiological goal of the initial phase of scar rehab for this patient?
- A. Applying heat to increase blood flow.
- B. Stretching the abdomen with an upward reach.
- C. Desensitization through sensory re-education (e.g., using different textures like silk, cotton, and wool) to normalize the input to the cutaneous nerves.
- D. Deep cross-friction massage to break up the scar.
Answer: C — Desensitization through sensory re-education.
If a scar is allodynic (painful to non-painful stimuli), aggressive mobilization will likely worsen guarding and central sensitization. The nervous system must be calmed first through gentle sensory exposure before mechanical release can begin.
Question 5 — Defining diastasis recti
A 6-week postpartum woman has a palpable gap of 3 cm at the umbilicus along the linea alba on a head lift in crook-lying. What condition does this suggest, and how is it defined?
- A. Umbilical hernia — requires immediate surgical referral.
- B. Diastasis rectus abdominis (DRA) — separation of the rectus abdominis at the linea alba; typically defined as an inter-recti distance of >2 cm at the umbilicus.
- C. Rectus abdominis strain — requires rest and ice.
- D. Normal postpartum finding requiring no assessment or treatment.
Answer: B — Diastasis rectus abdominis (DRA); an inter-recti distance of >2 cm at the umbilicus.
DRA is a widening of the inter-recti distance (IRD) along the linea alba, typically defined as >2 cm (or two finger-widths) at or around the umbilicus. It is common in pregnancy due to mechanical stretching and hormonal softening of connective tissue, and can affect load transfer and pelvic-floor coordination.
Keep practising
The full PhysioExamPrep bank is CAPR-aligned for the 2026 CPTE and covers women's and pelvic health in depth — perinatal care, continence, prolapse, and scar management — with the same answer-and-rationale format. Start practising for free (a daily allowance, no card required) and track accuracy by topic. Premium — a one-time CA$49, valid for two years — unlocks unlimited practice, Written-section mock exams, and Oral-section case practice.