# ADAT practice questions: Anatomic sciences Ten original ADAT practice questions on anatomic sciences, each answered on this page with a rationale and a source. Last updated: 2026-09-17. ## Question 1 An original coronal drawing is viewed from in front of the patient and is initially upright, with superior at the top. Marker P initially lies on the viewer’s right and above marker Q. The whole drawing is rotated 180° in its own plane, without reflection. Which description correctly preserves P’s patient side and its anatomical superior–inferior relationship to Q? - A. Patient right; P is inferior to Q. - B. Patient left; P is superior to Q. - C. Patient left; P is inferior to Q. - D. Patient right; P is superior to Q. **Answer B:** Patient left; P is superior to Q. Initially, viewer right corresponds to patient left in the stated frontal view, and page-up represents superior. Rotation changes page positions but neither patient side nor the established anatomical relationship. Both the original viewing direction and preservation under rotation are required. Why the other choices do not fit: A: This reverses both patient side and anatomical height by reading the rotated page as an unchanged frontal view. C: Patient left is correct, but P remains anatomically superior despite appearing lower after rotation. D: The superior relationship is preserved, but patient side is reversed: the initial viewer-right position was patient left. Source: [OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e](https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/1-6-anatomical-terminology) ## Question 2 A teaching model separates two questions: which cranial bone provides the articular fossa at the TMJ, and which mandibular process bears the corresponding joint head rather than the principal temporalis attachment? Which pair answers both? - A. Temporal bone; coronoid process. - B. Sphenoid bone; condylar process. - C. Sphenoid bone; coronoid process. - D. Temporal bone; condylar process. **Answer D:** Temporal bone; condylar process. The mandibular fossa belongs to the temporal bone, and the mandibular condylar process bears the articular head. The coronoid process instead receives temporalis attachment. Recognizing the cranial articulation and discriminating the mandibular landmarks are both necessary. Why the other choices do not fit: A: The temporal component is correct, but the coronoid process is the temporalis attachment rather than the joint head. B: The condylar process is correct, but the sphenoid does not provide the temporal mandibular fossa. C: Both parts are mismatched: the fossa is temporal, and the articular head is condylar rather than coronoid. Source: [Rachel Koshi](https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9780192516480_A35505968/preview-9780192516480_A35505968.pdf) ## Question 3 An original cranial-base record labels X as foramen rotundum in the sphenoid and Y as the nearby foramen ovale. A separate mandibular record marks Z on the medial ramus at the entrance to the mandibular canal. Which pairing gives X’s principal trigeminal division and Z’s transmitted dental route? - A. V2; inferior alveolar neurovascular route. - B. V3; inferior alveolar neurovascular route. - C. V2; mental neurovascular exit. - D. V3; mental neurovascular exit. **Answer A:** V2; inferior alveolar neurovascular route. Foramen rotundum transmits V2 toward the pterygopalatine fossa. Z’s location and canal entrance identify the mandibular foramen and inferior alveolar route. The mental foramen is a more anterior exit on the body. Both the cranial opening and mandibular landmark must be interpreted. Why the other choices do not fit: B: This identifies Z correctly but transfers the V3/ovale pairing to X, which is rotundum. C: V2 at X is correct, but a medial-ramus canal entrance is not the mental exit on the mandibular body. D: It combines the ovale division with the wrong mandibular exit, so neither selected relationship fits. Source: [Rachel Koshi](https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9780192516480_A35505968/preview-9780192516480_A35505968.pdf) ## Question 4 A map starts inside the pterygopalatine fossa. It asks for the opening leading laterally into the infratemporal fossa and the bony structure forming the pterygopalatine fossa’s medial wall. Which pair fits? - A. Sphenopalatine foramen; perpendicular plate of the palatine bone. - B. Pterygomaxillary fissure; mandibular ramus. - C. Pterygomaxillary fissure; perpendicular plate of the palatine bone. - D. Sphenopalatine foramen; mandibular ramus. **Answer C:** Pterygomaxillary fissure; perpendicular plate of the palatine bone. The pterygomaxillary fissure provides the lateral communication, while the palatine perpendicular plate forms the medial wall. The sphenopalatine foramen leads medially into the nasal cavity; the mandibular ramus is a lateral boundary of the infratemporal region. Communication and regional boundary are separate required decisions. Why the other choices do not fit: A: The medial wall is identified correctly, but the selected opening leads toward the nasal cavity rather than laterally into the infratemporal fossa. B: The communication is correct, but the ramus bounds the infratemporal region rather than the medial pterygopalatine wall. D: Both entries import neighboring-region relationships: a medial nasal opening and the infratemporal lateral boundary. Source: [Tashi, Purohit, Becker and Mundada](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4956626/) ## Question 5 A fictional coronal floor-of-mouth model places a marked region above mylohyoid, beneath the mucosa and medial to the mandibular body. Which additional relation belongs to that region under the stated anatomical convention? - A. It is submandibular; its main extent is inferior to the mylohyoid sling. - B. It is sublingual; it can communicate around the posterior mylohyoid border. - C. It is vestibular; it lies between the cheek and the outer dental surface. - D. It is submental; it lies between anterior digastric bellies beneath the sling. **Answer B:** It is sublingual; it can communicate around the posterior mylohyoid border. The supplied upper relation identifies the sublingual region. Posterior continuity around mylohyoid means the coronal muscle line is not a complete three-dimensional seal. The other options describe real neighboring regions but assign their relations to the wrong marked location. Why the other choices do not fit: A: The below-mylohyoid extent describes the submandibular region rather than the supplied upper region. C: The vestibule is related to the cheek/lips and outer dentition, not this medial floor-of-mouth site. D: The submental relation is beneath the anterior sling, not the supplied region above it. Source: [Chibly, Aure, Patel and Hoffman](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9126227/) ## Question 6 Record A describes a posterior maxillary root close to an intact sinus floor. Record B describes a channel from the maxillary sinus into the nasal cavity through its normal drainage route. What follows from these anatomical records alone? - A. A establishes an oral–sinus opening; B establishes a nasal communication. - B. A establishes the symptom source; B describes only bony proximity. - C. A and B both demonstrate an oral–nasal passage through a tooth socket. - D. A establishes proximity; B establishes a sinus–nasal communication. **Answer D:** A establishes proximity; B establishes a sinus–nasal communication. An intact intervening floor means that A describes adjacency, not an open oral–sinus pathway. B explicitly describes the sinus’s nasal connection. Neither record identifies the cause of symptoms or establishes a pathological tooth-socket communication. Why the other choices do not fit: A: The B interpretation fits, but proximity beside an intact boundary does not establish A’s claimed opening. B: A supplies no symptom-causation evidence, and B explicitly describes a connecting channel rather than mere proximity. C: Neither record describes a patent passage through a tooth socket; this adds a route absent from the evidence. Source: [OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e](https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/1-6-anatomical-terminology) ## Question 7 A diagram follows a duct across the lateral surface of masseter and then medially through buccinator into the vestibule. It also shows motor branches of VII traversing the associated gland. Which interpretation best combines these relations? - A. Parotid duct; VII’s passage does not identify the gland’s parasympathetic origin. - B. Submandibular duct; VII’s intraglandular branches are its parasympathetic relay. - C. Parotid duct; its parasympathetic fibers arise from the same motor branches of VII. - D. Sublingual duct; the masseter crossing places its gland below mylohyoid. **Answer A:** Parotid duct; VII’s passage does not identify the gland’s parasympathetic origin. The duct route identifies the parotid duct. Facial motor branches traverse the parotid but are distinct from the gland’s IX–otic–auriculotemporal parasympathetic route. Location and passage do not erase the functional separation. Why the other choices do not fit: B: The submandibular duct runs in the floor of mouth, and facial motor branches do not form its parasympathetic relay. C: The gland identification fits, but the proposed autonomic origin conflates intraparotid motor passage with parotid secretion. D: Sublingual ducts open along floor-of-mouth structures; the described masseter/buccinator route does not locate a sublingual gland below mylohyoid. Source: [Chibly, Aure, Patel and Hoffman](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9126227/) ## Question 8 A fictional sagittal TMJ model marks space R between the articular disc and mandibular condyle. A muscle attachment is outside the depicted cut. Which conclusion is supported? - A. R is the superior compartment; the missing attachment can be inferred from that name. - B. R is the inferior compartment; the absent attachment is therefore absent in the individual. - C. R is the inferior compartment; the unshown attachment remains undetermined. - D. R is the superior compartment; its boundaries are disc and condyle. **Answer C:** R is the inferior compartment; the unshown attachment remains undetermined. Disc–condyle boundaries identify the inferior compartment. An attachment outside the depicted cut is unobserved, not demonstrated absent or standardized. The model therefore supports compartment identification while leaving the attachment question open. Why the other choices do not fit: A: The superior compartment lies between disc and temporal surface, and a compartment name does not specify an unshown attachment. B: The compartment is correct, but absence from the cut does not prove absence from the joint. D: This uses inferior-compartment boundaries while giving the superior-compartment name. Source: [National Academies](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/n/nap25652/sec_appD/) ## Question 9 In an oriented neck model, X runs from sternum/clavicle toward the mastoid region. A carotid sheath lies deep to X. Which pair correctly identifies X and the neural structure within the usual sheath contents? - A. Sternocleidomastoid; cervical sympathetic trunk. - B. Sternocleidomastoid; vagus nerve. - C. Trapezius; vagus nerve. - D. Trapezius; cervical sympathetic trunk. **Answer B:** Sternocleidomastoid; vagus nerve. The attachment description identifies sternocleidomastoid. The carotid sheath contains the vagus with carotid arterial and internal jugular structures; the sympathetic trunk is related posteriorly rather than being a main sheath content. Surface triangle boundaries are a separate organizational frame. Why the other choices do not fit: A: The muscle identification fits, but this places the posteriorly related sympathetic trunk inside the usual sheath contents. C: The vagus assignment fits, but trapezius does not have the supplied sternum/clavicle-to-mastoid attachment pattern. D: Both the attachment-based muscle identity and the neural sheath assignment are incorrect. Source: [UAMS Department of Neuroscience](https://medicine.uams.edu/neuroscience/education/medical-school-courses/human-structure-module/anatomy-tables/nerve-tables/nerves-of-the-head-and-neck/) ## Question 10 Two original projections show a duct and a nerve crossing at the same page point. Model A places them at different depths; model B places them together at that depth. The projections are otherwise identical. Which next observation would distinguish the models most directly? - A. A larger print of the same projection, without additional depth information. - B. A list of the two structure names, without their relation at the crossing. - C. A statement that both structures occupy the same broad anatomical region. - D. An oriented perpendicular section through the crossing that resolves their depths. **Answer D:** An oriented perpendicular section through the crossing that resolves their depths. The models differ in depth at a specific crossing. A perpendicular section at that location can distinguish superimposition from same-depth proximity. The question requires recognizing the projection’s limitation and selecting the additional spatial evidence that addresses it; even proximity would not itself prove a nerve synapse or duct junction. Why the other choices do not fit: A: Magnification changes visibility but cannot create depth information missing from the projection. B: Names can identify the structures but do not resolve the actual relation at the specified crossing. C: Sharing a broad region permits both models and therefore does not distinguish their differing depths. Source: [OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e](https://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e/pages/1-6-anatomical-terminology) ## Next step [Take the free 25-question ADAT practice test](https://dentovio.com/adat/free-practice-test) Official reference: [ADA 2026 ADAT Candidate Guide](https://www.ada.org/-/media/project/ada-organization/ada/ada-org/files/education/2026_adat_candidate_guide.pdf). Original exam-style questions written for study, never recalled exam content. Independent educational preparation, not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Dental Association. Practice results are not calibrated ADAT scores.