NLE Ophthalmology & ENT MCQs: Practice Questions With Explanations

Sample NLE (NRE) theory MCQs from Ophthalmology and ENT — small on the official paper at 6 marks each, but over 230 practice questions combined in the bank — each with the correct answer explained.

Ophthalmology and ENT are each worth 6 of the 200 marks on the NLE (NRE) theory paper — see our NRE syllabus breakdown for the full discipline weightage — but together they hold over 230 practice questions in HighYield's bank. Small on paper doesn't mean skippable: every mark counts towards the 60% pass threshold. Below is a sample spanning both disciplines.

Ophthalmology

1. A patient presents with sudden, painless, unilateral vision loss described as "a curtain coming down." Fundoscopy shows a pale retina with a cherry-red spot at the macula. This is most consistent with:

A) Central retinal artery occlusion ✅
B) Central retinal vein occlusion
C) Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment
D) Vitreous haemorrhage

2. Which type of glaucoma presents acutely with severe eye pain, headache, nausea, a fixed mid-dilated pupil, and a hazy cornea?

A) Primary open-angle glaucoma
B) Acute angle-closure glaucoma ✅
C) Normal-tension glaucoma
D) Congenital glaucoma

ENT

3. Which nerve is most at risk during parotidectomy, given its course through the substance of the parotid gland?

A) Facial nerve (CN VII) ✅
B) Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
C) Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
D) Vagus nerve (CN X)

4. Weber's test lateralises to the affected ear, and Rinne's test is negative (bone conduction louder than air conduction) in that same ear. This pattern indicates:

A) Sensorineural hearing loss in the affected ear
B) Conductive hearing loss in the affected ear ✅
C) Normal hearing bilaterally
D) Sensorineural loss in the opposite ear

5. In an unvaccinated child, the most common cause of acute epiglottitis is:

A) Streptococcus pneumoniae
B) Haemophilus influenzae type b ✅
C) Staphylococcus aureus
D) Moraxella catarrhalis

Why These Small-Weight Disciplines Still Matter

It's tempting to deprioritise a 6-mark discipline in favour of Medicine or Surgery, but the NLE pass mark is 60% of the whole paper — there's no separate cutoff per discipline, so a blind spot in Ophthalmology or ENT is just as costly as one in a bigger section, and both reward the same pattern-recognition style of practice as the rest of the exam.

HighYield's NLE question bank covers Ophthalmology and ENT alongside every other discipline on the theory paper, including dedicated Ophthalmology and ENT subject banks, with every question explained. Start with your first questions free, no sign-in required.