SMLE Pediatrics MCQs: Practice Questions With Explanations
Sample SMLE MCQs from Pediatrics — the second-largest subject in HighYield's SMLE bank by question volume — covering development, neonatology and infectious disease, each with the correct answer explained.
Pediatrics is the second-largest subject in HighYield's SMLE question bank by question volume, just behind Medicine. Below is a sample set of Pediatrics MCQs in clinical-vignette style, grouped by theme.
Growth & Development
1. By what age should a typically developing infant be able to sit without support?
- A) 3 months
- B) 6 months ✅
- C) 9 months
- D) 12 months
2. Persistence of the Moro reflex beyond 6 months of age is a red flag suggestive of:
- A) Normal variant, no concern
- B) Possible underlying neurological abnormality ✅
- C) Vitamin D deficiency
- D) Iron deficiency anaemia
Neonatology
3. Vitamin K is routinely given to all newborns shortly after birth primarily to prevent:
- A) Neonatal jaundice
- B) Haemorrhagic disease of the newborn ✅
- C) Retinopathy of prematurity
- D) Necrotising enterocolitis
4. Bilious vomiting in a neonate during the first week of life is a classic presentation requiring urgent evaluation for:
- A) Gastro-oesophageal reflux
- B) Pyloric stenosis
- C) Malrotation with midgut volvulus ✅
- D) Physiological regurgitation
Infectious Disease
5. Koplik spots on the buccal mucosa are a pathognomonic early sign of which childhood exanthem?
- A) Rubella
- B) Measles ✅
- C) Varicella
- D) Scarlet fever
6. A toddler presenting with high fever, a barking cough and inspiratory stridor most likely has:
- A) Epiglottitis
- B) Croup (laryngotracheobronchitis) ✅
- C) Bronchiolitis
- D) Foreign body aspiration
Why Pediatrics Deserves Dedicated Practice Time
Pediatrics spans development, neonatology, and the full range of childhood infectious disease — each with its own classic vignette patterns that repeat across question banks. Treating it as an extension of adult Internal Medicine is a common mistake; the classic presentations above (developmental red flags, neonatal surgical emergencies, exanthem pattern recognition) are tested on their own terms.
HighYield's SMLE question bank covers Pediatrics alongside every other core domain, every question explained. For the full breakdown of eligibility, syllabus weighting and scoring, see our SMLE Exam Full Guide, or see our Internal Medicine MCQ sample for the largest domain. Your first 20 questions are free.