Step 1: The quadruple test is a second-trimester maternal serum screen measuring AFP, hCG, unconjugated estriol and inhibin A to assess risk of aneuploidy and neural tube defects.
Step 2: It is performed in the second trimester, most reliably between 15 and 20 weeks of gestation, so option C is correct.
Step 3: The 8 to 12 week and 11 to 15 week windows correspond to first-trimester screening, and 18 to 22 weeks is later than the optimal interval, making them less appropriate.