Anatomy And Physiology Quiz With Answers

[Vita Wanberg]

Welcometo our collection of free NCLEX practice questions to help you achieve success on your NCLEX-RN exam! This updated guide for 2024 includes 1,000+ practice questions, a primer on the NCLEX-RN exam, frequently asked questions about the NCLEX, question types, the NCLEX-RN test plan, and test-taking tips and strategies.

We recommend you do all practice questions before you take the actual exam. Doing so will help reduce your test anxiety and help identify nursing topics you need to review. To make the most of the practice exams, try to minimize mistakes to less than 15 questions and take your time answering the questions, especially when reading the rationales.

The National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) is a comprehensive test administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). It assesses whether candidates possess the necessary knowledge and skills to provide safe and effective nursing care at the entry level. The NCLEX is available in two versions: the NCLEX-RN for registered nurses and the NCLEX-PN for practical/vocational nurses.

The NCSBN, composed of nursing regulatory bodies from all 50 states in the US, the District of Columbia, and four US territories, is responsible for safeguarding the public by ensuring safe nursing care. It sets the standards and guidelines for nursing licensure and develops the NCLEX examinations.

Becoming a registered nurse (RN) requires meeting specific licensure requirements determined by the licensing authorities in each jurisdiction governed by the NCSBN. One of these requirements is passing the NCLEX-RN, which evaluates the competencies necessary for practicing safely and effectively as an entry-level RN. The NCLEX-RN is used by member boards of nursing and many Canadian nursing regulatory bodies to inform their licensure decisions.

The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) is currently in effect this April 2023 for RN and LPN/LVN candidates. The change in the NCLEX is driven by the need to adapt to the increasing complexity of client care, advancements in healthcare practice, and the demand for safe clinical decision-making. The NGN aims to address the declining ability of new nursing graduates to make safe clinical decisions by integrating clinical judgment as a key competency. The NGN test format will remain adaptive but with fewer test items. Candidates will encounter Unfolding Case Studies and Stand-Alone Items, scored using partial credit with three different scoring rules. These changes in the NGN aim to assess critical thinking and the ability to make safe clinical judgments during various phases of client care.

The content of the NCLEX-RN is organized into four major Client Needs categories: Safe and Effective Care Environment, Health Promotion and Maintenance, Psychosocial Integrity, and Physiological Integrity. Some of these categories are divided further into subcategories. Below is the NCLEX-RN test plan effective as of April 2023 until March 2026:

The Psychosocial Integrity category is content related to the promotion and support for the emotional, mental, and social well-being of the client experiencing stressful events and clients with acute or chronic mental illness.

Clinical judgment is a central component of the NCLEX-RN Test Plan, reflecting the evolving demands and complexity of nursing practice. Nurses must engage in an iterative, multi-step process that utilizes nursing knowledge to observe and assess situations, identify client concerns, and generate evidence-based solutions to ensure safe client care. Clinical judgment questions are represented through Unfolding Case Studies or individual Stand-Alone Items, with case studies addressing each step of clinical judgment. The following are the six clinical judgment cognitive skills:

Additionally, In contrast to the nursing process or ADPIE, the NCSBN focuses on AAPIE (assessment, analysis, planning, intervention, evaluation), wherein nursing diagnosis is not tested at the current NGN because it is not considered a universal language used in health care or the nursing profession. In nursing practice and for the NGN, students must use their pathophysiology knowledge to analyze client assessments and connect them with common conditions in healthcare settings.

Passing the NCLEX-RN requires you, the candidate, to meet a specific passing standard established by the NCSBN Board of Directors (BOD). The passing standard represents the minimum ability level necessary for safe and effective entry-level nursing practice. The BOD reevaluates this standard every three years, considering various factors such as a standard-setting exercise conducted by experts and psychometricians, historical data on candidate performance, and information on the educational readiness of aspiring nurses. Once the passing standard is set, it is uniformly applied to all candidates during the scoring process. The NCSBN indicates that these three rules govern pass-or-fail decisions: the 95% Confidence Interval Rule, Maximum-Length Exam Rule, and Run-Out-Of-Time Rule.

When your ability is close to the passing standard, the CAT gives you items until the maximum number of items is reached. At this point, the computer disregards the 95% confidence rule and decides whether you pass or fail by your final ability estimate. If your final ability estimate is above the passing standard, you pass; if it is below, you fail.

Three methods are used to assign partial credit for these items: plus/minus scoring, zero/one scoring, and rationale scoring. Understanding the scoring models is crucial for NCLEX-RN takers to know how their answers are evaluated and how scores are determined.

The 0/1 scoring rule is used for multiple-choice items. Choosing the correct option earns one point while selecting an incorrect option gives a score of zero. This rule applies to single response items, including the example multiple-choice item.

The rationale scoring rule is used for questions that assess paired information. To earn a score of one point, both answer options must be correct. If either option is incorrect, the score is 0.

Stand-Alone Items are case studies with a single question, with the item presented as a bow-tie or a trend question type. Candidates who take more than the minimum number of items on the NCLEX receive around six to seven stand-alone cases.

In Extended Multiple Response item types, test-takers can choose one or more options in Multiple Response Select All That Apply, select a specific number of items in Multiple Response Select N, or choose options from different groupings presented in a table in Multiple Response Grouping, with scoring rules based on the selected type. Extended multiple response may include the following formats:

The Multiple Response Select All That Apply item type allows test-takers to choose one or more answer options. It uses the +/- Scoring Rule, where selecting correct information earns points (+1), and selecting incorrect information results in points deducted (-1). The maximum points achievable are equal to the number of correct options, and the minimum score is 0, with no negative scores. The item must have a minimum of five options and can have up to ten options, with the possibility of all ten options being correct.

The Multiple Response Select N item type informs the test-taker about the specific number of items (N) that can be selected. The question provides a range of options, with a minimum of five and a maximum of ten options. It uses the 0/1 Scoring Rule, where each correct response earns 1 point, while any incorrect response results in 0 points.

The Multiple Response Grouping utilizes a table to present options, with a minimum of two and a maximum of five groupings. Each grouping consists of a minimum of two and a maximum of four options, ensuring an equal number of options within each grouping. Test-takers are required to select at least one option from each grouping. The item follows the +/- Scoring Rule, meaning there is no negative score per grouping. The total score for the item is determined by summing the points earned within each grouping. The maximum score achievable equals the number of keys (N).

For this NGN item type, the test-taker is presented with information and must highlight specific parts of the information provided. Highlight question type include the following formats:

In the Matrix NGN item type, test-takers are presented with a grid-like structure to which they must respond. There are two variations: Matrix Multiple Response, where each column can have multiple correct responses, and Matrix Multiple Choice, where test-takers select one answer option per row. Extended multiple response may include the following formats:

The Matrix Multiple Response item type consists of response columns, where each column can have multiple correct responses. The item can have between two and ten columns and four to seven rows. In each column, at least one response option must be selected, but it is possible to select one or more responses per column. The item follows the +/- Scoring Rule, with no negative score per column. The total score for the item is determined by summing the points earned within each column. The maximum score achievable is equal to the number of keys (N).

The item includes a minimum of four rows and a maximum of ten rows. It can have either two or three options/columns. Test-takers are allowed to select one answer option per row. The item follows the 0/1 scoring rule, where the test-taker earns 1 point for each correct response and 0 points for incorrect responses. The total score for the item is obtained by summing the scores over the rows. The maximum score achievable is equal to the number of rows.

In the Drag and Drop NGN question type, test-takers are presented with options to drag and drop into specific targets. There are two variations: Drag and Drop Cloze, where options are placed in response targets to complete sentences and Drag and Drop Rationale, where options are matched to causes and effects. Drag and drop may include the following formats:

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