NCLEX-RN guides
Questions nursing candidates ask about the exam, answered from NCSBN’s own published material rather than from forum lore. Free to read, no account needed.
Infection control on the NCLEX: standard, contact, droplet and airborne precautions, from CDC's own guidance
Standard precautions apply to every client. On top of them, CDC adds contact precautions (gown and gloves), droplet precautions (a mask on entry) and airborne precautions (a fit-tested N95 or higher respirator in a negative-pressure room), depending on how an infection spreads.
September 19, 2026
Lab values for the NCLEX-RN: the normal ranges, and why sources disagree about them
The 2026 test plan asks you to compare a client's results with normal values, and it does not say whether the exam shows reference ranges. Learn the common adult ranges, but expect small differences between sources: even NIH's MedlinePlus gives different sodium and calcium ranges on different pages.
September 19, 2026
Fluids and electrolytes on the NCLEX: potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium, and the signs that matter
The test plan asks you to recognize fluid and electrolyte imbalances, manage care and evaluate the response. The highest-stakes one is potassium, because both high and low levels change the heart's rhythm, and IV potassium must never be given undiluted by direct injection.
September 19, 2026
Maternity and newborn nursing for the NCLEX: the numbers and signs worth knowing, with their sources
Maternity questions on the NCLEX turn on a small set of numbers and signs: the Apgar score, a fetal heart rate baseline of 110 to 160, what late decelerations mean, the signs of magnesium toxicity, and how to recognize postpartum hemorrhage. Some of these have changed recently or differ between sources, which this guide flags.
September 19, 2026
How many questions are on the NCLEX-RN, and why the number changes
Between 85 and 150. The exam stops as soon as the computer is 95% certain which side of the passing standard you are on, so two candidates sitting on the same day can see very different lengths.
September 17, 2026
How the NCLEX decides pass or fail: the three stopping rules
The computer compares your ability estimate with a fixed passing standard and stops once it is 95% certain which side you are on. If it never gets that certain, it decides on your final estimate at 150 questions or when time runs out.
September 17, 2026
Next Gen NCLEX question types, and what each one asks you to do
The NCLEX-RN mixes traditional multiple choice and select all that apply with newer formats such as matrix grids, drop-down sentences and highlighting, which appear in three case studies of six questions each. Two stand-alone formats, bow-tie and trend, can appear outside the case studies.
September 17, 2026
NCLEX case studies explained: one client, six questions, six steps of clinical judgment
Every NCLEX-RN exam contains three case studies, each made of six questions about the same client, for 18 scored questions in all. The six questions are built on the six steps of NCSBN's clinical judgment model, from recognizing cues to evaluating outcomes.
September 17, 2026
How Next Gen NCLEX questions are scored: partial credit and the three methods
Questions with more than one correct answer earn partial credit under one of three NCSBN methods. Plus/minus scoring subtracts a point for each wrong pick, zero/one scoring never subtracts, and rationale scoring only pays when both halves of a paired answer are right.
September 17, 2026
NCLEX bow-tie and trend questions: the two stand-alone Next Gen formats
They are the two Next Gen formats that appear on their own instead of inside a case study. A bow-tie asks for a condition, the actions to take and what to monitor in a single question, and a trend asks you to read how a client's data changes over time.
September 17, 2026
The 2026 NCLEX-RN test plan: the eight categories, their weights, and what changed
The current NCLEX-RN test plan took effect on April 1, 2026 and runs through March 31, 2029. NCSBN kept the format and the category percentages from 2023, renamed one category, and added new activity statements.
September 17, 2026
NCLEX-RN pass rates for 2024 and 2025, from NCSBN's own reports
In 2025, 86.7% of first-time, US-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN, down from 91.2% in 2024. Repeat test takers passed at 52.7%, according to NCSBN's 2025 examination statistics report.
September 17, 2026
Failed the NCLEX-RN? The waiting period, your performance report, and a plan for the retake
You can sit the NCLEX-RN again after at least 45 test-free days, and up to eight times a year, though your board of nursing may set a longer wait or a lower limit. Start with the Candidate Performance Report your board sends, because it shows where you fell short.
September 17, 2026
NCLEX test day: check-in, what you can bring, breaks and the rules that end exams early
Arrive at least 30 minutes early with one valid ID whose name matches your registration exactly. You'll give a digital signature, a palm vein scan and a photograph, lock everything in a locker, and test with an erasable noteboard and an on-screen calculator.
September 17, 2026
Dosage calculations on the NCLEX-RN: what the test plan asks for and how to prepare
Yes, the NCLEX-RN tests dosage calculation. The 2026 test plan lists performing calculations needed for medication administration under Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies, and an on-screen calculator is provided during the exam.
September 17, 2026
What NCLEX pharmacology covers: the 2026 test plan's Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies category
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies is 13 to 19% of the NCLEX-RN under the 2026 test plan. It covers giving and monitoring medications safely, including adverse effects, calculations, blood products, central venous access devices, parenteral nutrition and pain management.
September 17, 2026
NCLEX prioritization and delegation questions: what Management of Care asks and how to reason through it
They come from Management of Care, the largest NCLEX-RN category at 15 to 21% of the exam. The 2026 test plan asks you to prioritize care based on acuity and to delegate using five rights: the right task, circumstances, person, direction or communication, and supervision or evaluation.
September 17, 2026
How long to study for the NCLEX-RN, and a better question to ask
There is no official answer: NCSBN publishes no recommended study time. What it does set is a window, since you must test before your Authorization to Test expires, and the better measure of when to sit is whether practice under exam conditions puts you clearly above the passing standard.
September 17, 2026
Start practicing
The guides are free. So is a full adaptive NCLEX exam, with case studies, and no email or card.