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RN Licensure · NCSBN

NCLEX-RN practice questions, built for nurses.

Prepare for the NCLEX-RN with 2,000+ blueprint-aligned questions across all eight Client Needs categories — weighted to the NCSBN test plan, with a dashboard that shows exactly where to focus and a full exam simulation when you're ready.

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About the NCLEX-RN exam

The NCLEX-RN is the national licensure exam every U.S. candidate must pass to practice as a registered nurse — a computer-adaptive test of safe, effective entry-level nursing across the Client Needs categories. Licensure is granted by your state board of nursing.

Exam at a glance

Credentialing bodythe National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
FormatComputer-adaptive, 85–150 items
TimeUp to 5 hours
DeliveryPearson VUE
Official detailsNCSBN ↗

What CertifyRN gives you

Question bank2000+ questions
NGN item typesAll 7 supported
Unfolding case studiesIncluded
Weak-spot dashboardPer-domain tracking
Exam simulationReal timing + conditions
PricingFree to start · subscription
Next Generation NCLEX

Practice every question type the real exam uses.

Since April 2023 the NCLEX-RN goes far beyond multiple choice. CertifyRN renders and grades all of them — including full unfolding case studies with a live client chart.

Option A
Option B

Single best answer

The classic 4-option item.

NGN
Finding 1
Finding 2
Finding 3

Select all that apply

Multiple-response, all-or-nothing.

NGN
priority is septic shock ▾

Drop-down / cloze

Complete the sentence.

NGN
YNLactateGlucose

Matrix / grid

Classify across rows & columns.

NGN

Client is oriented only to name with a BP of 86/48.

Highlight

Click the significant cues.

NGN
ActionConditionMonitor

Bow-tie

The NGN capstone.

NGN

Trend

Read the trajectory over time.

NGN
6 linked
items

Unfolding case study

Shared chart, items that unfold.

See every question type, with a demo of each ›

Domain breakdown

Your practice mix mirrors the official NCSBN NCLEX-RN test plan, so you study in the same proportions the exam tests.

Management of Care18%
Safety & Infection Control13%
Health Promotion & Maintenance9%
Psychosocial Integrity9%
Basic Care & Comfort9%
Pharmacological & Parenteral Therapies16%
Reduction of Risk Potential12%
Physiological Adaptation14%

Why nurses choose CertifyRN

Target your weak spots

A domain dashboard shows exactly where you're losing points, so study time goes where it counts.

Practice like the real thing

Full exam simulation mirrors the real NCLEX-RN timing and conditions — no surprises on test day.

Study anywhere

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Try 5 NCLEX-RN questions

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1. The nurse is caring for four clients. Which client should the nurse assess first?
AA client awaiting discharge teaching
BA client with new-onset shortness of breath and an oxygen saturation of 88%
CA client requesting pain medication
DA client whose family has a question about visiting hours
Correct: A client with new-onset shortness of breath and an oxygen saturation of 88%.
Rationale

Airway and breathing take priority. New-onset shortness of breath with an oxygen saturation of 88% is the most physiologically unstable client and must be assessed first.

Why the other options are wrong

The client awaiting discharge teaching and the family's visiting-hours question are non-urgent. The client requesting pain medication matters, but pain is a lower priority than an acute oxygenation problem.

2. A nurse prepares to give regular insulin at 0730 for a client who eats breakfast at 0800, knowing regular insulin has an onset of about 30 minutes. What does timing the dose this way prevent?
AHyperglycemia later in the afternoon
BHypoglycemia by aligning the insulin onset with food intake
CLipodystrophy at the injection site
DLong-term insulin resistance
Correct: Hypoglycemia by aligning the insulin onset with food intake.
Rationale

Regular insulin has an onset of about 30 minutes. Giving it at 0730 for an 0800 breakfast aligns its onset and peak with food intake, preventing hypoglycemia in the gap between the dose and the meal.

Why the other options are wrong

It doesn't target afternoon hyperglycemia — that's a longer-acting insulin's role. Lipodystrophy comes from reusing one injection site, not from timing. Insulin resistance is a chronic metabolic change unrelated to a single dose's timing.

3. A client recovering from abdominal surgery has a blood pressure of 88/52 mm Hg, a heart rate of 124 beats/min, and cool, clammy skin. The nurse interprets these findings as most consistent with:
Aearly hypovolemic shock
Bfluid volume overload
Ca normal stress response
Dan anxiety-related episode
Correct: early hypovolemic shock.
Rationale

Hypotension with compensatory tachycardia and cool, clammy skin reflects early hypovolemic shock, often from postoperative blood loss. Prompt recognition allows fluid resuscitation before decompensation.

Why the other options are wrong

Overload raises BP, a stress response would not cause hypotension, and anxiety alone does not produce clammy hypotension.

4. The nurse is preparing to insert a peripheral IV catheter for a client admitted with dehydration. The client has no known communicable infection, but the nurse anticipates possible exposure to blood during the procedure. Before starting, the nurse identifies the appropriate precaution that applies to the care of every client regardless of diagnosis:
APlace the client in a private negative-pressure isolation room
BWear a fit-tested N95 respirator during the catheter insertion
CApply gloves and clean the hands before contact
DCohort the client with others who have similar care needs
Correct: Apply gloves and clean the hands before contact.
Rationale

Standard precautions apply to all clients and direct the nurse to perform hand hygiene and wear gloves whenever contact with blood or body fluids is anticipated.

Why the other options are wrong

A negative-pressure room and an N95 respirator are airborne-precaution measures not indicated for a noninfectious client, and cohorting is a transmission-based strategy reserved for known infections.

5. The nurse is caring for a group of telemetry clients when a UAP reports that a client who had a cardiac catheterization two hours ago says the dressing over the groin site feels wet. The nurse must decide how to respond to this report. Which action should the nurse take first:
AAsk the UAP to reinforce the groin dressing with gauze
BDocument that the client reported a damp dressing
CReposition the client flat and elevate the head later
DInspect the catheter site and check the pedal pulses
Correct: Inspect the catheter site and check the pedal pulses.
Rationale

A wet dressing after femoral catheterization may signal active bleeding or hematoma, so the nurse must directly assess the site and distal circulation before any other action.

Why the other options are wrong

Delegating reinforcement, documenting, or repositioning all defer the firsthand assessment that only the nurse can perform on a potentially bleeding site.

NCLEX-RN prep — frequently asked

Are these NCLEX-RN practice questions free?

Yes. You can practice NCLEX-RN questions for free to start. The full 2000+ question bank and exam simulation are included with an all-access CertifyRN subscription (monthly or annual, cancel anytime).

How many NCLEX-RN practice questions are included?

The NCLEX-RN bank has 2000+ blueprint-aligned questions distributed across all eight Client Needs categories in line with the official test plan, so your practice mix mirrors the real exam blueprint.

Do the questions follow the current NCSBN NCLEX-RN test plan?

Yes. Questions are weighted to the official test plan: Management of Care 18%, Safety and Infection Control 13%, Health Promotion and Maintenance 9%, Psychosocial Integrity 9%, Basic Care and Comfort 9%, Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 16%, Reduction of Risk Potential 12%, and Physiological Adaptation 14%.

Is CertifyRN affiliated with NCSBN?

No. CertifyRN is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). NCLEX-RN is a registered trademark of its respective owner.

How does the weak-spot dashboard work?

As you practice, CertifyRN tracks performance by domain and shows which areas need the most work, so your study targets your weakest domains first. Full exam simulation mirrors real testing conditions.

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CertifyRN is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). NCLEX-RN® is a registered trademark of NCSBN, used here for identification only. CertifyRN provides original practice materials and does not reproduce official exam content. Licensure is granted by your state board of nursing.