Page |1
ATI RN Pediatric Nursing – Complete Practice Test (2026) Questions with 100%
Correct Answers and Rationale 2026 | 2027 UPDATE!!!!!!
Instructions: Detailed rationales are provided to reinforce advanced concepts.
Domain 1: Growth & Development (Infancy through Adolescence)
1. A nurse is assessing a 4-month-old infant during a well-child visit. Which of
the following developmental milestones should the nurse expect the infant to
have achieved?
A) Rolls from back to front
B) Sits without support
C) Bears weight on legs
D) Reaches for objects and brings them to the mouth
Answer: D
Rationale: By 4 months of age, an infant should be able to reach for objects and
bring them to the mouth. Rolling from back to front typically occurs at 5-6 months.
Sitting without support occurs at 6-8 months. Bearing weight on legs is a 3-4
month milestone, but it is less specific than the fine motor skill of reaching.
2. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the parents of a 2-year-old
toddler. Which of the following statements by the parent indicates a need for
further teaching?
A) "I will read to my child every night."
B) "I will allow my child to choose between two options for a snack."
C) "I will give my child a time-out for temper tantrums."
D) "I will expect my child to share toys with other children."
Answer: D
Rationale: Toddlers (ages 1-3) are in the preoperational stage of cognitive
development and are egocentric. They view the world from their own perspective
and are developmentally unable to understand the concept of sharing. Expecting a
, Page |2
2-year-old to share is unrealistic. The nurse should teach the parent that parallel
play (playing beside, not with) is normal at this age.
3. A nurse is assessing a 7-year-old child. According to Erikson's theory of
psychosocial development, the child is in which stage?
A) Initiative vs. Guilt
B) Industry vs. Inferiority
C) Identity vs. Role Confusion
D) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Answer: B
Rationale: According to Erikson, the school-age child (6-12 years) is in the Industry
vs. Inferiority stage. During this stage, children develop a sense of competence
and accomplishment through school, sports, and social activities. If they feel
unable to succeed, they may develop feelings of inferiority.
4. A nurse is teaching the parents of a 3-year-old child about normal growth and
development. Which of the following statements by the parents indicates an
understanding of the teaching?
A) "My child should be able to skip and hop on one foot."
B) "My child should be able to tie their own shoes."
C) "My child should be able to draw a circle and a cross."
D) "My child should be able to print their first name."
Answer: C
Rationale: A 3-year-old child (preschooler) is in the preoperational stage of
development. Fine motor skills at this age include drawing a circle, a cross, and a
square. Skipping and hopping on one foot are skills expected at 4-5 years. Tying
shoes and printing first names are skills typically achieved at 5-6 years.
5. A nurse is providing education to the parents of a 9-month-old infant. Which
of the following safety interventions should the nurse prioritize?
A) Keep the infant's crib free of stuffed animals and blankets to prevent SIDS.
B) Install a gate at the top and bottom of the stairs.
, Page |3
C) Ensure the infant is secured in a rear-facing car seat.
D) Set the water heater to 120°F to prevent burns.
Answer: C
Rationale: While all of these are important safety measures, the most
critical priority for a 9-month-old is a rear-facing car seat installed correctly. The
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends rear-facing until age 2, but
many infants outgrow the infant seat and transition to a convertible rear-facing
seat.
6. A nurse is assessing an adolescent for signs of depression. Which of the
following findings is most indicative of depression in this age group?
A) Irritability and social withdrawal
B) Increased appetite
C) Frequent headaches
D) Difficulty sleeping
Answer: A
Rationale: While all of these can be signs of depression, irritability and social
withdrawal are classic behavioral symptoms of depression in adolescents. Unlike
adults, who typically present with sadness, adolescents often present with mood
changes, anger, and withdrawal from friends and family.
7. A nurse is assessing a 4-year-old child's language development. Which of the
following findings should the nurse report to the provider?
A) The child uses a vocabulary of about 500 words.
B) The child speaks in sentences of 4-5 words.
C) The child uses the pronoun "I" correctly.
D) The child has difficulty with the "r" and "l" sounds.
Answer: D
Rationale: While a 4-year-old may still have some articulation errors, difficulty
with the "r" and "l" sounds is a common developmental articulation error at this
age and is not a concern. A red flag would be if the child is unintelligible to
, Page |4
strangers or has difficulty with "f," "v," "sh," "zh," "ch," and "j" sounds. If the
child cannot say these sounds by age 4, a speech evaluation is indicated.
8. A nurse is discussing the principles of growth and development with a group
of nursing students. Which of the following statements by a student indicates a
need for further teaching?
A) "Growth and development proceed in a cephalocaudal direction."
B) "Growth and development proceed in a proximodistal direction."
C) "Growth and development occur in a predictable pattern."
D) "Growth and development are continuous throughout life."
Answer: D
Rationale: While growth and development are continuous, they are not continuous
in the sense of an unbroken, smooth curve. They occur in spurts and plateaus. The
infant period sees rapid growth, which slows during the toddler and preschool
years, and then accelerates again during the adolescent growth spurt.
9. A nurse is assessing a 10-year-old child. Which of the following findings
indicates the child is in the latency stage of psychosexual development according
to Freud?
A) The child is learning to read and write.
B) The child is exploring their own body.
C) The child is developing a sense of independence.
D) The child is forming friendships with peers of the same sex.
Answer: D
Rationale: According to Freud's psychosexual theory, the latency stage (ages 6-12)
is characterized by a sexual calm. During this stage, sexual impulses are repressed,
and the child focuses on developing peer relationships, typically with friends of the
same sex.
10. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the parents of a 14-year-old
adolescent. Which of the following developmental tasks should the nurse
discuss with the parents?
A) The adolescent will begin to develop abstract thinking skills.
ATI RN Pediatric Nursing – Complete Practice Test (2026) Questions with 100%
Correct Answers and Rationale 2026 | 2027 UPDATE!!!!!!
Instructions: Detailed rationales are provided to reinforce advanced concepts.
Domain 1: Growth & Development (Infancy through Adolescence)
1. A nurse is assessing a 4-month-old infant during a well-child visit. Which of
the following developmental milestones should the nurse expect the infant to
have achieved?
A) Rolls from back to front
B) Sits without support
C) Bears weight on legs
D) Reaches for objects and brings them to the mouth
Answer: D
Rationale: By 4 months of age, an infant should be able to reach for objects and
bring them to the mouth. Rolling from back to front typically occurs at 5-6 months.
Sitting without support occurs at 6-8 months. Bearing weight on legs is a 3-4
month milestone, but it is less specific than the fine motor skill of reaching.
2. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the parents of a 2-year-old
toddler. Which of the following statements by the parent indicates a need for
further teaching?
A) "I will read to my child every night."
B) "I will allow my child to choose between two options for a snack."
C) "I will give my child a time-out for temper tantrums."
D) "I will expect my child to share toys with other children."
Answer: D
Rationale: Toddlers (ages 1-3) are in the preoperational stage of cognitive
development and are egocentric. They view the world from their own perspective
and are developmentally unable to understand the concept of sharing. Expecting a
, Page |2
2-year-old to share is unrealistic. The nurse should teach the parent that parallel
play (playing beside, not with) is normal at this age.
3. A nurse is assessing a 7-year-old child. According to Erikson's theory of
psychosocial development, the child is in which stage?
A) Initiative vs. Guilt
B) Industry vs. Inferiority
C) Identity vs. Role Confusion
D) Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Answer: B
Rationale: According to Erikson, the school-age child (6-12 years) is in the Industry
vs. Inferiority stage. During this stage, children develop a sense of competence
and accomplishment through school, sports, and social activities. If they feel
unable to succeed, they may develop feelings of inferiority.
4. A nurse is teaching the parents of a 3-year-old child about normal growth and
development. Which of the following statements by the parents indicates an
understanding of the teaching?
A) "My child should be able to skip and hop on one foot."
B) "My child should be able to tie their own shoes."
C) "My child should be able to draw a circle and a cross."
D) "My child should be able to print their first name."
Answer: C
Rationale: A 3-year-old child (preschooler) is in the preoperational stage of
development. Fine motor skills at this age include drawing a circle, a cross, and a
square. Skipping and hopping on one foot are skills expected at 4-5 years. Tying
shoes and printing first names are skills typically achieved at 5-6 years.
5. A nurse is providing education to the parents of a 9-month-old infant. Which
of the following safety interventions should the nurse prioritize?
A) Keep the infant's crib free of stuffed animals and blankets to prevent SIDS.
B) Install a gate at the top and bottom of the stairs.
, Page |3
C) Ensure the infant is secured in a rear-facing car seat.
D) Set the water heater to 120°F to prevent burns.
Answer: C
Rationale: While all of these are important safety measures, the most
critical priority for a 9-month-old is a rear-facing car seat installed correctly. The
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends rear-facing until age 2, but
many infants outgrow the infant seat and transition to a convertible rear-facing
seat.
6. A nurse is assessing an adolescent for signs of depression. Which of the
following findings is most indicative of depression in this age group?
A) Irritability and social withdrawal
B) Increased appetite
C) Frequent headaches
D) Difficulty sleeping
Answer: A
Rationale: While all of these can be signs of depression, irritability and social
withdrawal are classic behavioral symptoms of depression in adolescents. Unlike
adults, who typically present with sadness, adolescents often present with mood
changes, anger, and withdrawal from friends and family.
7. A nurse is assessing a 4-year-old child's language development. Which of the
following findings should the nurse report to the provider?
A) The child uses a vocabulary of about 500 words.
B) The child speaks in sentences of 4-5 words.
C) The child uses the pronoun "I" correctly.
D) The child has difficulty with the "r" and "l" sounds.
Answer: D
Rationale: While a 4-year-old may still have some articulation errors, difficulty
with the "r" and "l" sounds is a common developmental articulation error at this
age and is not a concern. A red flag would be if the child is unintelligible to
, Page |4
strangers or has difficulty with "f," "v," "sh," "zh," "ch," and "j" sounds. If the
child cannot say these sounds by age 4, a speech evaluation is indicated.
8. A nurse is discussing the principles of growth and development with a group
of nursing students. Which of the following statements by a student indicates a
need for further teaching?
A) "Growth and development proceed in a cephalocaudal direction."
B) "Growth and development proceed in a proximodistal direction."
C) "Growth and development occur in a predictable pattern."
D) "Growth and development are continuous throughout life."
Answer: D
Rationale: While growth and development are continuous, they are not continuous
in the sense of an unbroken, smooth curve. They occur in spurts and plateaus. The
infant period sees rapid growth, which slows during the toddler and preschool
years, and then accelerates again during the adolescent growth spurt.
9. A nurse is assessing a 10-year-old child. Which of the following findings
indicates the child is in the latency stage of psychosexual development according
to Freud?
A) The child is learning to read and write.
B) The child is exploring their own body.
C) The child is developing a sense of independence.
D) The child is forming friendships with peers of the same sex.
Answer: D
Rationale: According to Freud's psychosexual theory, the latency stage (ages 6-12)
is characterized by a sexual calm. During this stage, sexual impulses are repressed,
and the child focuses on developing peer relationships, typically with friends of the
same sex.
10. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to the parents of a 14-year-old
adolescent. Which of the following developmental tasks should the nurse
discuss with the parents?
A) The adolescent will begin to develop abstract thinking skills.
