ATI PN PEDIATRIC NURSING
PROCTORED EXAM 2026 NGN
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS & RATIONALES
Questions 1-25: Growth and Development
1. A nurse is assessing a 4-month-old infant during a well-
child visit. Which developmental milestone should the nurse
expect to observe?
A. Sitting without support
B. Rolling from front to back
C. Walking independently
D. Using a pincer grasp
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Rolling from front to back typically occurs at 4 months
of age. Sitting without support occurs at 6-8 months, walking
independently at 12-15 months, and pincer grasp develops
around 9-10 months.
2. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to parents of a
2-month-old infant. Which statement should the nurse
include regarding safe sleep?
,A. "Place your baby on their stomach to sleep."
B. "Use a rear-facing car seat in the back seat."
C. "Begin feeding your infant solid foods."
D. "Use a forward-facing car seat."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Infants should sleep on their back to reduce the risk of
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Rear-facing car seats
should be used for infants and toddlers up to age 2 years or until
they reach the maximum height and weight for the seat. Solid
foods are introduced at 4-6 months.
3. A nurse is assessing a 2-year-old toddler. Which finding
indicates a potential developmental delay requiring further
evaluation?
A. Uses two-word phrases
B. Walks independently
C. Has a vocabulary of about 50 words
D. Cannot stack two blocks
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The inability to stack two blocks at 2 years of age is a
developmental delay that requires further evaluation. Using two-
word phrases, walking independently, and having a vocabulary of
about 50 words are all expected milestones for a 2-year-old.
,4. A nurse is assessing a 7-year-old child. According to
Erikson's theory, which developmental task is characteristic of
the school-age child?
A. Developing a sense of trust
B. Developing a sense of industry
C. Developing a sense of autonomy
D. Developing a sense of identity
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: According to Erikson's psychosocial theory, the school-
age child (6-12 years) is in the stage of Industry vs. Inferiority.
During this stage, children develop a sense of competence and
achievement through learning new skills and completing tasks.
Trust vs. Mistrust is the infant stage, Autonomy vs. Shame and
Doubt is the toddler stage, and Identity vs. Role Confusion is the
adolescent stage.
5. A nurse is assessing an adolescent client. Which behavior is
consistent with Piaget's formal operational stage of cognitive
development?
A. The adolescent thinks concretely about objects
B. The adolescent can think abstractly and use deductive
reasoning
C. The adolescent is egocentric and cannot see others'
perspectives
D. The adolescent relies on trial and error to solve problems
, Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Piaget's formal operational stage (12 years and older)
is characterized by the ability to think abstractly, use deductive
reasoning, and consider hypothetical situations. Concrete thinking
is characteristic of the concrete operational stage (7-11 years).
Egocentrism is characteristic of the preoperational stage (2-7
years). Trial and error is characteristic of the sensorimotor stage
(0-2 years).
6. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to parents of a
15-month-old child. Which statement indicates the parents
understand the guidance?
A. "We will start using time-out as a form of discipline."
B. "We will allow our child to use a sippy cup independently."
C. "We will begin toilet training now that our child is 15 months
old."
D. "We will limit our child's daily screen time to 2 hours."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: At 15 months, toddlers should be encouraged to use a
sippy cup independently to promote fine motor skills and
autonomy. Time-out is typically not effective until the child is at
least 2-3 years old. Toilet training is usually not initiated until 18-
24 months when the child shows signs of readiness. Screen time
for children 2-5 years should be limited to 1 hour per day, and
PROCTORED EXAM 2026 NGN
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS & RATIONALES
Questions 1-25: Growth and Development
1. A nurse is assessing a 4-month-old infant during a well-
child visit. Which developmental milestone should the nurse
expect to observe?
A. Sitting without support
B. Rolling from front to back
C. Walking independently
D. Using a pincer grasp
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Rolling from front to back typically occurs at 4 months
of age. Sitting without support occurs at 6-8 months, walking
independently at 12-15 months, and pincer grasp develops
around 9-10 months.
2. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to parents of a
2-month-old infant. Which statement should the nurse
include regarding safe sleep?
,A. "Place your baby on their stomach to sleep."
B. "Use a rear-facing car seat in the back seat."
C. "Begin feeding your infant solid foods."
D. "Use a forward-facing car seat."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Infants should sleep on their back to reduce the risk of
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Rear-facing car seats
should be used for infants and toddlers up to age 2 years or until
they reach the maximum height and weight for the seat. Solid
foods are introduced at 4-6 months.
3. A nurse is assessing a 2-year-old toddler. Which finding
indicates a potential developmental delay requiring further
evaluation?
A. Uses two-word phrases
B. Walks independently
C. Has a vocabulary of about 50 words
D. Cannot stack two blocks
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The inability to stack two blocks at 2 years of age is a
developmental delay that requires further evaluation. Using two-
word phrases, walking independently, and having a vocabulary of
about 50 words are all expected milestones for a 2-year-old.
,4. A nurse is assessing a 7-year-old child. According to
Erikson's theory, which developmental task is characteristic of
the school-age child?
A. Developing a sense of trust
B. Developing a sense of industry
C. Developing a sense of autonomy
D. Developing a sense of identity
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: According to Erikson's psychosocial theory, the school-
age child (6-12 years) is in the stage of Industry vs. Inferiority.
During this stage, children develop a sense of competence and
achievement through learning new skills and completing tasks.
Trust vs. Mistrust is the infant stage, Autonomy vs. Shame and
Doubt is the toddler stage, and Identity vs. Role Confusion is the
adolescent stage.
5. A nurse is assessing an adolescent client. Which behavior is
consistent with Piaget's formal operational stage of cognitive
development?
A. The adolescent thinks concretely about objects
B. The adolescent can think abstractly and use deductive
reasoning
C. The adolescent is egocentric and cannot see others'
perspectives
D. The adolescent relies on trial and error to solve problems
, Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Piaget's formal operational stage (12 years and older)
is characterized by the ability to think abstractly, use deductive
reasoning, and consider hypothetical situations. Concrete thinking
is characteristic of the concrete operational stage (7-11 years).
Egocentrism is characteristic of the preoperational stage (2-7
years). Trial and error is characteristic of the sensorimotor stage
(0-2 years).
6. A nurse is providing anticipatory guidance to parents of a
15-month-old child. Which statement indicates the parents
understand the guidance?
A. "We will start using time-out as a form of discipline."
B. "We will allow our child to use a sippy cup independently."
C. "We will begin toilet training now that our child is 15 months
old."
D. "We will limit our child's daily screen time to 2 hours."
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: At 15 months, toddlers should be encouraged to use a
sippy cup independently to promote fine motor skills and
autonomy. Time-out is typically not effective until the child is at
least 2-3 years old. Toilet training is usually not initiated until 18-
24 months when the child shows signs of readiness. Screen time
for children 2-5 years should be limited to 1 hour per day, and
