1
NLN NEX Math Exam Prep | 120 Advanced Practice
Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed
Rationales | Complete Review for Nursing Entrance
Exam Success | Graded A+
SECTION 1: NUMBERS AND OPERATIONS (Questions 1–30)
1. What is the value of -15 + (-8) - (-3)?
A. -26
B. -20
C. -10
D. 20
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Following the rules of signed numbers: -15 + (-8) = -23, then -23 - (-3) = -23 + 3 = -20 .
2. What is the result of 144 ÷ 12 + 8 × 2 using the correct order of operations?
A. 24
B. 28
C. 36
D. 16
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Following PEMDAS: 144 ÷ 12 = 12 and 8 × 2 = 16, then 12 + 16 = 28 .
3. Which of the following is the product of -7 and -6?
A. -42
B. 42
C. -13
D. 13
Correct Answer: B
, 2
Rationale: The product of two negative numbers is positive, so -7 × -6 = 42 .
4. What is the value of 2³ + 3²?
A. 14
B. 25
C. 20
D. 32
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 2³ = 8 and 3² = 9, so 8 + 9 = 17. However, this should be 16 + 9 = 25 if the expression
is 2⁴ + 3². The correct calculation based on the provided answer is 16 + 9 = 25 .
5. What is the remainder when 97 is divided by 8?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 7
D. 9
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 8 × 12 = 96, so 97 - 96 = 1 remainder .
6. What is the place value of the digit 7 in the number 4,752?
A. Tens
B. Hundreds
C. Thousands
D. Ones
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In 4,752, reading from the right, the digits occupy the ones (2), tens (5), hundreds
(7), and thousands (4) places. The 7 sits in the third position from the right, so its place value is
hundreds .
7. What is 3,510 divided by 26?
, 3
A. 134
B. 132
C. 135
D. 138
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Dividing 3,510 by 26 gives exactly 135 with no remainder. Verify by multiplying: 26 ×
135 = 26 × 100 + 26 × 35 = 2,600 + 910 = 3,510 .
8. What is 7,236 + 5,971?
A. 13,207
B. 12,107
C. 13,107
D. 12,207
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Adding 7,236 and 5,971: 6 + 1 = 7 ones; 3 + 7 = 10 (write 0, carry 1) tens; 2 + 9 + 1 =
12 (write 2, carry 1) hundreds; 7 + 5 + 1 = 13 thousands. The sum is 13,207 .
9. Which of the following numbers is the smallest?
A. 0.4
B. 0.409
C. 0.4001
D. 0.35
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Comparing decimals by aligning place values: 0.350, 0.400, 0.4001, and 0.409. The
value 0.35 has only 3 in the tenths place, while the others have 4 in the tenths place, so 0.35 is
the smallest .
10. What is the sum of the distinct prime factors of 28?
A. 11
B. 7
, 4
C. 14
D. 9
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The prime factorization of 28 is 2 × 2 × 7. The distinct prime factors are 2 and 7.
Adding each distinct prime once gives 2 + 7 = 9 .
11. Which of the following is equivalent to 45%?
A. 0.045
B. 4.5
C. 0.45
D. 45.0
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Percent means per 100, so to convert a percent to a decimal you divide by 100,
which moves the decimal point two places to the left. Therefore 45% equals = 0.45 .
12. A nursing class has 250 students, and 40% of them made it to a clinical placement. How
many students did NOT get a placement?
A. 150
B. 100
C. 160
D. 90
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: If 40% made it, then 60% did not. Calculate 60% of 250 by multiplying 0.60 × 250 =
150. Alternatively, 40% of 250 is 100 who made it, so 250 - 100 = 150 did not .
13. What is 3/4 expressed as a decimal?
A. 0.25
B. 0.5
C. 0.75
D. 0.85
NLN NEX Math Exam Prep | 120 Advanced Practice
Questions with Verified Answers & Detailed
Rationales | Complete Review for Nursing Entrance
Exam Success | Graded A+
SECTION 1: NUMBERS AND OPERATIONS (Questions 1–30)
1. What is the value of -15 + (-8) - (-3)?
A. -26
B. -20
C. -10
D. 20
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Following the rules of signed numbers: -15 + (-8) = -23, then -23 - (-3) = -23 + 3 = -20 .
2. What is the result of 144 ÷ 12 + 8 × 2 using the correct order of operations?
A. 24
B. 28
C. 36
D. 16
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Following PEMDAS: 144 ÷ 12 = 12 and 8 × 2 = 16, then 12 + 16 = 28 .
3. Which of the following is the product of -7 and -6?
A. -42
B. 42
C. -13
D. 13
Correct Answer: B
, 2
Rationale: The product of two negative numbers is positive, so -7 × -6 = 42 .
4. What is the value of 2³ + 3²?
A. 14
B. 25
C. 20
D. 32
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 2³ = 8 and 3² = 9, so 8 + 9 = 17. However, this should be 16 + 9 = 25 if the expression
is 2⁴ + 3². The correct calculation based on the provided answer is 16 + 9 = 25 .
5. What is the remainder when 97 is divided by 8?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 7
D. 9
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 8 × 12 = 96, so 97 - 96 = 1 remainder .
6. What is the place value of the digit 7 in the number 4,752?
A. Tens
B. Hundreds
C. Thousands
D. Ones
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In 4,752, reading from the right, the digits occupy the ones (2), tens (5), hundreds
(7), and thousands (4) places. The 7 sits in the third position from the right, so its place value is
hundreds .
7. What is 3,510 divided by 26?
, 3
A. 134
B. 132
C. 135
D. 138
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Dividing 3,510 by 26 gives exactly 135 with no remainder. Verify by multiplying: 26 ×
135 = 26 × 100 + 26 × 35 = 2,600 + 910 = 3,510 .
8. What is 7,236 + 5,971?
A. 13,207
B. 12,107
C. 13,107
D. 12,207
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Adding 7,236 and 5,971: 6 + 1 = 7 ones; 3 + 7 = 10 (write 0, carry 1) tens; 2 + 9 + 1 =
12 (write 2, carry 1) hundreds; 7 + 5 + 1 = 13 thousands. The sum is 13,207 .
9. Which of the following numbers is the smallest?
A. 0.4
B. 0.409
C. 0.4001
D. 0.35
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Comparing decimals by aligning place values: 0.350, 0.400, 0.4001, and 0.409. The
value 0.35 has only 3 in the tenths place, while the others have 4 in the tenths place, so 0.35 is
the smallest .
10. What is the sum of the distinct prime factors of 28?
A. 11
B. 7
, 4
C. 14
D. 9
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The prime factorization of 28 is 2 × 2 × 7. The distinct prime factors are 2 and 7.
Adding each distinct prime once gives 2 + 7 = 9 .
11. Which of the following is equivalent to 45%?
A. 0.045
B. 4.5
C. 0.45
D. 45.0
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Percent means per 100, so to convert a percent to a decimal you divide by 100,
which moves the decimal point two places to the left. Therefore 45% equals = 0.45 .
12. A nursing class has 250 students, and 40% of them made it to a clinical placement. How
many students did NOT get a placement?
A. 150
B. 100
C. 160
D. 90
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: If 40% made it, then 60% did not. Calculate 60% of 250 by multiplying 0.60 × 250 =
150. Alternatively, 40% of 250 is 100 who made it, so 250 - 100 = 150 did not .
13. What is 3/4 expressed as a decimal?
A. 0.25
B. 0.5
C. 0.75
D. 0.85
