SAUNDERS COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW FOR THE
NCLEX-RN® EXAMINATION
8TH EDITION
AUTHOR(S)LINDA SILVESTRI
Unit I: NCLEX-RN® Exam Preparation
Chapter 1: The NCLEX-RN® Examination
Question 1
A nursing student is developing a study plan for the NCLEX-RN®
examination. The student plans to spend most of the preparation time
memorizing isolated facts and reviewing only familiar topics. Which
recommendation best supports a more effective preparation strategy?
A. Concentrate on memorizing terminology because the examination
primarily measures factual recall.
B. Review the examination blueprint, identify learning gaps, and practice
applying nursing knowledge to clinical situations.
C. Study only the content areas that received the highest grades in nursing
school.
D. Postpone practice questions until all textbook chapters have been
memorized.
Correct Answer: B. Review the examination blueprint, identify learning
gaps, and practice applying nursing knowledge to clinical situations.
Rationale:
1
,A structured preparation plan should be guided by the examination's
content framework and the learner's individual strengths and weaknesses.
Practicing application and clinical reasoning helps candidates use
knowledge to interpret findings, identify priorities, and choose appropriate
responses.
Distractor Rationales:
• A. Incorrect: Factual knowledge matters, but nursing licensure
examinations also assess the application of knowledge and clinical
judgment.
• C. Incorrect: Reviewing only familiar subjects neglects areas where
additional preparation may be needed.
• D. Incorrect: Practice questions can identify knowledge gaps early
and guide subsequent study.
Key Teaching Point: Effective exam preparation combines content review,
self-assessment, and repeated practice applying nursing knowledge.
Cognitive Level: Application
NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category: Management of Care
Nursing Process: Planning
Clinical Judgment Focus: Generate Solutions
Question 2
Which statement best describes the purpose of the NCLEX-RN®
examination?
A. To determine whether a graduate earned a particular grade in nursing
school.
B. To establish which nursing specialty a candidate should enter.
C. To rank all candidates from the highest to the lowest level of academic
achievement.
2
,D. To assess whether a candidate demonstrates the entry-level
competence required for safe and effective registered nursing practice.
Correct Answer: D. To assess whether a candidate demonstrates the entry-
level competence required for safe and effective registered nursing
practice.
Rationale:
The NCLEX-RN® examination is a licensure examination intended to
evaluate whether candidates meet the required standard for entry-level
registered nursing practice. It is not primarily a ranking system, a nursing-
school grading tool, or a specialty-placement examination.
Distractor Rationales:
• A. Incorrect: Academic grades and licensure examination
performance serve different purposes.
• B. Incorrect: Specialty selection is not the primary purpose of the
examination.
• C. Incorrect: The examination assesses competence against a
standard rather than simply ranking candidates against one another.
Key Teaching Point: The NCLEX-RN® is designed to evaluate entry-level
nursing competence for public protection.
Cognitive Level: Recall
NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category: Management of Care
Nursing Process: Evaluation
Clinical Judgment Focus: Not primarily CJMM-focused
Question 3
A candidate answers several questions correctly and then receives a
question that appears more difficult. The candidate becomes concerned
3
, that the examination system is malfunctioning. Which explanation is most
appropriate?
A. In computer adaptive testing, the system uses responses to help select
subsequent questions that provide information about the candidate's
ability.
B. Every candidate receives the same questions in the same order, but the
difficulty changes according to the time remaining.
C. The examination deliberately alternates easy and difficult questions to
maintain motivation.
D. A difficult question automatically indicates that the candidate has
passed the preceding questions.
Correct Answer: A. In computer adaptive testing, the system uses
responses to help select subsequent questions that provide information
about the candidate's ability.
Rationale:
Computer adaptive testing (CAT) selects questions based on the
candidate's performance and the examination's measurement process.
The next item is chosen to help estimate the candidate's ability as
efficiently and accurately as possible. Therefore, candidates may
encounter questions that vary in difficulty.
Distractor Rationales:
• B. Incorrect: CAT does not require every candidate to receive
identical questions in an identical order.
• C. Incorrect: The primary purpose of adaptive item selection is
measurement, not motivation.
• D. Incorrect: The perceived difficulty of a question does not establish
whether the candidate has passed or failed.
4
NCLEX-RN® EXAMINATION
8TH EDITION
AUTHOR(S)LINDA SILVESTRI
Unit I: NCLEX-RN® Exam Preparation
Chapter 1: The NCLEX-RN® Examination
Question 1
A nursing student is developing a study plan for the NCLEX-RN®
examination. The student plans to spend most of the preparation time
memorizing isolated facts and reviewing only familiar topics. Which
recommendation best supports a more effective preparation strategy?
A. Concentrate on memorizing terminology because the examination
primarily measures factual recall.
B. Review the examination blueprint, identify learning gaps, and practice
applying nursing knowledge to clinical situations.
C. Study only the content areas that received the highest grades in nursing
school.
D. Postpone practice questions until all textbook chapters have been
memorized.
Correct Answer: B. Review the examination blueprint, identify learning
gaps, and practice applying nursing knowledge to clinical situations.
Rationale:
1
,A structured preparation plan should be guided by the examination's
content framework and the learner's individual strengths and weaknesses.
Practicing application and clinical reasoning helps candidates use
knowledge to interpret findings, identify priorities, and choose appropriate
responses.
Distractor Rationales:
• A. Incorrect: Factual knowledge matters, but nursing licensure
examinations also assess the application of knowledge and clinical
judgment.
• C. Incorrect: Reviewing only familiar subjects neglects areas where
additional preparation may be needed.
• D. Incorrect: Practice questions can identify knowledge gaps early
and guide subsequent study.
Key Teaching Point: Effective exam preparation combines content review,
self-assessment, and repeated practice applying nursing knowledge.
Cognitive Level: Application
NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category: Management of Care
Nursing Process: Planning
Clinical Judgment Focus: Generate Solutions
Question 2
Which statement best describes the purpose of the NCLEX-RN®
examination?
A. To determine whether a graduate earned a particular grade in nursing
school.
B. To establish which nursing specialty a candidate should enter.
C. To rank all candidates from the highest to the lowest level of academic
achievement.
2
,D. To assess whether a candidate demonstrates the entry-level
competence required for safe and effective registered nursing practice.
Correct Answer: D. To assess whether a candidate demonstrates the entry-
level competence required for safe and effective registered nursing
practice.
Rationale:
The NCLEX-RN® examination is a licensure examination intended to
evaluate whether candidates meet the required standard for entry-level
registered nursing practice. It is not primarily a ranking system, a nursing-
school grading tool, or a specialty-placement examination.
Distractor Rationales:
• A. Incorrect: Academic grades and licensure examination
performance serve different purposes.
• B. Incorrect: Specialty selection is not the primary purpose of the
examination.
• C. Incorrect: The examination assesses competence against a
standard rather than simply ranking candidates against one another.
Key Teaching Point: The NCLEX-RN® is designed to evaluate entry-level
nursing competence for public protection.
Cognitive Level: Recall
NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category: Management of Care
Nursing Process: Evaluation
Clinical Judgment Focus: Not primarily CJMM-focused
Question 3
A candidate answers several questions correctly and then receives a
question that appears more difficult. The candidate becomes concerned
3
, that the examination system is malfunctioning. Which explanation is most
appropriate?
A. In computer adaptive testing, the system uses responses to help select
subsequent questions that provide information about the candidate's
ability.
B. Every candidate receives the same questions in the same order, but the
difficulty changes according to the time remaining.
C. The examination deliberately alternates easy and difficult questions to
maintain motivation.
D. A difficult question automatically indicates that the candidate has
passed the preceding questions.
Correct Answer: A. In computer adaptive testing, the system uses
responses to help select subsequent questions that provide information
about the candidate's ability.
Rationale:
Computer adaptive testing (CAT) selects questions based on the
candidate's performance and the examination's measurement process.
The next item is chosen to help estimate the candidate's ability as
efficiently and accurately as possible. Therefore, candidates may
encounter questions that vary in difficulty.
Distractor Rationales:
• B. Incorrect: CAT does not require every candidate to receive
identical questions in an identical order.
• C. Incorrect: The primary purpose of adaptive item selection is
measurement, not motivation.
• D. Incorrect: The perceived difficulty of a question does not establish
whether the candidate has passed or failed.
4
