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 — The Pyramid to Success
A nursing graduate begins preparing for the NCLEX-RN® examination six
weeks before the scheduled test date. The graduate spends most study
sessions rereading notes but rarely completes practice questions or
reviews incorrect answers. Which change would best strengthen the
graduate’s preparation strategy?
A. Concentrate on memorizing as many disease definitions as possible.
B. Establish a structured study schedule that includes practice questions,
analysis of rationales, and review of weaker content areas.
C. Delay all practice examinations until the final week to avoid
discouragement.
D. Focus exclusively on topics that were emphasized during the final
semester of nursing school.
1
,Correct Answer: B. Establish a structured study schedule that includes
practice questions, analysis of rationales, and review of weaker content
areas.
Rationale: Effective examination preparation requires consistent study,
active retrieval, application of nursing knowledge, and identification of
learning gaps. Reviewing rationales helps the candidate understand why
an answer is correct or incorrect and strengthens clinical reasoning.
Distractor Rationales:
• A. Incorrect: Memorization alone does not adequately prepare a
candidate to apply nursing knowledge to unfamiliar clinical
situations.
• C. Incorrect: Delaying practice questions reduces opportunities to
identify weaknesses and improve test-taking strategies.
• D. Incorrect: Restricting preparation to recently emphasized material
can leave important examination content unreviewed.
Key Teaching Point: Combine structured content review with active
practice, rationale analysis, and targeted remediation.
Cognitive Level: Application NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category:
Management of Care Nursing Process: Planning Clinical Judgment Focus:
Generate Solutions
Question 2 — Understanding the Examination Process
A candidate has completed nursing school and wants to understand the
general sequence required to take the NCLEX-RN® examination. Which
action should the candidate prioritize before attempting to schedule an
examination appointment?
A. Request a passing examination result from the nursing regulatory body.
B. Obtain a candidate performance report from a previous examination.
2
,C. Confirm eligibility through the appropriate nursing regulatory body and
complete the required registration process.
D. Select a testing center and arrive with the nursing school transcript.
Correct Answer: C. Confirm eligibility through the appropriate nursing
regulatory body and complete the required registration process.
Rationale: Candidates must meet the applicable eligibility requirements
and complete the required registration steps before proceeding to
examination scheduling. The precise administrative sequence and
documentation requirements should be confirmed with the relevant
nursing regulatory body and the official NCLEX registration service.
Distractor Rationales:
• A. Incorrect: A passing result is an outcome of examination
assessment, not a prerequisite for an initial examination.
• B. Incorrect: A candidate performance report is generally associated
with an unsuccessful examination attempt and is not required for an
initial attempt.
• D. Incorrect: Selecting a testing center does not replace the eligibility
and registration requirements.
Key Teaching Point: Verify eligibility and complete the required registration
steps before scheduling the examination.
Cognitive Level: Application NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category:
Management of Care Nursing Process: Planning Clinical Judgment Focus:
Generate Solutions
Question 3 — Computer Adaptive Testing
A candidate asks why two people taking the NCLEX-RN® examination may
receive different questions even when both examinations assess the same
nursing competencies. Which response is most accurate?
3
, A. Computer adaptive testing selects subsequent items based partly on
the candidate’s performance on previous items.
B. Each candidate receives a randomly generated examination that does
not account for previous responses.
C. Candidates with stronger nursing school grades receive more difficult
questions.
D. The computer changes the content areas according to the candidate’s
preferred nursing specialty.
Correct Answer: A. Computer adaptive testing selects subsequent items
based partly on the candidate’s performance on previous items.
Rationale: Computer adaptive testing (CAT) uses the candidate’s
responses to help estimate ability and select subsequent items
appropriate to that estimate. Consequently, candidates may receive
different item sequences while being evaluated against the examination’s
established measurement requirements.
Distractor Rationales:
• B. Incorrect: CAT is adaptive; item selection is not simply random
and independent of previous responses.
• C. Incorrect: Nursing school grades are not the mechanism used to
adapt examination items during the test.
• D. Incorrect: Candidates do not customize the examination’s tested
competencies by choosing a specialty preference.
Key Teaching Point: In CAT, responses influence subsequent item
selection, but the examination remains governed by its test plan and
measurement rules.
Cognitive Level: Recall NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category: Management of
Care Nursing Process: Assessment Clinical Judgment Focus: Not primarily
CJMM-focused
4
NCLEX-RN® EXAMINATION
8TH EDITION
AUTHOR(S)LINDA SILVESTRI
Unit I: NCLEX-RN® Exam Preparation
Chapter 1: The NCLEX-RN® Examination
Question 1 — The Pyramid to Success
A nursing graduate begins preparing for the NCLEX-RN® examination six
weeks before the scheduled test date. The graduate spends most study
sessions rereading notes but rarely completes practice questions or
reviews incorrect answers. Which change would best strengthen the
graduate’s preparation strategy?
A. Concentrate on memorizing as many disease definitions as possible.
B. Establish a structured study schedule that includes practice questions,
analysis of rationales, and review of weaker content areas.
C. Delay all practice examinations until the final week to avoid
discouragement.
D. Focus exclusively on topics that were emphasized during the final
semester of nursing school.
1
,Correct Answer: B. Establish a structured study schedule that includes
practice questions, analysis of rationales, and review of weaker content
areas.
Rationale: Effective examination preparation requires consistent study,
active retrieval, application of nursing knowledge, and identification of
learning gaps. Reviewing rationales helps the candidate understand why
an answer is correct or incorrect and strengthens clinical reasoning.
Distractor Rationales:
• A. Incorrect: Memorization alone does not adequately prepare a
candidate to apply nursing knowledge to unfamiliar clinical
situations.
• C. Incorrect: Delaying practice questions reduces opportunities to
identify weaknesses and improve test-taking strategies.
• D. Incorrect: Restricting preparation to recently emphasized material
can leave important examination content unreviewed.
Key Teaching Point: Combine structured content review with active
practice, rationale analysis, and targeted remediation.
Cognitive Level: Application NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category:
Management of Care Nursing Process: Planning Clinical Judgment Focus:
Generate Solutions
Question 2 — Understanding the Examination Process
A candidate has completed nursing school and wants to understand the
general sequence required to take the NCLEX-RN® examination. Which
action should the candidate prioritize before attempting to schedule an
examination appointment?
A. Request a passing examination result from the nursing regulatory body.
B. Obtain a candidate performance report from a previous examination.
2
,C. Confirm eligibility through the appropriate nursing regulatory body and
complete the required registration process.
D. Select a testing center and arrive with the nursing school transcript.
Correct Answer: C. Confirm eligibility through the appropriate nursing
regulatory body and complete the required registration process.
Rationale: Candidates must meet the applicable eligibility requirements
and complete the required registration steps before proceeding to
examination scheduling. The precise administrative sequence and
documentation requirements should be confirmed with the relevant
nursing regulatory body and the official NCLEX registration service.
Distractor Rationales:
• A. Incorrect: A passing result is an outcome of examination
assessment, not a prerequisite for an initial examination.
• B. Incorrect: A candidate performance report is generally associated
with an unsuccessful examination attempt and is not required for an
initial attempt.
• D. Incorrect: Selecting a testing center does not replace the eligibility
and registration requirements.
Key Teaching Point: Verify eligibility and complete the required registration
steps before scheduling the examination.
Cognitive Level: Application NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category:
Management of Care Nursing Process: Planning Clinical Judgment Focus:
Generate Solutions
Question 3 — Computer Adaptive Testing
A candidate asks why two people taking the NCLEX-RN® examination may
receive different questions even when both examinations assess the same
nursing competencies. Which response is most accurate?
3
, A. Computer adaptive testing selects subsequent items based partly on
the candidate’s performance on previous items.
B. Each candidate receives a randomly generated examination that does
not account for previous responses.
C. Candidates with stronger nursing school grades receive more difficult
questions.
D. The computer changes the content areas according to the candidate’s
preferred nursing specialty.
Correct Answer: A. Computer adaptive testing selects subsequent items
based partly on the candidate’s performance on previous items.
Rationale: Computer adaptive testing (CAT) uses the candidate’s
responses to help estimate ability and select subsequent items
appropriate to that estimate. Consequently, candidates may receive
different item sequences while being evaluated against the examination’s
established measurement requirements.
Distractor Rationales:
• B. Incorrect: CAT is adaptive; item selection is not simply random
and independent of previous responses.
• C. Incorrect: Nursing school grades are not the mechanism used to
adapt examination items during the test.
• D. Incorrect: Candidates do not customize the examination’s tested
competencies by choosing a specialty preference.
Key Teaching Point: In CAT, responses influence subsequent item
selection, but the examination remains governed by its test plan and
measurement rules.
Cognitive Level: Recall NCLEX-RN® Client Needs Category: Management of
Care Nursing Process: Assessment Clinical Judgment Focus: Not primarily
CJMM-focused
4
