CHAPTER 5. NCLEX-RN EXAMINATION
AND THE NEW GRADUATE EXAM
2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% PASS
1. The graduate nurse understands the purpose of the NCLEX-RN exam when stating which of
the following?
a. "The exam provides feedback to the candidate regarding areas of weakness in nursing
practice."
b. "The exam determines the candidate's ability or inability to meet minimum standards for safe
practice."
c. "The exam gives employers an opportunity to hire graduates who have scored highest among
first-time licensure candidates."
d. "The exam prepares new graduates as efficient, effective staff nurses." - ANS ANS: B
The purpose of the NCLEX-RN® Exam is to determine whether a candidate is competent to
perform safe, effective, entry-level nursing care. It does not prepare nurses but rather measures
their performance on a test. Candidates who are unsuccessful receive information about their
weak areas on the test, but this is not the purpose of it. Employers want to know if the person
has passed because there is no specific score given other than pass or fail
2. Which statement by the nursing professor is accurate about the NCLEX-RN exam? The
purpose of the NCLEX-RN® test plan is to ensure that all
a. "test takers answer items of comparable difficulty."
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, b. "test takers answer approximately the same number of items."
c. "test items are job related."
d. "clinical specialties will be equally represented." - ANS ANS: C
The content of the NCLEX® Exam is based on a test plan that is determined by the National
Council. The test plan reflects entry-level nursing practice as identified by research and the job
analysis study of newly licensed registered nurses. Each candidate will receive different levels of
questions in a computer adaptive format. The focus of the exam is not on clinical specialties.
The test has a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 questions, so a test taker can
answer any number of questions between these two numbers until they either reaches a
passing standard or fails.
3. In trends class, a student tells the instructor, "I don't think I can possibly pass the NCLEX-RN. I
hated psych nursing, but now I've heard that a huge amount of the NCLEX is psych related."
What is the best response from the instructor?
a. "Perhaps you should consider retaking the psychiatric nursing course."
b. "There are equal numbers of questions related to each aspect of client needs."
c. "Psychosocial integrity is the basis for 6% to 12% of the examination."
d. "You will need to take a review course in which they teach psychiatric nursing principles." -
ANS ANS: C
The last detailed test plan (2013) from the National Council designated from 6% to 12% of the
total questions to be from the area of psychosocial integrity. The student may not be able to
retake nursing courses or a review course. Stating that content area has the same amount of
questions would be inaccurate. Each of the categories of client needs has a different
percentage, so questions are based on that percentage from the detailed test plan, not on equal
numbers from each area. Students often hear incorrect information and rumors about NCLEX.
4. Which statement indicates the graduate nurses understanding of the process at the NCLEX
testing site?
a. "I will be thumb-printed and photographed."
b. "I will be placed in a locked testing cubicle."
c. "I will answer 300 test questions."
d. "I will be given some questions as a paper-and-pencil test." - ANS ANS: A
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
AND THE NEW GRADUATE EXAM
2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% PASS
1. The graduate nurse understands the purpose of the NCLEX-RN exam when stating which of
the following?
a. "The exam provides feedback to the candidate regarding areas of weakness in nursing
practice."
b. "The exam determines the candidate's ability or inability to meet minimum standards for safe
practice."
c. "The exam gives employers an opportunity to hire graduates who have scored highest among
first-time licensure candidates."
d. "The exam prepares new graduates as efficient, effective staff nurses." - ANS ANS: B
The purpose of the NCLEX-RN® Exam is to determine whether a candidate is competent to
perform safe, effective, entry-level nursing care. It does not prepare nurses but rather measures
their performance on a test. Candidates who are unsuccessful receive information about their
weak areas on the test, but this is not the purpose of it. Employers want to know if the person
has passed because there is no specific score given other than pass or fail
2. Which statement by the nursing professor is accurate about the NCLEX-RN exam? The
purpose of the NCLEX-RN® test plan is to ensure that all
a. "test takers answer items of comparable difficulty."
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
, b. "test takers answer approximately the same number of items."
c. "test items are job related."
d. "clinical specialties will be equally represented." - ANS ANS: C
The content of the NCLEX® Exam is based on a test plan that is determined by the National
Council. The test plan reflects entry-level nursing practice as identified by research and the job
analysis study of newly licensed registered nurses. Each candidate will receive different levels of
questions in a computer adaptive format. The focus of the exam is not on clinical specialties.
The test has a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 questions, so a test taker can
answer any number of questions between these two numbers until they either reaches a
passing standard or fails.
3. In trends class, a student tells the instructor, "I don't think I can possibly pass the NCLEX-RN. I
hated psych nursing, but now I've heard that a huge amount of the NCLEX is psych related."
What is the best response from the instructor?
a. "Perhaps you should consider retaking the psychiatric nursing course."
b. "There are equal numbers of questions related to each aspect of client needs."
c. "Psychosocial integrity is the basis for 6% to 12% of the examination."
d. "You will need to take a review course in which they teach psychiatric nursing principles." -
ANS ANS: C
The last detailed test plan (2013) from the National Council designated from 6% to 12% of the
total questions to be from the area of psychosocial integrity. The student may not be able to
retake nursing courses or a review course. Stating that content area has the same amount of
questions would be inaccurate. Each of the categories of client needs has a different
percentage, so questions are based on that percentage from the detailed test plan, not on equal
numbers from each area. Students often hear incorrect information and rumors about NCLEX.
4. Which statement indicates the graduate nurses understanding of the process at the NCLEX
testing site?
a. "I will be thumb-printed and photographed."
b. "I will be placed in a locked testing cubicle."
c. "I will answer 300 test questions."
d. "I will be given some questions as a paper-and-pencil test." - ANS ANS: A
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026 ALLRIGHTS RESERVED.
