“Chapter 05: NCLEX-RN® Examination and the New
Graduate — Complete Study Guide, Test Strategies, NGN Tips,
and High-Yield Review for Nursing Students (2025 Edition)”
“Master Chapter 05: NCLEX-RN® Examination and the New Graduate with this complete 2025
guide. Learn top NCLEX test strategies, NGN question formats, priority-setting rules, delegation tips,
and high-yield study methods to pass the NCLEX on your first attempt. Perfect for new nursing
graduates and licensing exam preparation.”
• NCLEX-RN Exam 2025
• NCLEX-RN Examination for New Graduate
• Chapter 05 NCLEX study guide
• NCLEX next generation review
• New graduate nursing exam prep
MULTIPLE CHOICE
In trends class, a student tells the instructor, “I don’t think I can possibly pass the NCLEXRN®. 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: 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: pp. 98-99
OBJ: Identify the process and steps for preparing to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not
applicable
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: 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: p. 97
OBJ: Discuss the role of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not applicable
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.”
b. “test takers answer approximately the same number of items.”
c. “test items are job related.”
d. “clinical specialties will be equally represented.”
, 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: pp. 98-99
OBJ: Discuss the role of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
TOP: NCLEX® test plan MSC: NCLEX®: Not applicable
3.
4. Which statement indicates the graduate nurses understanding of the process at the NCLEX®
testing site?
a. “I will be thumbprinted 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: A
Read the Candidate Bulletin and the instruction packet carefully. An Authorization to Test
(ATT) will be required for admission into the testing center; however, after January 1, 2014,
the NCLEX will be going paperless, so the ATT will not have to be brought to the testing
center. All candidates will be thumbprinted and photographed and will have a palm vein
reader as part of the identification process at the testing location. Candidates are not locked
in a testing cubicle or given a paper-and-pencil test. The number of questions on each
candidates test may vary with a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 questions.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 103
OBJ: Identify the process and steps for preparing to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not
applicable
5. Which statement made by the graduate nurse indicates understanding of the NCLEX-RN®
exam passing score?
a. “Candidates seeking licensure in California and New York must score higher.”
b. “The passing score is the same for licensure in all states.”
c. “Candidates from BSN programs must score one standard deviation higher than the ADN
graduates.”
d. “ADN graduates must answer 80% of the 265 questions correctly to pass.”
ANS: B
, Every state has the same passing criteria. There is no percentage identified as to the number
to get correct. The test has a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 questions.
When the student reaches a passing level of competency or has not reached the passing
competency, the test turns off. There is no differentiation in education level or state
requirements.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 102
OBJ: Identify the process and steps for preparing to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not
applicable
6. What type of nursing position would most likely provide experience in the type of nursing
situations upon which the NCLEX® Exam questions are based?
a. Home care nurse
b. Psychiatric staff nurse
c. Staff nurse in an ambulatory pediatric clinic
d. Staff nurse in a medical-surgical inpatient unit
ANS: D
The largest percentage of content on the test plan is based on physiologic integrity, which
includes basic care and comfort (6%–12%), pharmacologic and parenteral therapies (12%–
18%), reduction of risk potential (9%–15%), and physiologic adaptation (11%–17%). Research
also shows that the majority of new graduates begin their first job in a hospital medical-
surgical environment caring for adult clients.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 102
OBJ: Identify the process and steps for preparing to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not
applicable
7. What is the best review strategy to use to prepare for the NCLEX-RN® Exam?
a. Spend about 8 hours a day on your days off until you take the examination.
b. Study for 4 hours a night while taking a 2-week review course.
c. Review basic nursing content 2 to 3 hours a day 3 days a week for 5 to 6 weeks.
d. Study 10 hours on the day and evening before the examination.
ANS: C
Studying 2 to 3 hours a day for 2 or 3 days a week is realistic with frequent breaks during the
studying. The new graduate should consider taking the exam within 2 to 3 weeks of obtaining
your Authorization to Test. Cramming before the examination will not improve your pass rate.
Studying for 8 hours a day is fatiguing and does not necessarily promote retention of the
information.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 105
Graduate — Complete Study Guide, Test Strategies, NGN Tips,
and High-Yield Review for Nursing Students (2025 Edition)”
“Master Chapter 05: NCLEX-RN® Examination and the New Graduate with this complete 2025
guide. Learn top NCLEX test strategies, NGN question formats, priority-setting rules, delegation tips,
and high-yield study methods to pass the NCLEX on your first attempt. Perfect for new nursing
graduates and licensing exam preparation.”
• NCLEX-RN Exam 2025
• NCLEX-RN Examination for New Graduate
• Chapter 05 NCLEX study guide
• NCLEX next generation review
• New graduate nursing exam prep
MULTIPLE CHOICE
In trends class, a student tells the instructor, “I don’t think I can possibly pass the NCLEXRN®. 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: 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: pp. 98-99
OBJ: Identify the process and steps for preparing to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not
applicable
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: 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: p. 97
OBJ: Discuss the role of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not applicable
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.”
b. “test takers answer approximately the same number of items.”
c. “test items are job related.”
d. “clinical specialties will be equally represented.”
, 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.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: pp. 98-99
OBJ: Discuss the role of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
TOP: NCLEX® test plan MSC: NCLEX®: Not applicable
3.
4. Which statement indicates the graduate nurses understanding of the process at the NCLEX®
testing site?
a. “I will be thumbprinted 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: A
Read the Candidate Bulletin and the instruction packet carefully. An Authorization to Test
(ATT) will be required for admission into the testing center; however, after January 1, 2014,
the NCLEX will be going paperless, so the ATT will not have to be brought to the testing
center. All candidates will be thumbprinted and photographed and will have a palm vein
reader as part of the identification process at the testing location. Candidates are not locked
in a testing cubicle or given a paper-and-pencil test. The number of questions on each
candidates test may vary with a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 questions.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 103
OBJ: Identify the process and steps for preparing to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not
applicable
5. Which statement made by the graduate nurse indicates understanding of the NCLEX-RN®
exam passing score?
a. “Candidates seeking licensure in California and New York must score higher.”
b. “The passing score is the same for licensure in all states.”
c. “Candidates from BSN programs must score one standard deviation higher than the ADN
graduates.”
d. “ADN graduates must answer 80% of the 265 questions correctly to pass.”
ANS: B
, Every state has the same passing criteria. There is no percentage identified as to the number
to get correct. The test has a minimum of 75 questions and a maximum of 265 questions.
When the student reaches a passing level of competency or has not reached the passing
competency, the test turns off. There is no differentiation in education level or state
requirements.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 102
OBJ: Identify the process and steps for preparing to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not
applicable
6. What type of nursing position would most likely provide experience in the type of nursing
situations upon which the NCLEX® Exam questions are based?
a. Home care nurse
b. Psychiatric staff nurse
c. Staff nurse in an ambulatory pediatric clinic
d. Staff nurse in a medical-surgical inpatient unit
ANS: D
The largest percentage of content on the test plan is based on physiologic integrity, which
includes basic care and comfort (6%–12%), pharmacologic and parenteral therapies (12%–
18%), reduction of risk potential (9%–15%), and physiologic adaptation (11%–17%). Research
also shows that the majority of new graduates begin their first job in a hospital medical-
surgical environment caring for adult clients.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 102
OBJ: Identify the process and steps for preparing to take the National Council Licensure
Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN Examination). TOP: NCLEX® MSC: NCLEX®: Not
applicable
7. What is the best review strategy to use to prepare for the NCLEX-RN® Exam?
a. Spend about 8 hours a day on your days off until you take the examination.
b. Study for 4 hours a night while taking a 2-week review course.
c. Review basic nursing content 2 to 3 hours a day 3 days a week for 5 to 6 weeks.
d. Study 10 hours on the day and evening before the examination.
ANS: C
Studying 2 to 3 hours a day for 2 or 3 days a week is realistic with frequent breaks during the
studying. The new graduate should consider taking the exam within 2 to 3 weeks of obtaining
your Authorization to Test. Cramming before the examination will not improve your pass rate.
Studying for 8 hours a day is fatiguing and does not necessarily promote retention of the
information.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Application REF: p. 105
