ATI RN PEDIATRIC NURSING
PROCTORED EXAM — PRACTICE
QUESTIONS WITH RATIONALES
Exam Format Overview (based on ATI Content Mastery Series
blueprint):
Total Items: Approximately 60–70 scored items (plus unscored
pilot items)
Question Types: Multiple-choice, Select All That Apply (SATA),
NGN-style items (bow-tie, matrix, cloze, drag-and-drop, case
studies)
Time Allotted: Approximately 90–120 minutes
Content Domains: Growth & Development, Health Promotion,
Pediatric Disorders across all body systems, Pharmacology, Safety,
Family-Centered Care
SECTION 1: GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT (Questions 1–25)
1. A nurse is assessing a 6-month-old infant. Which finding should
the nurse expect?
A. Rolls from back to abdomen
B. Sits without support
C. Uses a pincer grasp
D. Says "mama" specifically
,Answer: A
Rationale: Rolling back-to-abdomen is expected at 6 months.
Sitting without support = 8 months. Pincer grasp = 9–10 months.
Specific "mama/dada" = 10–12 months .
2. A toddler is in Erikson's stage of:
A. Trust vs. mistrust
B. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
C. Initiative vs. guilt
D. Industry vs. inferiority
Answer: B
Rationale: Toddlerhood (1–3 years) = Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt.
Offer limited choices to promote independence .
3. Which toy is most appropriate for a 4-year-old?
A. Mobile
B. Rattle
C. Dress-up clothes
D. Small building blocks
Answer: C
Rationale: Preschoolers engage in dramatic/imaginative play.
Mobiles and rattles are for infants. Small blocks pose a choking
hazard .
,4. A 10-year-old is in Piaget's:
A. Sensorimotor stage
B. Preoperational stage
C. Concrete operational stage
D. Formal operational stage
Answer: C
Rationale: Concrete operational (7–11 years): logical thought
about concrete events, conservation, cause/effect .
5. An infant's anterior fontanel should close by:
A. 2 months
B. 6 months
C. 12–18 months
D. 24 months
Answer: C
Rationale: The anterior fontanel closes between 12–18 months.
The posterior fontanel closes by 2–3 months .
6. A nurse is assessing a 12-month-old toddler. Which finding
indicates a need for further evaluation?
, A. The toddler can say 2–3 words.
B. The toddler can walk independently.
C. The toddler cannot sit without support.
D. The toddler can feed themselves with fingers.
Answer: C
Rationale: Sitting without support should be achieved by 8
months. A 12-month-old who cannot sit independently requires
evaluation for developmental delay .
7. Which finding indicates a 2-month-old infant is developing
appropriately?
A. Rolls over
B. Social smile
C. Sits with support
D. Transfers objects
Answer: B
Rationale: Social smile is a 2-month milestone. Rolling over is 5–6
months. Sitting with support is 6–8 months. Transferring objects is
7 months .
8. A nurse is teaching a parent about age-appropriate toys for a
3-year-old. Which toy is most appropriate?
PROCTORED EXAM — PRACTICE
QUESTIONS WITH RATIONALES
Exam Format Overview (based on ATI Content Mastery Series
blueprint):
Total Items: Approximately 60–70 scored items (plus unscored
pilot items)
Question Types: Multiple-choice, Select All That Apply (SATA),
NGN-style items (bow-tie, matrix, cloze, drag-and-drop, case
studies)
Time Allotted: Approximately 90–120 minutes
Content Domains: Growth & Development, Health Promotion,
Pediatric Disorders across all body systems, Pharmacology, Safety,
Family-Centered Care
SECTION 1: GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT (Questions 1–25)
1. A nurse is assessing a 6-month-old infant. Which finding should
the nurse expect?
A. Rolls from back to abdomen
B. Sits without support
C. Uses a pincer grasp
D. Says "mama" specifically
,Answer: A
Rationale: Rolling back-to-abdomen is expected at 6 months.
Sitting without support = 8 months. Pincer grasp = 9–10 months.
Specific "mama/dada" = 10–12 months .
2. A toddler is in Erikson's stage of:
A. Trust vs. mistrust
B. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
C. Initiative vs. guilt
D. Industry vs. inferiority
Answer: B
Rationale: Toddlerhood (1–3 years) = Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt.
Offer limited choices to promote independence .
3. Which toy is most appropriate for a 4-year-old?
A. Mobile
B. Rattle
C. Dress-up clothes
D. Small building blocks
Answer: C
Rationale: Preschoolers engage in dramatic/imaginative play.
Mobiles and rattles are for infants. Small blocks pose a choking
hazard .
,4. A 10-year-old is in Piaget's:
A. Sensorimotor stage
B. Preoperational stage
C. Concrete operational stage
D. Formal operational stage
Answer: C
Rationale: Concrete operational (7–11 years): logical thought
about concrete events, conservation, cause/effect .
5. An infant's anterior fontanel should close by:
A. 2 months
B. 6 months
C. 12–18 months
D. 24 months
Answer: C
Rationale: The anterior fontanel closes between 12–18 months.
The posterior fontanel closes by 2–3 months .
6. A nurse is assessing a 12-month-old toddler. Which finding
indicates a need for further evaluation?
, A. The toddler can say 2–3 words.
B. The toddler can walk independently.
C. The toddler cannot sit without support.
D. The toddler can feed themselves with fingers.
Answer: C
Rationale: Sitting without support should be achieved by 8
months. A 12-month-old who cannot sit independently requires
evaluation for developmental delay .
7. Which finding indicates a 2-month-old infant is developing
appropriately?
A. Rolls over
B. Social smile
C. Sits with support
D. Transfers objects
Answer: B
Rationale: Social smile is a 2-month milestone. Rolling over is 5–6
months. Sitting with support is 6–8 months. Transferring objects is
7 months .
8. A nurse is teaching a parent about age-appropriate toys for a
3-year-old. Which toy is most appropriate?
