INTRODUCTION TO TESTNG AND THE NCLEX-RN® EXAM
Three cheers for you! You have made the wise decision to prepare, in a structured way, for the NCLEX-
RN.
A. You have already successfully completed a basic nursing program and are well acquainted with your
ability to take and pass tests and to perform successfully in the clinical area.
B. You have the basic knowledge required to pass the licensing exam. However, it is wise to:
1. Organize your knowledge.
2. Review content learned during the years of your basic nursing curriculum.
3. Identify weaknesses in content knowledge so that you can focus your study time appropriately.
4. Develop test-taking skills so you can demonstrate the knowledge you have.
5. Reduce your level of anxiety by increasing your predictability.
6. Know what to expect. Remember: Knowledge is power. You are powerful when you are well
prepared and know what to expect.
Test-Taking Tips There are no absolute ways to ensure that exam questions will always be
answered correctly. These test-taking tips are guidelines to help the student study and understand the
exam questions.
On the NCLEX-RN exam, many different areas are tested with each question
For example, a question may on the surface be a medical/surgical or pediatric question but included in
the question can be such topics as communication, nutrition, growth and development, medication,
client and family education, and safety.
A. Understanding the question 1. Determine if the question is written in a positive or negative
style.
a. A positive style may ask what the nurse should do or ask for the best or first action to implement.
HESI Hint • Most questions are written in a positive style.
b. A negative style may ask what the nurse should avoid, which prescription the nurse should question,
or which behavior indicates the need for re-teaching the client.
HESI Hint • Negative style questions will contain key words that denote the negative style.
EXAMPLES 1. “Which response indicates to the nurse a need to re-teach the client about…?” (Which
information/ understanding by the client is incorrect?) 2. “Which prescription (order) should the nurse
question?” (Which prescription is unsafe, not beneficial, inappropriate to this client situation, etc…?)
, 2. Find the key words in the question.
a. Ask yourself which words or phrases provide the critical information.
b. This information may be the age of the client, the setting, the timing, a set of symptoms or behaviors,
or any number of other factors.
c. For example, the nursing actions for a 10-yearold 1 day postop are different than those for a 70-year-
old 1 hour postop.
3. Rephrase the question in your own words.
a. This will help you eliminate nonessential information in the question and help you determine the
correct answer.
b. Ask yourself, “What is this question really asking?” c. While keeping the options covered, rephrase
the question in your own words.
4. Rule out options. a. Based on your knowledge, you can probably identify one or two options that are
clearly incorrect. b. Physically mark through those options on the test booklet if allowed. Mentally mark
through those options in your head if using a computer.
c. Now differentiate between the remaining options, considering your knowledge of the subject and
related nursing principles, such as roles of the nurse, the nursing process, the ABCs (airway, breathing,
and circulation), CAB (circulation, airway, and breathing for cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR]), and
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
B. General guidelines about test taking
1. Consider the content of the question and what the question is asking.
2. Generally, an assessment of the client occurs before an action is taken.
3. Identify the least invasive intervention before taking action.
4. Have all the necessary information and take all possible relevant actions before calling the physician
or health care provider.
5. Determine which client to assess first (e.g., most at risk, most physiologically unstable).
6. Identify opposites in the answers. a. Example: Prone/supine; elevated/decreased b. Read VERY
carefully; one is likely to be the answer, BUT not always c. If you do not know the answer, choose the
most likely of the “opposites” and move on.
7. Take into account a client’s lifestyle, culture, and spiritual beliefs when answering a question. C. Use
CRITICAL THINKING, reasoning, and common sense to answer questions.1. DO respond based on… a.
ABCs b. CAB for CPR c. Scientific, behavioral, sociologic principles d. Principles of teaching/learning e.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs f. Nursing process g. What’s in the stem: No more, no less (Do not read
more into the question than is already there.) h. NCLEX-RN ideal hospital i. Basic anatomy and
Three cheers for you! You have made the wise decision to prepare, in a structured way, for the NCLEX-
RN.
A. You have already successfully completed a basic nursing program and are well acquainted with your
ability to take and pass tests and to perform successfully in the clinical area.
B. You have the basic knowledge required to pass the licensing exam. However, it is wise to:
1. Organize your knowledge.
2. Review content learned during the years of your basic nursing curriculum.
3. Identify weaknesses in content knowledge so that you can focus your study time appropriately.
4. Develop test-taking skills so you can demonstrate the knowledge you have.
5. Reduce your level of anxiety by increasing your predictability.
6. Know what to expect. Remember: Knowledge is power. You are powerful when you are well
prepared and know what to expect.
Test-Taking Tips There are no absolute ways to ensure that exam questions will always be
answered correctly. These test-taking tips are guidelines to help the student study and understand the
exam questions.
On the NCLEX-RN exam, many different areas are tested with each question
For example, a question may on the surface be a medical/surgical or pediatric question but included in
the question can be such topics as communication, nutrition, growth and development, medication,
client and family education, and safety.
A. Understanding the question 1. Determine if the question is written in a positive or negative
style.
a. A positive style may ask what the nurse should do or ask for the best or first action to implement.
HESI Hint • Most questions are written in a positive style.
b. A negative style may ask what the nurse should avoid, which prescription the nurse should question,
or which behavior indicates the need for re-teaching the client.
HESI Hint • Negative style questions will contain key words that denote the negative style.
EXAMPLES 1. “Which response indicates to the nurse a need to re-teach the client about…?” (Which
information/ understanding by the client is incorrect?) 2. “Which prescription (order) should the nurse
question?” (Which prescription is unsafe, not beneficial, inappropriate to this client situation, etc…?)
, 2. Find the key words in the question.
a. Ask yourself which words or phrases provide the critical information.
b. This information may be the age of the client, the setting, the timing, a set of symptoms or behaviors,
or any number of other factors.
c. For example, the nursing actions for a 10-yearold 1 day postop are different than those for a 70-year-
old 1 hour postop.
3. Rephrase the question in your own words.
a. This will help you eliminate nonessential information in the question and help you determine the
correct answer.
b. Ask yourself, “What is this question really asking?” c. While keeping the options covered, rephrase
the question in your own words.
4. Rule out options. a. Based on your knowledge, you can probably identify one or two options that are
clearly incorrect. b. Physically mark through those options on the test booklet if allowed. Mentally mark
through those options in your head if using a computer.
c. Now differentiate between the remaining options, considering your knowledge of the subject and
related nursing principles, such as roles of the nurse, the nursing process, the ABCs (airway, breathing,
and circulation), CAB (circulation, airway, and breathing for cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR]), and
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
B. General guidelines about test taking
1. Consider the content of the question and what the question is asking.
2. Generally, an assessment of the client occurs before an action is taken.
3. Identify the least invasive intervention before taking action.
4. Have all the necessary information and take all possible relevant actions before calling the physician
or health care provider.
5. Determine which client to assess first (e.g., most at risk, most physiologically unstable).
6. Identify opposites in the answers. a. Example: Prone/supine; elevated/decreased b. Read VERY
carefully; one is likely to be the answer, BUT not always c. If you do not know the answer, choose the
most likely of the “opposites” and move on.
7. Take into account a client’s lifestyle, culture, and spiritual beliefs when answering a question. C. Use
CRITICAL THINKING, reasoning, and common sense to answer questions.1. DO respond based on… a.
ABCs b. CAB for CPR c. Scientific, behavioral, sociologic principles d. Principles of teaching/learning e.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs f. Nursing process g. What’s in the stem: No more, no less (Do not read
more into the question than is already there.) h. NCLEX-RN ideal hospital i. Basic anatomy and
