How Many Questions Are on the NCLEX?
How Many Questions Are on the NCLEX?
All RN candidates must answer a
minimum of 85 items, while a
maximum of 150 items be administered during the five-hour time allotment. Each NCLEX-RN exam includes
15 pretest items (unscored), which are indistinguishable from operational (scored) items.
Pretest Items
To ensure the effectiveness of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) in the NCLEX, the difficulty level of each item needs to be determined beforehand. This is achieved by administering these items as pretest items to a large group of NCLEX candidates. Since the difficulty of pretest items is initially unknown, they are not part of your score and are not considered when evaluating a candidate’s ability or determining pass-fail outcomes. Once a sufficient number of responses are collected, the pretest items undergo statistical analysis and calibration. If they meet the required NCLEX statistical standards, they can be used as operational items in future exams. Therefore, candidates must approach every item with their best effort, regardless of whether it is a pretest or an operational item.
Testing Time
The length of the NCLEX-RN examination varies for each candidate based on their responses, but there is a
five-hour time limit for the exam, including all breaks. To ensure completion within the allotted time, candidates must maintain a reasonable pace,
spending approximately one to two minutes per item. It’s important to note that the length of the examination does not determine pass or fail outcomes; candidates can succeed or fail regardless of the examination’s duration.
Case Studies in NGN
The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) has introduced case studies that present practical clinical scenarios and include test items aligned with six cognitive abilities of the clinical judgment model. The scenario can occur in various settings, and the client’s outcome can vary, including improvement, stability, or decline with complications. Laboratory results, if included, are presented in a table, and abnormal values are highlighted with an “L” or “H”. There are two types of case studies:
Unfolding Case Study with six test items assessing specific skills and
Stand-Alone Items with a single test item independent of a case study.
Unfolding Case Study
An Unfolding Case Study presents a realistic client situation with evolving data resembling a medical record. It includes multiple phases over time, reflecting changes in the client’s condition. The case study evaluates all six cognitive skills of the clinical judgment model through six questions. Each test-taker receives three (3) unfolding case studies, totaling 18 items across those cases.
Stand-Alone Items
Stand-Alone Items are case studies with a single question, with the item presented as a bow-tie or a trend question type. Candidates who take more than the minimum number of items on the NCLEX receive around six to seven stand-alone cases.
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