Free NCLEX practice tests

Three 30-question NCLEX-RN forms in the Next Generation format, with a rationale on every choice.

1. 01Exam 1Case study: pneumonia with COPDStart
2. 02Exam 2Case study: after hip replacementStart
3. 03Exam 3Case study: asthma attack in the EDStart
4. 04PharmacologyBy subject: medications, IV therapy and blood productsStart
5. 05Prioritization and delegationBy skill: who first, what first, what to delegateStart
6. 06Case studiesThree charted Next Generation cases, six questions eachStart

How it works

1. Pick a form. It opens in Study mode: answer, press Check answer, and the rationale appears under your choice.
2. Switch Study mode off in the top bar to sit it timed: 60 minutes, no going back, rationales held until the end.
3. The end screen shows a partial-credit score. A timed run then walks you through every rationale.

What each form covers

Every form has 30 original questions: 24 stand-alone items plus one six-question case study. The stand-alone items spread across the eight client-needs categories in the NCSBN test plan: Management of Care; Safety and Infection Prevention and Control; Health Promotion and Maintenance; Psychosocial Integrity; Basic Care and Comfort; Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies; Reduction of Risk Potential; and Physiological Adaptation.

Item formats match the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN): multiple choice, select all that apply, matrix, drop-down cloze, drop-down table, highlight, highlight in a table, drag-and-drop ordering, trend, and bowtie. The case study follows one client through the six clinical judgment steps NCSBN measures: recognize cues, analyze cues, prioritize hypotheses, generate solutions, take action, and evaluate outcomes. A chart with the history, vitals, and labs sits beside it, and new results appear as the case unfolds.

Sample NCLEX questions with answers

Three items from the forms above, worked through.

1. Hold or give? (multiple choice)

A nurse is about to give digoxin 0.125 mg by mouth. The adult client’s apical pulse is 52 beats per minute. What should the nurse do?

• A. Give the dose and recheck the pulse in one hour
• B. Give half the dose now
• C. Have the client walk, then recheck the pulse
• D. Hold the dose and notify the provider

Answer: D. Digoxin slows the heart. The usual teaching threshold is to hold it when an adult’s apical pulse is below 60 and call the provider. Option A gives a drug that can slow the rate further. Option B changes a dose without an order. Option C treats activity as a fix for bradycardia, which it is not.

2. Bleeding after surgery (select all that apply)

A client is 6 hours after abdominal surgery. The dressing was dry an hour ago. It is now saturated with bright red blood, the heart rate is 122, and the blood pressure is 88/54. Which actions should the nurse take?

• A. Apply firm pressure over the dressing and reinforce it
• B. Notify the surgeon now
• C. Place the client supine with legs elevated, if not contraindicated
• D. Give the client water so the blood pressure can recover
• E. Start an isotonic IV bolus through a large-bore catheter
• F. Recheck the blood pressure in 2 hours

Answer: A, B, C, E. Fresh bleeding, a racing pulse, and a falling pressure point to hemorrhage and early shock. Control the bleeding, restore volume through a large IV, position for perfusion, and get the surgeon. Oral water is too slow, and the client may be headed back to the operating room. A 2-hour recheck leaves shock untreated.

Select-all items use plus/minus scoring: each correct pick earns a point, each wrong pick costs one, and the floor is zero. Choosing all six here nets 4 − 2 = 2 of 4.

3. A dangerous order (drop-down cloze)

An order reads potassium chloride 20 mEq IV push now. The nurse should [push it slowly over 1 minute / not give it IV push, and clarify the order / push it only if the client’s potassium is low].

Answer: not give it IV push, and clarify the order. Intravenous potassium is never pushed; a bolus can cause a fatal arrhythmia. It is diluted and run on an infusion pump. Pushing slowly does not make it safe, and a low level is the reason potassium gets ordered, not permission to push it.

How the real NCLEX-RN works

The NCLEX-RN is a computerized adaptive test (CAT). Each answer updates an estimate of your ability, and the next item is picked to be challenging at that level: not too easy, not too hard. According to the 2026 NCSBN test plan:

• You answer at least 85 and at most 150 items in five hours, breaks included.
• 15 of those items are unscored pretest questions that look like every other item.
• Three six-item case studies (18 items) and a set of stand-alone items measure clinical judgment directly.
• The test stops when the computer is 95% certain you are above or below the passing standard, when you reach 150 items, or when time runs out.

That last rule is why question count says little about a result. A candidate can pass or fail at 85, and pass or fail at 150.

How to study with these forms

1. Take Exam 1 in Study mode. Read the rationale on every choice, including the ones you got right. A lucky guess and a sound reason look the same on a score.
2. Tag what you missed by category. If three misses land in pharmacology or in prioritization, that is your next week of review.
3. Sit Exam 2 timed. Turn Study mode off and keep near two minutes per item. Notice where you slow down: long stems, charts, or select-all items.
4. Use Exam 3 as a checkpoint after a round of content review, again timed.
5. Widen the pool. Ninety questions is a start, not a full bank. Pair these forms with your program’s review course and NCSBN’s free candidate tutorial so the real testing screen feels familiar.

Priority questions reward a fixed order of thinking: airway, breathing, and circulation first; acute over chronic; unstable over stable; actual problems over potential ones. When two options both look right, ask which one prevents harm soonest.

The questions are original. This is not an NCSBN exam, and a score here is not a prediction. How items are written is on the methodology page, and what we draw on is listed under sources.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free NCLEX practice test?

Yes. The three forms above are free, with no sign-up. NCSBN, which writes the real exam, also publishes a free candidate tutorial and sample items at nclex.com. Use it to learn the testing screen.

Is it good if the NCLEX shuts off at 85 questions?

Not by itself. The exam stops at 85 when the computer is 95% certain your ability is clearly above or clearly below the passing standard. That can mean either result. NCSBN states that exam length does not indicate a pass or fail.

If I get 150 questions on the NCLEX, did I fail?

No. Reaching 150 means your ability sat close to the passing standard, so the computer kept testing. At the end it ignores the confidence rule and uses your final ability estimate. At or above the standard is a pass.

What happens if I run out of time on the NCLEX?

If you answered fewer than 85 items, the result is a fail. If you answered 85 or more, the exam is scored on the final ability estimate from every completed item. The five hours include all breaks.

What is the NCLEX pass rate?

NCSBN reported that 91.2% of first-time, U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN candidates passed in 2024. The 2025 figure was lower, near 87%. Repeat and internationally educated candidates pass at lower rates.

What is the hardest type of NCLEX question?

Candidates most often name select-all-that-apply and bowtie items, where several answers must be right together, and priority questions, where every option is reasonable but one comes first. Multi-answer items earn partial credit, and a wrong pick subtracts a point on plus/minus items.

Is 2 or 3 weeks enough to study for the NCLEX?

It can be for a recent graduate who studies daily and already scores well on practice questions. There is no official number. Take a timed form first. A low score or big gaps in one category are a sign to plan longer.

How many times can you take the NCLEX?

Under NCSBN policy, up to eight times a year, with 45 test-free days between attempts. Your state board can require a longer wait or set its own limit, so check with the board that holds your application.

Will the NCLEX be harder in 2026?

The 2026 NCLEX-RN test plan took effect April 1, 2026. It kept the same eight content areas, the same percentage ranges, and the same Next Generation item formats. The NCSBN Board of Directors reviews the passing standard every three years.

Are there signs you passed the NCLEX?

No sign during the exam is reliable, including how many questions you got. Your official result comes from your board of nursing. Some boards offer paid unofficial Quick Results through Pearson VUE two business days after the exam.

Are these official NCLEX questions?

No. Every question here is original. We are not affiliated with NCSBN or Pearson VUE, and we do not publish official exam items.

Will my score here predict my result?

No. It shows how you did on one 30-question form. It is not an NCLEX result and does not predict one.

Do you store my answers?

No. The test runs in your browser. Your last score is saved on your own device (localStorage) and never sent to a server.

Is this medical advice?

No. The questions are a study aid for a nursing licensure exam, not instructions for patient care. Clinical decisions belong to the licensed clinician and the provider.