National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) Practice Test
NCLEX-RN practice centers on applying nursing knowledge to patient needs across acute care, chronic illness, and health teaching. The available questions use clinical situations involving assessment findings, medication effects, infection prevention, device complications, and patient education. They ask you to identify relevant cues and choose a safe, timely nursing response.
Exam overview
About the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLE… Exam
Clinical judgment requires distinguishing urgent changes from expected findings, interpreting symptoms alongside laboratory results, and deciding which action should come first. Questions may involve airway concerns, altered mental status, medication toxicity, or complications associated with intravenous and urinary catheters. Patient-care decisions also draw on infection-control practices, including protective equipment for suspected C. difficile, and on teaching that supports self-management of conditions such as heart failure, hypertension, and reflux. Other scenarios test therapeutic communication and the ability to respond to experiences such as phantom-limb pain. For each case, consider the patient’s immediate safety, the likely cause of the findings, and whether assessment, intervention, or escalation is indicated. These tasks reflect practical bedside reasoning: recognizing risk, prioritizing care, and communicating instructions the patient can apply.
Sample Practice Questions
Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.
A client with a new lower-extremity amputation reports feeling pain in the absent foot. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?
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Correct answer: BPhantom limb pain is a recognized experience after amputation and can be distressing. Acknowledge the client's report, assess the pain, and collaborate on appropriate management.
A nurse is teaching a client with gastroesophageal reflux disease about reducing nighttime symptoms. Which instruction is most appropriate?
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Correct answer: CElevating the head of the bed and allowing time between eating and lying down can reduce reflux symptoms. Lying flat after meals and eating near bedtime may worsen reflux; peppermint can also aggravate symptoms for some people.
A nurse is caring for an older adult with a urinary catheter. Which action helps reduce the risk of catheter-associated infection?
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Correct answer: AKeeping the drainage bag below bladder level helps prevent backflow of urine. The closed system should remain intact, the bag should not rest on the floor, and routine irrigation is not indicated unless specifically ordered for a clinical reason.
A nurse is caring for a client with a peripheral intravenous catheter. The insertion site is cool, swollen, and uncomfortable, and the infusion is running slowly. What should the nurse do first?
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Correct answer: ACoolness, swelling, discomfort, and slowed flow suggest infiltration. The nurse should stop the infusion and assess the site, then follow facility policy for catheter removal and appropriate treatment.
A nurse reviews the laboratory results of a client taking digoxin. The client reports nausea and seeing yellow halos around lights. Which result is most important to report promptly?
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Correct answer: AHypokalemia increases the risk of digoxin toxicity, and nausea and yellow visual halos are concerning manifestations. The nurse should promptly report the low potassium and the symptoms so the client can be evaluated and treatment adjusted.
A nurse is assessing an older adult who has new confusion and a temperature of 38.3°C (100.9°F). Which action is most appropriate?
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Correct answer: BA sudden change in cognition is not an expected part of aging and may reflect delirium from infection or another acute condition. Prompt assessment and communication support timely evaluation and treatment.
A nurse is reinforcing teaching for a client with heart failure who is monitoring daily weight at home. Which instruction is best?
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Correct answer: ADaily weights taken under consistent conditions make changes more meaningful. Morning measurement after urination, with similar clothing and the same scale, helps detect fluid retention earlier than weekly or symptom-triggered weighing.
How to use this practice test
The free US Practice Tests bank contains 50 NCLEX-RN practice questions. A session presents up to 20 randomly selected questions, and results appear after you finish. Use the results to identify which clinical decisions need more review, such as prioritizing urgent findings, preventing infection, or reinforcing patient teaching.
Preparation tips
- For each scenario, identify abnormal or worsening findings first, then distinguish immediate threats such as airway obstruction from problems that can be addressed later.
- Review medication safety by linking reported symptoms and laboratory findings to possible adverse effects, including signs associated with digoxin toxicity.
- Practice matching infection-control measures to the likely transmission risk, and connect catheter care and device-site assessment with prevention of complications.
- For patient-teaching cases, formulate specific instructions for daily heart-failure weights, sodium reduction, or nighttime reflux management, and check that each addresses the stated concern.
- When a device complication is described, use the assessment cues—such as swelling, discomfort, slow infusion, or noisy respirations—to prioritize the safest first nursing action.