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NursePracticeTest.
Updated for the April 2026 test plan

NCLEX practice questions and full-length tests for the 2026 NCLEX-RN

Free NCLEX practice questions in every Next Gen format and full-length NCLEX-RN practice exams, each question with a clear rationale, built to the 2026 test plan. The practice exams adapt to your answers like the real NCLEX-RN and run 85 to 150 questions. Practice Exam 1 is free, with no sign-up.

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  • No sign-up to start
  • Every rationale included
  • NGN case studies
Question types practiced
16
Practice questions
1,004
Full-length practice exams
6
Case studies, 3 in each exam
21

NursePracticeTest (Nurse Practice Test) has 1,004 practice questions in 16 Next Gen formats, 6 adaptive full-length practice exams and 21 unfolding case studies, three of them inside each practice exam. Everything is free right now, with no sign-up.

A short practice session

20-minute NCLEX-RN mini-tests

Practise clinical decisions across every NCLEX-RN client-need area in one short sitting.

Choose from 50 levels, with 20 questions in each. Each test includes all NCLEX-RN client-need areas. Questions use the existing scoring rules, including partial credit. These short, fixed practice mixes are not computer-adaptive exams; the full-length NCLEX practice exams remain adaptive.

Submit your answers to see explanations and a subject breakdown. Your level path and dashboard show completed levels, practice XP and coverage of unique questions. Questions reuse this site's bank and may recur; levels record practice, not an exam-readiness estimate. Level 1 of each exam is always free, with no sign-up.

Choose a mini-test levelView my progress

Practice test

Take a free full-length NCLEX-RN practice test

Each test adapts to your answers like the real exam and follows the 2026 test plan and its eight client-needs areas, with three unfolding case studies and a 5-hour clock. You finish with a practice estimate, a score breakdown by category and a rationale for every answer.

Practice exam 1Free

Adaptive, 2026 test plan

Questions
85–150
Case studies
3
Time limit
5 hours
Start test
AAdaptive, like test dayEach question is chosen from your answers so far, on a screen, timer and navigation that mirror the testing center.
BBuilt on the 2026 test planQuestions chosen to keep each client-needs area at its 2026 test-plan share.
CScored like the NCLEXPartial credit on Next Gen items, using the same scoring rules as the exam.
DThorough rationalesEvery option explained, including why the wrong answers are wrong.
All NCLEX-RN practice exams

Question types

NCLEX practice questions for every Next Gen question type

Drill one format at a time, from classic multiple choice to bow-tie items, until each interaction feels familiar.

16 of 16 question types

Classic01

Multiple Choice

One best answer from four options.Practice Classic02

Select All That Apply

Choose every correct option. Wrong picks cost a point.Practice Classic03

Select N

Choose exactly the number of options the question asks for.Practice Classic04

Ordered Response

Put the nursing actions in the right order.Practice Classic05

Dosage Calculation

Type the exact dose, rate or volume.Practice Matrix06

Multiple Response Grouping

Select the right options within each group.Practice Matrix07

Matrix Multiple Choice

One answer per row in a grid.Practice Matrix08

Matrix Multiple Response

Several answers per row in a grid.Practice Drop-down09

Drop-Down Cloze

Complete sentences using drop-down menus.Practice Drop-down10

Drop-Down Rationale

Link a cause to its effect. Both parts must be right.Practice Drop-down11

Drop-Down Table

Choose from drop-downs inside a table.Practice Drag-and-drop12

Drag-and-Drop Cloze

Drag words into the blanks of a sentence.Practice Drag-and-drop13

Drag-and-Drop Rationale

Drag a cause and its effect into place.Practice Highlight14

Highlight

Click the findings in a chart that matter.Practice Bow-tie & trend15

Bow-Tie

Condition, two actions, two parameters to monitor.Practice Bow-tie & trend16

Trend

Read data across time points and act on the change.Practice
All NCLEX question types

Case studies

Unfolding NCLEX case studies, like the real exam

Each case has six questions that follow one client over time. Together they walk through the six steps of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model.

Step 1Recognize cues
Step 2Analyze cues
Step 3Prioritize hypotheses
Step 4Generate solutions
Step 5Take action
Step 6Evaluate outcomes
Try a case study: Heart FailureAll NCLEX case studies
A tablet, notebook and index cards arranged on a sunlit study desk

Sample question

NCLEX-RN sample questions: try one with the rationale

Read the chart, choose your answers, then check the rationale for every option.

Case study · Screen 4 of 6Generate solutions

The nurse in the medical-surgical unit is caring for a 74-year-old male client.

Day 10800

Admitted from the emergency department (ED). History of heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (30%) and hypertension. Home medications: furosemide, lisinopril and digoxin. Ran out of furosemide 5 days ago. Reports shortness of breath when walking to the bathroom and has slept upright in a recliner for the past 3 nights. Poor appetite for 1 week. Alert and oriented to person, place, time and situation. Wears a hearing aid for long-standing hearing loss. Speaks in full sentences. Denies chest pain. Crackles in both lung bases. Jugular venous distention (JVD) with head of bed at 45 degrees. 3+ pitting edema of both ankles and feet. Skin warm and dry. Weight 84 kg, up 4 kg (8.8 lb) since a clinic visit 1 week ago.

Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the client's plan of care? Select all that apply.

More SATA questions

Focus topics

Practice the NCLEX topics that trip people up

Targeted question sets for the areas where candidates most often lose points.

Dosage calculation practice

Weight-based, pediatric and IV flow-rate questions with a worked answer.Start set

Prioritization and delegation

Who to see first, and what to assign to an LPN or assistive personnel.Start set

Pharmacology

High-alert medications, hold parameters, side effects and antidotes.Start set

Lab values and ABGs

Normal ranges, and which abnormal values need action now.Start set

Test plan

What's on the 2026 NCLEX-RN

The 2026 test plan took effect on April 1, 2026. The exam format is the same; content is organized under four client-needs categories and eight subcategories.

Questions
85–150
Time limit
5 hours, breaks included
Format
Computerized adaptive
Case studies
3 (18 items)
Unscored pretest items
15
Passing standard
0.00 logits, through March 2029
How many questions are on the NCLEX, and how it is scored
Client-needs subcategoryShare of exam
  • Management of Care15–21%
  • Safety and Infection Prevention and Control10–16%
  • Health Promotion and Maintenance6–12%
  • Psychosocial Integrity6–12%
  • Basic Care and Comfort6–12%
  • Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies13–19%
  • Reduction of Risk Potential9–15%
  • Physiological Adaptation11–17%

Sources: NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan, 2026 NCLEX Candidate Bulletin and NCSBN notice of NCLEX fee changes. Last checked September 2026.

Three nursing graduates discussing study notes around a library table

Study plan

Fit the practice tests into your NCLEX study plan

Use a full-length test to find your starting point, then shift to targeted practice.

  1. 01Take a baseline testSee where you stand across all eight client-needs areas.
  2. 02Drill weak areasUse topic and question-type sets to close the gaps.
  3. 03Retest before exam dayTake a second full-length test under timed conditions.
Build your NCLEX study plan week by week

Want a plan built around your exam date?

Tell us when you test, how much time you have and where you lose points. We'll email you a personal study plan.

FAQ

NCLEX-RN FAQ

Is there a free NCLEX practice test?
Yes. Every practice exam and practice question on this site is free right now, with no sign-up. NCSBN also offers a free tutorial on NCLEX.com that shows each question type.
What is the NCLEX-RN?
The NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses) is the licensing exam for registered nurses in the United States and most of Canada. NCSBN develops it and Pearson VUE delivers it as a computerized adaptive test of 85 to 150 questions.
How many questions are on the NCLEX-RN?
Between 85 and 150. A minimum-length exam has 52 scored standalone questions, 18 case-study questions (3 case studies of 6 questions) and 15 unscored pretest questions. Our guide to how many questions are on the NCLEX explains why the length varies.
How long is the NCLEX?
Up to 5 hours, which includes the introduction and any breaks. Optional breaks are offered after about 2 hours and 3.5 hours, and the clock keeps running during them.
Is the NCLEX hard?
It is demanding. The exam adapts to your ability, so the questions get harder as you answer correctly, and it tests clinical judgment as well as knowledge. NCSBN publishes the current pass rates every quarter.
What is the NCLEX pass rate?
NCSBN publishes NCLEX pass rates every quarter, for first-time and repeat candidates and by where they were educated. First-time, U.S.-educated candidates pass at a much higher rate than repeat candidates. NCSBN's NCLEX pass rates page has the current figures.
What is the test nurses take to get licensed?
In the United States and most of Canada it is the NCLEX: the NCLEX-RN for registered nurses and the NCLEX-PN for practical and vocational nurses. Practice for the RN license means NCLEX-RN practice questions and exams, which is what this page offers.
What are basic nursing questions?
They are questions on the fundamentals every nurse uses: client safety and infection control, assessment and vital signs, giving medications safely, basic care and comfort, and deciding which client to see first. On the NCLEX-RN they appear in all eight client-needs areas of the test plan.
What happens if you fail the NCLEX 3 times?
NCSBN's policy allows up to eight attempts a year, at least 45 days apart, so a third failed attempt does not end your eligibility under that policy. Your board of nursing can set a different policy, such as a lower limit on attempts, so check with the board where you applied.
How do you pass the NCLEX-RN on the first try?
There is no shortcut, but the steps are known: learn the exam format, take a full-length practice exam to find your weak areas, practice every question type and read every rationale, then retest under timed conditions. Leave time for the content you keep missing.
Can you take the NCLEX at home?
Not in 2026. NCSBN is developing an online option, NCLEX Online, and has said it will not launch in 2026; no date has been announced. For now the NCLEX-RN is taken in person at Pearson VUE test centers.
What score do you need to pass the NCLEX?
There is no percentage score. You pass when the exam is 95% certain that your ability is clearly above the passing standard (0.00 logits for the NCLEX-RN through March 2029) or, if it runs to 150 questions, when your final ability estimate is at or above it.
Will the NCLEX be harder in 2026?
The 2026 test plan, in effect since April 1, 2026, kept the same eight content areas, percentages and question types; one area was renamed. The passing standard is unchanged. The registration fee rises to $350 for registrations from February 1, 2027.
What is the hardest type of NCLEX question?
There is no official hardest type. Candidates often lose points on select-all-that-apply and matrix multiple-response items, where each wrong selection costs a point, and on bow-tie items, which need five right choices.
Is 2 weeks enough to study for the NCLEX?
It depends on where you start. In two weeks, take two full practice exams, review every rationale and drill your weakest question types. If your first practice exam shows large gaps, plan for more time.
Does the NCLEX shut off at 85 questions if you fail?
The exam can stop at 85 questions when it is 95% certain you are clearly above or clearly below the passing standard, so stopping early can mean either result. The length alone does not tell you whether you passed.
Can you pass the NCLEX with all 150 questions?
Yes. When your ability is close to the passing standard, the exam continues to 150 questions and then decides using your final ability estimate.
How many times can you take the NCLEX?
NCSBN's policy allows up to eight attempts a year with at least 45 days between them, unless the board of nursing where you are applying sets a different policy.
What are good signs you passed the NCLEX?
The only reliable sign is your official result from your board of nursing. The number of questions you answered does not tell you whether you passed. Our guide to NCLEX results explains Quick Results and when the official result arrives.
Is this site the official NCLEX?
No. NursePracticeTest is an independent practice site and is not affiliated with NCSBN. The NCLEX-RN is taken at Pearson VUE test centers.

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Start a full-length NCLEX-RN practice exam for registered nurses and see where you stand today.

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