0/1 scoring · 30 questions in 6 sets
NCLEX-Style Questions: Multiple Choice Practice
Practice NCLEX-style multiple choice questions on an exam-like screen, with a rationale for every option. Sets 1 and 2 are free, with no sign-up.
The format
What is a Multiple Choice question on the NCLEX?
Multiple choice with one best answer is the classic NCLEX-RN format. Each item gives a short client scenario and four options, and only one is the best answer.
Most are not simple recall. They ask what the nurse should do first, which finding needs follow-up, or which statement shows the client understood teaching.
Practice sets
30 Multiple Choice questions in 6 sets
Each set covers one clinical topic and opens in the NCLEX-style test interface. Submit each answer to see the correct answer and a rationale for every option. Your progress and score are saved in this browser.
Neuro
Maternity
Pediatrics
Mental Health
Sample question
Try an NCLEX-style question
Open the sample to see the format on the exam screen, with the correct answer marked and the reason each option is right or wrong. To answer questions yourself, start a set above.
Sample question: answer and rationaleThe nurse on a medical-surgical unit has just received report on four clients. Which client should the nurse assess first?
The nurse on a medical-surgical unit has just received report on four clients. Which client should the nurse assess first?
Correct answer and rationale
Multiple Choice · 0/1 scoring
The deciding cues are anxiety, clammy skin and a pulse of 118/min in a client who had surgery 6 hours ago. The risk of bleeding is highest in the first 24 hours after surgery, and a fast pulse with anxiety and clammy skin points to blood loss. Blood pressure is a late sign: it can stay in the normal range while the pulse rises, so a reading of 112/70 mm Hg does not make this client stable. A threat to circulation and an unexpected change come before expected findings. A pulse oximetry reading of 90% is inside the 88% to 92% target ordered for the client with COPD. Bowel function is expected to return within 72 hours of surgery. Pain rated 7 is an urgent need, but discomfort ranks below a threat to circulation.
Takeaway: a fast pulse with anxiety and clammy skin soon after surgery suggests bleeding, even when the blood pressure still looks acceptable.
Why each option is right or wrong
- A client 1 day after a bowel resection who has not yet passed flatus: Incorrect. Bowel function is expected to return within 72 hours of surgery, so no flatus on the first day is an expected finding that can wait.
- A client 1 day after a knee replacement who rates the pain as 7 on a scale of 0 to 10: Incorrect. Pain rated 7 is an urgent need and is treated promptly, but discomfort ranks below a threat to circulation.
- A client 6 hours after a hysterectomy who is anxious, with clammy skin, a pulse of 118/min and a blood pressure of 112/70 mm Hg: Correct. Anxiety, clammy skin and a fast pulse 6 hours after surgery point to bleeding. Blood pressure is a late sign and can stay in the normal range while the pulse rises.
- A client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who has a pulse oximetry reading of 90% on oxygen, with an ordered target of 88% to 92%: Incorrect. A reading of 90% is inside the 88% to 92% target ordered for this client with COPD, so it is an expected finding.
Sources
- Open RN Nursing Management and Professional Concepts, 2.3 Tools for Prioritizing
- StatPearls: Hypovolemic Shock
- StatPearls: Hemorrhagic Shock
- PMC: Timing of Major Postoperative Bleeding Among Patients Undergoing Surgery (JAMA Network Open, 2024)
- StatPearls: Postoperative Ileus
- PMC: Oxygen therapy targets in COPD
Scoring
How Multiple Choice questions are scored
Multiple-choice items are scored 0/1: the correct option earns 1 point, any other option earns 0.
Scoring rules: NCSBN, Next Generation NCLEX. Last reviewed October 13, 2026.
How to answer Multiple Choice questions
- Read the last line of the stem first so you know what the question is really asking: first action, best response, or expected finding.
- When two options are both correct actions, pick the one that addresses the most urgent risk (airway, breathing, circulation, safety).
- Assessment usually comes before intervention unless the client is in clear danger.
- Rule out options that delay care, pass the problem to someone else without acting, or are outside the RN's scope.
FAQ
Multiple Choice questions: FAQ
Is the NCLEX multiple choice?
How many answer options do NCLEX multiple-choice questions have?
Can I go back and change an answer on the NCLEX?
Are multiple-choice questions easier than the Next Generation formats?
Keep practicing
Other NCLEX question types
Next practice exercise
Pick up the set you started, or go on to the next question type. Every set opens in the NCLEX-style test interface.
SATA set 1 · Prioritization & Safety