The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN exam) has one purpose: to determine if it's safe for you to begin practice as an entry-level nurse. It is significantly different from any test that you took in nursing school. Nursing school exams are knowledge-based. The NCLEX-RN® exam, however, is application-based. You will be tested on how you can use critical thinking skills to make nursing judgments.
The NCLEX-RN exam is organized according to the framework, "Meeting Client Needs." There are four major categories and eight subcategories. All of the questions on the exam involve integrated nursing content. Many nursing programs are based on the medical model where students take separate medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric, and obstetric classes. However on the NCLEX-RN® exam, all content is integrated.
This exam can be taken in London.
What do you have to know?
While the questions on the NCLEX-RN exam are primarily multiple-choice with four possible answer choices, there are also alternate question types. Alternate question types include: multiple-response, fill-in-the-blank, hot spots, chart/exhibit and drag-and-drop. Any necessary background information will appear with the question. Some questions will appear without background information. All questions involve integrated nursing content. Many nursing programs are based on the medical model. Students take separate medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric, and obstetric classes. However, on the NCLEX-RN exam, all content is integrated.Look at the following question:
A 23-year-old woman with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is returned to the recovery room one hour after an uneventful delivery of a 9 lb., 8 oz., baby boy. The nurse would expect the woman's blood sugar to;
- rise
- fall
- remain stationary
- fluctuate
Is this an obstetrical question or a medical/surgical question? In order to select the correct answer, (2), you must consider the pathophysiology of diabetes along with the principles of labor and delivery. This is an example of an integrated question.
Answering the questions
There is no time limit for each individual question. You will have a maximum of 6 hours to complete the exam, which includes a tutorial in the beginning. There are no mandatory breaks. There is an optional break after 2½ hours of testing, and another optional break after 3½ hours of testing.Everyone answers a minimum of 75 questions to a maximum of 265 questions. Regardless of how many you answer, you will be given 15 experimental questions that do not count for or against you. The exam administrators use them to test for future questions on the exam.
Your exam will end when one of the following occurs:
- You have demonstrated minimum competency and answered the minimum number of questions (75).
- You have demonstrated a lack of minimum competency and answered the minimum number of questions (75).
- You have answered the maximum number of questions (265)
- You have used the maximum time allowed (6 hours).
Try not to focus on the length of your exam. You should just plan on testing for six hours and completing 265 questions. And if you have a long exam, remember that you are still in the game as long as the computer continues to give you questions; so focus on answering them all to the best of your ability.
