The National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses is more commonly known as the NCLEX-PN. This licensure exam measures the competencies for entry-level nurses to ensure that they can peform safely and effectively. Our free NCLEX-PN practice test is a great way to begin your test prep. As you study for the exam you should work through as many NCLEX-PN questions as possible.
NCLEX-PN Questions
Question 1 |
After administering pain medication, the nurse returns to check the client’s level of comfort. This stage of the nursing process is known as:
assessment | |
planning | |
implementation | |
evaluation |
Question 2 |
The nurse is reviewing with a client how to collect a clean catch urine specimen. What is the appropriate sequence to teach the client?
Clean the meatus, begin voiding, then catch urine stream | |
Void a little, clean the meatus, then collect specimen | |
Clean the meatus, then urinate into container | |
Void continuously and catch some of the urine |
Question 3 |
A client has been tentatively diagnosed with Graves' disease (hyperthyroidism). Which of these findings noted on the initial nursing assessment requires quick intervention by the nurse?
a report of 10 pounds weight loss in the last month | |
a comment by the client "I just can't sit still" | |
the appearance of eyeballs that appear to "pop" out of the client's eye socket | |
a report of the sudden onset of irritability in the past 2 weeks |
Question 4 |
The nurse has performed the initial assessments of 4 clients admitted with an acute episode of asthma. Which assessment finding would cause the nurse to call the provider immediately?
prolonged inspiration with each breath | |
expiratory wheezes that are suddenly absent in 1 lobe | |
expectoration of large amounts of purulent mucous | |
appearance of the use of abdominal muscles for breathing |
Question 5 |
An 80 year-old client admitted with a diagnosis of possible cerebral vascular accident has had a blood pressure from 160/100 to 180/110 over the past 2 hours. The nurse has also noted increased lethargy. Which assessment finding should the nurse report immediately to the provider?
Slurred speech | |
Incontinence | |
Muscle weakness | |
Rapid pulse |
Question 6 |
A school-aged child has had a long leg (hip to ankle) synthetic cast applied 4 hours ago. Which statement from the parent indicates that teaching has been inadequate?
"I will keep the cast uncovered for the next day to prevent burning of the skin.” | |
"I can apply an ice pack over the area to relieve itching inside the cast.” | |
"The cast should be propped on at least 2 pillows when my child is lying down.” | |
"I think I remember that my child should not stand until after 72 hours." |
Question 7 |
The nurse is preparing a client with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) for a Venous Doppler evaluation. Which of the following would be necessary for preparing the client for this test?
Client should be NPO after midnight | |
Client should receive a sedative medication prior to the test | |
Discontinue anti-coagulant therapy prior to the test | |
No special preparation is necessary |
Question 8 |
A client is admitted with infective endocarditis (IE). Which finding would alert the nurse to a complication of this condition?
dyspnea | |
heart murmur | |
macular rash | |
hemorrhage |
Question 9 |
The nurse explains an autograft to a client scheduled for excision of a skin tumor. The nurse knows the client understands the procedure when the client says, "I will receive tissue from _______."
a tissue bank | |
a pig | |
my thigh | |
synthetic skin |
Question 10 |
When teaching the old-old adult (over age 85) who has been diagnosed with a new illness, the nurse recognizes this age group:
needs client teaching at a slower pace, with visual aids and repetition | |
does not profit from patient teaching | |
learns at the same rate as young-old adults | |
is generally cognitively impaired and unable to learn new information |
Question 11 |
A client has been admitted with a fractured femur and has been placed in skeletal traction. Which of the following nursing interventions should receive priority?
Maintaining proper body alignment | |
Frequent neurovascular assessments of the affected leg | |
Inspection of pin sites for evidence of drainage or inflammation | |
Applying an over-bed trapeze to assist the client with movement in bed |
Question 12 |
The nurse is assigned to care for a client who had a myocardial infarction (MI) 2 days ago. The client has many questions about this condition. What area is a priority for the nurse to discuss at this time?
Daily needs and concerns | |
The overview of cardiac rehabilitation | |
Medication and diet guideline | |
Activity and rest guidelines |
Question 13 |
A client has just lost his girlfriend in an automobile accident. When the nurse asks the client about what happened, the client responds with a firm,“I don’t want to talk about it.” An appropriate response by the nurse would be:
To sit quietly with the client. | |
“You need to talk about the accident.” | |
“Not sharing your loss can make you ill.” | |
“You’ll feel better if you talk about the accident.” |
Question 14 |
An elderly client signs a DNR (do not resuscitate) statement in a living will. Then, during lunch, the client chokes on food and loses consciousness. The nurse has a responsibility to:
perform the Heimlich maneuver. | |
call the doctor to get an order for resuscitation. | |
call a code and perform the Heimlich maneuver. | |
do nothing, since the client signed a DNR order. |
Question 15 |
The client’s ascites is severe and is causing difficulty breathing and shortness of breath. The nurse prepares the client for a paracentesis to remove excess fluid by instructing the client to:
lie on the right side. | |
lie on the left side. | |
empty the bladder. | |
drink nothing by mouth 12 hours prior to the procedure. |
Question 16 |
A patient with venous stasis ulcers complains of pain and swelling. The patient refuses to prop their legs up on an ottoman and asks what else she can do to help the ulcers heal. Which of the following suggestions could the nurse make?
“Why don’t you try getting a massage for your legs every now and then? It would do them good.” | |
“You should wear compression stockings.” | |
“There is no other option. You really have to elevate them, even if it’s uncomfortable at first.” | |
“A diuretic prescribed by the doctor can help your symptoms.” |
Question 17 |
Which of the following prescriptions would the nurse expect to be ordered for a patient with atrial fibrillation?
Simvastatin | |
Warfarin | |
Aspirin | |
Vancomycin |
Question 18 |
A patient has been diagnosed with essential hypertension. The nurse knows that this type of hypertension:
is unpreventable. | |
has only modifiable risk factors. | |
has no identifiable cause. | |
is secondary to a disease or condition. |
Question 19 |
A 64-year-old patient in the ICU goes into ventricular tachycardia. With a team of healthcare professionals, the nurse performs CPR. The nurse knows she is giving effective compressions if the patient's sternum is compressed:
⅓ of the chest. | |
⅛ of the chest. | |
1.5 inches. | |
2 inches. |
Question 20 |
The nurse cares for a patient with depression who tells her about her two prize-winning cocker spaniels at home. “I’ll miss them,” the patient says. The nurse knows that her next action should be:
to inform the physician. | |
to ask why the patient will miss them. | |
to discharge the patient home to her dogs. | |
to call the patient’s husbands and find out more about the dogs. |
Question 21 |
A patient with schizophrenia complains that he sees clowns on the walls of his room and they keep him up at night. The nurse’s best response is:
“Do the clowns frighten you?” | |
“Don’t worry—I’ll get rid of them for you.” | |
“I don’t see anything, but that sounds scary to me.” | |
“There are no clowns. Take your medications now, please.” |
Question 22 |
A patient is returned to the unit after undergoing a liver biopsy. The patient has been positioned laterally on their left side. The nurse knows that:
this is the correct position after a liver biopsy. | |
this is an incorrect position after a liver biopsy. | |
there is special positioning required after a liver biopsy. | |
most doctors prefer patients to be supine after a liver biopsy. |
Question 23 |
The nurse is administering flu shots under the supervision of a charge nurse. The charge nurse asks what condition would be a contraindication to a flu shot, and the nurse correctly responds:
History of shingles. | |
History of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). | |
History of allergy to clams. | |
History of Guillan-Barre syndrome. |
Question 24 |
The nurse would expect the medication Cogentin to be ordered for which of the following patients?
A patient with difficulty swallowing. | |
A patient who is also prescribed Haloperidol. | |
A patient who is also prescribed Risperdal. | |
A patient who is also prescribed Oxycodone. |
Question 25 |
The nurse cares for a patient with Bell’s palsy and notes an eye patch on the night table of the patient’s bed. The nurse knows this eye patch should be worn:
during the day. | |
at night. | |
day and night. | |
never, because it weakens the eye muscle further. |
List |
More NCLEX Resources:
- NCLEX-PN Study Guides – An overview of the best study guides.
- Free NCLEX Questions – This website has lots of free practice questions!
- NCLEX-RN Practice Test
- Nursing Schools
NCLEX-PN Exam
The NCLEX-PN exam is administered with computerized adaptive testing (CAT). With CAT, each test that is given is completely unique. There are a large pool of questions in the computer that are organized by category and difficulty level. After each answer the computer calculates an ability estimate of the test taker, and chooses the next question that will best measure this ability. The computer will continue to present new questions in this manner until a pass or fail decision is made.
Each practical/vocational nurse candidate will be requried to answer a minimum of 85 questions and a maximum of 205 questions. There is an alotted 5-hour test period, which includes the tutorial, the sample questions, and all breaks. Question formats will include regular multiple choice items, but may also include multiple response, fill-in-the-blank calculations, ordered response, and hot spots.
This is a very challenging exam, so you will need to be fully prepared and do plenty of NCLEX-PN review. Practice with as many NCLEX-PN questions as possible, and make sure you carefully read the explanation whenever you get a question wrong. Good luck with your exam! Becoming a licensed practical nurse is a great step forward in your career.