NCLEX® Style Questions: What You Need to Know

• NCLEX® style questions are similar to what you see in nursing school, which is why it’s encouraged to take your NCLEX® exam as soon as possible after graduation. 
• NCLEX® questions are all broken down into the eight client need categories and six clinical judgment categories. 
• Use a prep program like Slone NCLEX that has a readiness exam and find the areas where you’re weak and focus on those. 

NCLEX® style questions are similar to what you see in nursing school, which is why it’s encouraged (and so beneficial!) to take your NCLEX® exam as soon as possible after graduating nursing school.

NCLEX® questions are all broken down into the eight client need categories and six clinical judgment categories. The categories are divided throughout the exam and test your ability to practice as a safe nurse. The goal is to measure your competence as a safe, entry-level registered nurse. 

So, let’s break down the content areas, NCLEX® style questions, and the need-to-know information that will help you pass the exam.  

NCLEX® Style Questions for Client Need 

The Client Need Categories are: 

• Management of Care 
  • These NCLEX® style questions test your ability to provide and direct nursing care that creates and promotes an environment that protects both the client and the healthcare personnel.   
  • Questions in this category often test you on a variety of topics, including prioritization, healthcare directives, delegation, and case management.  
• Safety and Infection Control 
  • The questions in this category test your knowledge of protecting clients and healthcare personnel from health and environmental hazards. 
  • You’ll be tested on several things, including isolation precautions, chemical spills, injury prevention, and emergency planning.   
• Health Promotion and Maintenance 
  • Questions from this category will test you on your ability to provide and direct nursing care for the client while incorporating and demonstrating knowledge of the expected growth and development principles, prevention and/or early detection of health problems, and the interventions used to achieve optimal health.   
  • You’ll see questions about client education, community health, preventative care, and screening assessments.  
• Psychosocial Integrity 
  • Questions in this category will test your ability to provide and direct nursing care that ensures the emotional, mental, and social well-being of the client experiencing stressful events, as well as clients with acute or chronic mental illness.   
  • NCLEX® style questions in this category can cover coping mechanisms, hallucinations, mental illness specifics, addiction, and behavioral health education.  
• Basic Care and Comfort  
  • Questions in this category will test your ability to provide comfort and assistance with activities of daily living.   
  • Expect questions about client positioning and complementary therapies such as aromatherapy or massage, range of motion, and sensory impairment.  
• Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 
  • This category tests your ability to provide care related to the administration of medications and parenteral therapies in a safe manner.   
  • Prepare for medication specific questions. Things such as medication rights, safe dosage, dosage calculations, medication side effects, and patient education. 
• Reduction of Risk Potential 
  • This category tests your knowledge in reducing complications or health problems related to existing conditions, treatments, or procedures. 
  • Questions will include items such as vital sign changes, diagnostic testing, intervention evaluation, and trending laboratory values. 
• Physiological Adaptation 
  • This category will test the ability to manage and care for clients with acute, chronic, or life-threatening physical health conditions.   
  • Questions topics could cover impaired ventilation, cardiac rhythms, teaching /education/understanding of teaching on acute and chronic disorders, and evaluation of treatment.  

NCLEX® Style Questions for Clinical Judgment 

The other area the NCLEX® will test you over is clinical judgment — the measurement of critical thinking and decision-making. It’s a process that uses nursing knowledge to observe and evaluate present situations, identify a prioritized client concern, and provide the best evidence-based solutions to provide safe customer care.

Clinical judgment questions help determine if the new graduate nurse is safe and ready to practice at an entry level. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) breaks clinical judgment into six categories. These NCLEX® style questions will be represented in a case study or as a separate item throughout the exam.

The clinical judgment categories build upon each other. 

• Recognize cues
  • This category identifies relevant and important information from different sources, such as a client’s medical history, assessment, or vital signs.  
  • Questions in this category will cover recognizing abnormal vital signs, changes in client baseline, irregular ECG rhythms, and key information in a client’s medical record. 
• Analyze cues
  • This category tests the user’s ability to organize and connect the recognized cues to the client’s clinical presentation.  
  • Questions will focus on analyzing abnormal vital signs, changes in client baseline, irregular ECG rhythms, and key information in a client’s medical record.  
• Prioritize hypotheses
  • Questions in this category test your ability to evaluate and prioritize hypotheses. 
  • These questions will cover deciding which hypothesis or option is the priority or is most important. 
• Generate solutions
  • These questions will test your ability to identify expected outcomes and use hypotheses to define a set of interventions for the expected outcomes.  
  • You’ll be asked about identifying and prioritizing interventions. 
• Take actions 
  • This category tests you on the implementation of solutions that address the highest priority.  
  • Questions will center on choosing the appropriate nursing action while ensuring the priority action is completed. 
• Evaluate outcomes  
  • This category tests your ability to compare observed outcomes to expected outcomes. 
  • You’ll be asked about client outcomes, reassessing after interventions, and if the education provided demonstrates understanding.  

The Bottom Line 

If you master these 14 categories, you will pass the NCLEX® with flying colors. When preparing for the exam, make sure you study each of these areas. Use a prep program like Slone NCLEX that has a readiness exam and find the areas where you’re weak and focus on those.  

The key to being successful on your NCLEX® exam is preparation. Take at least 200 to 400 NCLEX® style questions per day in all of the categories listed above. Answer questions and read their rationales until you are confident and competent in each category. 

Begin your NCLEX® preparation journey with Slone NCLEX today.