Are these NCLEX practice questions free?

Yes. You can practise free NCLEX-RN style questions with rationales on ReviseMint, with a set of free questions each day and no card needed.

What is Select All That Apply (SATA) scoring?

SATA items often use plus/minus partial scoring: you earn a point for each correct option but can lose a point for each incorrect one, so you should select only options you can confidently defend.

How do I answer NCLEX prioritisation questions?

When several options are all correct actions, choose the highest priority using the ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation), then Maslow's hierarchy, then safety.

What is the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN)?

The NGN is the current version of the exam, focused on clinical judgment. It adds item types such as case studies, matrix, drop-down and bow-tie alongside multiple choice and SATA.

Free NCLEX-RN Practice Questions (2026) with Rationales

Free NCLEX-RN style practice questions with full rationales, plus how the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) is scored and a smart answering strategy for prioritisation and Select All That Apply.

The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) tests clinical judgment, not just recall. It is a computer-adaptive test with standalone items plus unfolding case studies, and it uses several item types — multiple choice, Select All That Apply (SATA), matrix/grid, drop-down (cloze), and bow-tie.

How scoring changes your strategy

Single-answer items are scored 0 or 1 — all or nothing.
Multi-answer items (like SATA) often use partial, plus/minus scoring: each correct choice earns a point, but each wrong choice can subtract one. So the rule is: select only what you can defend — guessing extra options can cancel out your correct picks.

Practice questions

1. (Prioritisation) A nurse is caring for four clients. Who should be assessed first?

A. A client awaiting discharge teaching
B. A client with new-onset shortness of breath and oxygen saturation of 86%
C. A client requesting pain medication
D. A client whose visitor has a question

Answer: B. Using the ABCs (airway, breathing, circulation), a breathing problem with a low oxygen saturation is the priority and could deteriorate quickly. The others are important but not immediately life-threatening.

2. (SATA) Which actions help prevent a catheter-associated urinary tract infection? Select all that apply.

A. Perform hand hygiene before and after handling the catheter
B. Keep the drainage bag below the level of the bladder
C. Routinely disconnect the system to check flow
D. Secure the catheter to prevent traction
E. Open the closed drainage system daily for cleaning

Answer: A, B, D. Hand hygiene, dependent drainage and securing the catheter reduce infection risk. Breaking the closed system (C and E) increases infection risk and should be avoided.

3. (Pharmacology) Before giving digoxin, the nurse should check which finding?

A. Respiratory rate
B. Apical heart rate for one full minute
C. Blood glucose
D. Temperature

Answer: B. Digoxin slows the heart, so the nurse checks the apical pulse for a full minute and withholds the dose if it is below the parameter (commonly 60 beats/min in adults) and notifies the prescriber.

A simple answering method

Read the full stem and decide exactly what is asked (first action? priority? contraindication?).
Eliminate clearly wrong options.
Be wary of absolutes ("always", "never", "all").
When every option is a correct action, choose the priority — ABCs, then Maslow, then safety.
On SATA, select only what you're sure of.

Verify before you test

NCLEX test plans are updated periodically by NCSBN. Always confirm current details on the official NCSBN website.