NCLEX is the acronym for the National Council Licensure Examination. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) issues it, and it’s the last exam every nursing graduate must complete becoming a licensed nurse.
The NCLEX is done through Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). This means if you get an answer right, the next question will be slightly harder and vice versa. There are two variations of the exam: the NCLEX-RN (for entry-level Registered Nurses) and the NCLEX-PN (for Practical Nurses). A candidate must answer 75 of 256 questions correctly in the NCLEX-RN, while a candidate for the NCLEX-PN must answer 85 out of 205 questions correctly.
Both exam options have similar formats. A candidate’s understanding of the exam format and topical content contributes greatly to exam success. In this article, we’ll discuss eight important topics to study if you want to succeed in the NCLEX exams.
This topic accounts for 7–13% of the NCLEX. It deals with the proper care of patients living with acute and life-threatening physical health conditions. It falls under the physiological integrity section of the exam. One of the main studies under this topic is cardiac NCLEX. Other key areas to note in this study are:
This section accounts for 18–24% of the NCLEX. It falls under the safety and effective care environment section of the exam. It covers the nurse’s responsibility to collaborate with health care team members for effective patient care. Key areas to focus on include:
This topic accounts for 10–16% of the 2020 NCLEX. It falls under the safety and effective care environment section of the exam. It focuses on how to reduce workplace hazards and the spread of infections, while effectively responding to unique patient conditions. Some key areas to focus on:
This topic accounts for 10–16% of the NCLEX. It falls under the physiological integrity section of the exam. In this section, nurses are tested on the administration of medications and the monitoring of patients receiving parental therapies. These are the key areas to focus on:
This section accounts for 6–12% of the NCLEX. Here, the focus is on growth and development processes across the life span, prevention and early detection of health issues, and how to help patients improve their overall health. Some key areas to pay attention to include:
This topic covers 9–15% of the NCLEX. It focuses on the nurse’s role in the social, mental, and emotional development of patients. According to the NCSBN, this study area equips nurses with requisite knowledge of caring for patients undergoing stress and acute mental illnesses. Key areas to take note of include:
This section accounts for 7–13% of the NCLEX. It falls under the physiological adaptation section of the exam. Applicants are tested on the processes of providing comfort and assistance in their daily performance of activities. Key study areas include:
This section accounts for 9–15% of the NCLEX. It falls under the physiological integrity section of the exam. It tests applicants’ knowledge on the reduction of a patient’s potential of suffering health complications related to treatments, procedures, and existing conditions. Focus on these key areas:
The four major topics of the NCLEX are a safe and effective care environment, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial integrity, and physiological integrity.
There are two subtopics under a safe and effective care environment and four subtopics under physiological integrity. This brings the overall essential topics to study for the NCLEX to a total of eight.
The weighted percentages of each of these topics vary from 6–24%, depending on the exam year. The topic that carries the highest percentage is coordinated care, while the least is health promotion and maintenance. To succeed in the NCLEX exams, you have to pay attention to each of these topics.