Forget all the tricks. The NCLEX writers are wise to them and no longer create questions that can be answered by just any savvy test-taker.

For example, assessment is always the first step in the nursing process—unless there is enough assessment data in the stem for the nurse to take action. See how the trick does not work?

So, how do you answer NCLEX-style questions? Let's talk about what does work.

Look for Choices That Stand Out

Key Insight: The NCLEX writers know every trick in the book. Questions are designed so only actual clinical reasoning gets you to the correct answer. Shortcuts no longer work.

Do three of the choices seem correct? Look back at the question for statements such as these:

• Which finding indicates the need for further teaching?

• The nurse intervenes after observing which action?

• The nurse clarifies which prescription (order)?

Your Experiences Do Not Apply

In the clinical setting, we see situations that are complex and unique. That is not true on a test. This is what we mean when we say, “Do not read into the question,” or “The NCLEX is not real life.”

Determine What You Are Being Asked

If the question says “Which is the priority?” or “Which is most important?” it means all of the answers are important. Use thinking like this:

• Is airway relevant? Does one choice apply to airway?

• Which thing causes mortality if I do not teach it well?

• Which lab value is way out of range?

Ask Yourself, “Do I Care About This Right Now?”

Think about what is normal for this client. All of the labs may be out of range, but if the client has renal failure, you expect the BUN, creatinine, and GFR to be terrible.

The potassium is sky-high, though? Nope, gotta fix that now.

Do Something at the Bedside, Fast!

Anytime you can do something for the client before leaving them, that is usually the best thing to do. We love our docs, but they are not quick and easy to get ahold of. We are professionals, and we can do lots of things on our own.

Treat Multiple-Response Items Like True-or-False Questions

Do not look at the answers all together. Look at each one and match it against the question asked. It is either correct or not. Do not consider how many you have chosen already or any other mind games.

Sometimes you will not have a clue. Nursing is huge. The NCLEX tests for beginning competency, but, let’s face it, you slept through at least one class, and new drugs come out daily.

Look for Context Clues in the Stem

For example, consider a question about adriamycin. The suffix -mycin usually means an antibiotic, but the stem says the client is getting cancer therapies, so it might be a chemotherapy drug.

Generalize From What You Do Know

Remember, for instance, that low platelets in one condition are very similar to low platelets in any other condition. You may not need to know the disease mentioned in the question.

For a deeper breakdown of every question type, read NCLEX Style Questions Explained: What the Exam Is Really Testing.

Keep Reading

• What the Exam Is Really Testing

• SATA Questions: Strategic Approach

Want to practice answering NCLEX-style questions the right way? NCLEX RN Mastery gives you 4,000+ adaptive questions designed to mirror the real exam — with rationales that teach you the thinking, not just the answer. Ten free questions daily.

Only Critical Thinkers Get Through

You have to be able to use the knowledge in everyday clinical decisions. For nurses and other healthcare providers, this is called clinical reasoning.

Clinical reasoning is a process that involves collecting clues, processing information, understanding a client situation, planning and implementing interventions, evaluating outcomes, and reflecting on and learning from the process.