Free NCLEX Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]

Last Updated on November 4, 2024

Free NCLEX Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]. Prepare for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) with our Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) Questions and answers for 2025. We offer practice tests for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN®) and National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN® exams, designed to help you review and improve your nursing knowledge.

Download our free printable PDF for effective NCLEX test prep. This resource provides essential practice questions and answers, ensuring you are well-prepared to succeed on the NCLEX exam. The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) has been a nationwide examination for licensing nurses in the United States, Canada, and Australia since 1982, 2015, and 2020, respectively.

NCLEX Practice Test 2025

The NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) is a standardized test for Nursing School Entrance Exams in the United States. Preparing for the NCLEX can be overwhelming, but you can pass the exam with the right strategies and resources. This guide provides an overview of key content areas, study tips, and resources to help you prepare effectively.

 Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) Questions 

Safe and Effective Care Environment

Health Promotion and Maintenance

Psychosocial Integrity

The NCLEX is computer-adaptive, and items are selected based on each candidate’s ability. Most test items are written at the cognition level of application or higher. These questions require a candidate to utilize problem-solving skills to select the correct answer.

NCLEX Exam Outline

NCLEX examinations are developed and owned by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN). To ensure public protection, each board of nursing requires a candidate for licensure to pass the appropriate NCLEX examination: NCLEX-RN for registered nurses and NCLEX-PN for vocational or practical nurses.

Test Name National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)
Maximum Time Duration Five hours for the RN and PN exams (including all breaks)
Number of Questions (RN and PN) Minimum 75 and Maximum 145 Questions
Mode of Test CAT
Test Re-Take Policy Maximum Eight times a year with 45 test-free days between each examination.
Negative Marking/guessing Rapid guessing can drastically lower your score
Registration Fee For US $200 USD, for Canadian $360 CAD, for Australian $200 USD

Candidates may be administered multiple-choice questions and items written in alternate formats. These formats may include, but are not limited to: multiple responses, fill-in-the-blank calculations, and drag-and-drop/Ordered response questions. All item formats, including standard multiple-choice questions, may include exhibits and graphics.

NCLEX Exam Content

  • The NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN exams are computer adaptive tests (CAT).
  • The number of questions ranges from 75 to 265 for NCLEX-RN and 85 to 205 for NCLEX-PN.
  • The time limit is 6 hours for NCLEX-RN and 5 hours for NCLEX-PN, including breaks.

Content Areas

  1. Safe and Effective Care Environment:
    • Management of Care Prioritizing client care, delegation, legal rights, and advocacy.
    • Safety and Infection Control): Standard precautions, medical/surgical asepsis, and safe equipment use.
  2. Health Promotion and Maintenance
    • Growth and development, prevention and early detection of disease, and prenatal and postpartum care.
  3. Psychosocial Integrity
    • Coping and adaptation, psychosocial adaptation, and therapeutic communication.
  4. Physiological Integrity:
    • Basic Care and Comfort: Nutrition, hydration, and personal hygiene.
    • Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies: Medication administration, adverse effects, and dosage calculations.
    • Reduction of Risk Potential: Diagnostic tests, potential complications, and therapeutic procedures.
    • Physiological Adaptation: Pathophysiology, fluid and electrolytes, and medical emergencies.

Each subcategory constitutes 5–13% of the test except for Reduction of Risk Potential and Physiological Adaptation, each accounting for 12–18% of the total questions.

The content of the 2024 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan and the 2024 NCLEX-PN® Test Plan is organized into four major Client Needs categories, two of which are divided into subcategories.

NCLEX Test Plan RN and PN
Effective April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2026

NCLEX Study Guide 2025

  • Books:
    • “Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination” by Linda Anne Silvestri.
    • “NCLEX-RN Prep Plus” by Kaplan Nursing.
  • Online Courses:
    • UWorld NCLEX-RN QBank.
    • Kaplan NCLEX Review Course.
    • Hurst Review Services.
  • Mobile Apps:
    • NCLEX RN Mastery.
    • ATI RN Mentor.
    • Nursing.com NCLEX Prep.

Official Test Pans

If you have any specific questions about the examination changes, please get in touch with NCLEX information at nclexinfo@ncsbn.org

NCLEX®, NCLEX-RN®, and NCLEX-PN® are registered trademarks of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.