Last Updated on March 18, 2025
NLN NEX Practice Test 2025 Official Study Guide [PDF]. The Nursing Pre-Admission Exam (PAX) exam has now been replaced by the NLN (National League for Nursing) NEX (Nursing Entrance Exam).
The primary purpose of the NEX is to provide educators with a standardized instrument for evaluating the academic ability of applicants to nursing programs. The exam results can be used as one component in the total evaluation of each applicant in admission and student support decisions.
The NEX is a battery of three computer-based tests delivered in a single administration with a live proctor, either in-person (on-site at an institution’s approved testing center) or remotely (with a contracted live proctor monitoring the administration virtually).
What is NLN NEX?
The National League for Nursing Entrance Exam is an entrance exam designed for students seeking acceptance into nursing programs in the United States. Although there were previously two versions of the PAX (the RN and the PN), the NLN has streamlined the exam offerings and combined these versions into the sole PAX exam.
Candidates must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to be eligible for the exam. Each nursing program can set its minimum passing score for prospective candidates. The NLN NEX has three main content domains: Verbal, Math, and Science. As such, the exam is designed to assess prospective nursing students’ background knowledge and skills in these academic areas as well as general reasoning ability.
Based on their findings and considerable input from the NLN’s lead nursing committee, communities of interest, and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) representing diverse institutions and nursing programs, the NLN decided to update and rebrand the PAX to the Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX).
| Test name | NEX (Nursing Entrance Exam) |
| Administered by | NLN (National League for Nursing) |
| Testing Mode | Computer-based tests |
| Fee | Onsite Exams: $52.50 and Virtual Proctoring with Proctor360: $68.50 |
| Time Duration | 60 minutes per section |
| Test Scale | scaled as 0 – 300 |
| Test items | multiple-choice format with four response options |
| Penalty for guessing | NO |
All test items are in multiple-choice format with four response options. Items are scored as correct or incorrect without penalty for guessing. Unanswered items are counted as incorrect.
NLN NEX Practice Test 2025
- Word Knowledge Practice Test [Timed]
- Reading Comprehension Practice Test [Timed]
- Math Practice Test [Timed]
- NLN NEX Science Practice Test [Timed]
NLN NEX Test Format 2025
The NLN NEX has three sections: Verbal, Math, and Science. The verbal section questions assess word knowledge, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. In the mathematics section, questions address basic computations and quantitative reasoning skills, conversions, graphs, algebra, geometry, and word problems. The science section includes questions about general biology, chemistry, human health, and human anatomy and physiology.
The NLN exam is an Onsite test. The NLN NEX exam has multiple-choice questions, each with four answer choices. The format of the test is shown below. It measures your abilities in the academic areas central to nursing education.
1. Verbal Ability (50 scored + 8 pretest/unscored)
- Word Knowledge: 25 items
- Reading Comprehension: 25 items, 5 passages
2. Math (40 scored + 5 pretest/unscored)
- Numbers & Operations: 12 items
- Measurement: 14 items
- Algebra: 7 items
- Data & Information: 7 items
3. Science (55 scored + 5 pretest/unscored)
- Biology: 20 items
- Chemistry: 5 items
- Anatomy: 11 items
- Physiology: 11 items
- Health: 8 items
Scoring
Score reports are available after the exam is completed. Test takers can log in to their NLN account and access their results on the Reports tab. There is no set “passing score;” instead, each nursing program sets its own standards.
These percentiles are usually published in the admissions information section on the university’s website. If a candidate “fails” one section, the entire test must be retaken. A score (from 1 to 300) and percentile rank for each of the three sections are reported, as well as an overall composite percentile rank.
Official Study Guide
The NLN (National League for Nursing) provides an official NEX (Nursing Entrance Exam) study guide.
- Study Guide + Unlimited Practice ExamAttempts – 90-day Access:$32.00 per content area
- Study Guide + Unlimited Practice Exam Attempts – 90-day Access BUNDLE (includes verbal, math, and science guides and practice exams): $75.00
Download NEX Technical Manual PDF