NLN NEX Science Practice Test 2026 [Timed] 55 Questions

Last Updated on March 1, 2026

NLN NEX Science Practice Test 2026 [Timed] 55 Questions. Try our free Science practice test questions from Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, and Health to prepare for the NEX (Nursing Entrance Exam).

This test has 55 multiple-choice questions. You have to finish this test within 60 minutes. You can check your score at the end of the test. The actual test consists of the following topics

Science (55 scored + 5 pretest/unscored) Biology: 20 items Chemistry: 5 items Anatomy: 11 items Physiology: 11 items Health: 8 items

NLN NEX Science Practice Test 2026

NLN NEX Science Practice Test

NLN NEX Science Practice Test
Total Items: 55
Time Limit: 60 Minutes

1 / 55

1) The name of the compound CH₃–CH₂–CH₂–CH₃ is most likely

(A) cyclobutane

(B) butane

(D) butyne

2 / 55

2) Which of the following structures is unique to eukaryotic cells?

(A) Cell walls

(B) Nuclei

(D) Organelles

3 / 55

3) Which vitamin is essential for calcium absorption and bone health?

(A) Vitamin A

(B) Vitamin C

(D) Vitamin K

4 / 55

4) Avogadro’s number is the number of

(A) moles in a sample.

(B) representative elements.

(D) molar masses.

5 / 55

5) A secondary defense for the body against pathogens is

(A) tears.

(B) urine.

(D) mucus.

6 / 55

6) During breathing, the air pressure in the lungs changes as a result of

(A) constriction of the larynx

(B) contraction of the diaphragm

(D) reduction of lung capacity

7 / 55

7) Given patients whose age, weight, sex, and temperament are nearly identical, what should the normal values of blood pressure and pulse be during routine examinations and measurements by a physician?

(A) 120/80 mm Hg and 72/min

(B) 68/116 mm Hg and 82/min

(D) 120/90 mm Hg and 53/min

8 / 55

8) Which locations in the digestive system are sites of chemical digestion?

I. Mouth
II. Stomach
III. Small Intestine

(A) II only

(B) III only

(D) I, II, and III

9 / 55

9) The small intestine contains a large quantity of villi that help

(A) absorb acids and saliva from the mouth.

(B) provide a greater surface for absorption of materials passing through the digestive tract.

(D) secrete hydrochloric acid to break down foods.

10 / 55

10) Which substance shows a decrease in solubility in water with an increase in temperature?

(A) NaCl

(B) O₂

(D) CaCl₂

11 / 55

11) The ribs are ______ to the lungs in the human body.

(A) medial

(B) distal

(D) deep

12 / 55

12) Which statement about white blood cells is true?

(A) B cells are responsible for antibody production.

(B) White blood cells are made in the white/yellow cartilage before they enter the bloodstream.

(D) The majority of white blood cells only activate during the age of puberty, which explains why children and the elderly are particularly susceptible to disease.

13 / 55

13) The retina transmits nerve impulses to the brain via the

(A) optic nerve

(B) cranial nerve

(D) esophagus

14 / 55

14) In classifying all living things on Earth, which of the following groups would sort all life into two groups?

(A) Vertebrates/Invertebrates

(B) Mammals/Birds

(D) Protista/Fungi

15 / 55

15) A person gets hit in the face with a puck while playing ice hockey and fractures a bone. Which bone is a most likely candidate for this fracture?

(A) Mandible

(B) Rib

(D) Femur

16 / 55

16) Which of the following is a way in which mitosis differs from meiosis?

(A) Mitosis takes place to form sex cells.

(B) Meiosis creates cells with half the number of chromosomes of the original cell.

(D) Spermatogenesis and oogenesis occur via mitosis.

17 / 55

17) The process by which oxygen travels from the air into your lungs and then into your blood is called

(A) hypertonic.

(B) osmosis.

(D) passive transport.

18 / 55

18) Which is the cellular organelle used for digestion to recycle materials?

(A) The Golgi apparatus

(B) The lysosome

(D) The mitochondria

19 / 55

19) Ligaments hold

(A) bone to bone.

(B) bone to muscle.

(D) cartilage to tendons.

20 / 55

20) Yeast is used to make bread rise because

(A) the yeast engages in photosynthesis, which produces oxygen gas.

(B) carbon dioxide forms while the yeast carries out photosynthesis.

(D) yeast breathes in oxygen and produces carbon dioxide as aerobic respiration takes place.

21 / 55

21) Animals like snails and clams contained within a hard shell differ from humans because they lack

(A) bones.

(B) nerves.

(D) shells.

22 / 55

22) Synapses are the gaps between

(A) nephrons.

(B) neurons.

(D) protons and neutrons.

23 / 55

23) Which statement does not have the same truth value as the others?

(A) RNA is single-stranded.

(B) RNA contains uracil.

(D) DNA cannot be altered.

24 / 55

24) The heart is composed of which type of tissue?

(A) Cardiac muscle

(B) Ligaments

(D) Cartilage

25 / 55

25) The brain and the spinal cord make up the

(A) peripheral nervous system.

(B) somatic nervous system.

(D) central nervous system.

26 / 55

26) If 58.5 g of NaCl (1 mole of NaCl) are dissolved in enough water to make 0.500 L of solution, what is the molarity of this solution?

(A) 2.0 moles

(B) 11.7 moles

(D) The answer cannot be determined from the information given.

27 / 55

27) A cell is in a solution in which the concentration of solutes is higher inside the cell than outside the cell. The cells will likely

(A) swell up and possibly burst.

(B) shrivel and shrink.

(D) grow a cell wall for support.

28 / 55

28) According to the table above, a patient with an elevated PaCO₂ count needs

(A) a decrease in PaCO₂ (partial pressure of carbon dioxide) in the blood

(B) a decrease in HCO₃⁻ (carbonic acid)

(D) an increase in HCO₃⁻

29 / 55

29) Which of the following are functions of the urinary system?

I. Synthesizing calcitriol and secreting erythropoietin
II. Regulating the concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, and other ions
III. Reabsorbing or secreting hydrogen ions and bicarbonate
IV. Detecting reductions in blood volume and pressure

(A) I, II, and III

(B) II and III

(D) All of the above

30 / 55

30) Which of the following glands is not paired up with a hormone that it produces?

(A) Testes/Testosterone

(B) Adrenal medulla/Estrogen

(D) Pancreas/Insulin

31 / 55

31) The compound CH₂=CH–CH₂–CH₂–CH₃ is an example of

(A) pentane

(B) a hexane

(D) organic macromolecule

32 / 55

32) The arrow in the following diagram represents the wave’s

(A) period.

(B) frequency.

(D) wavelength.

33 / 55

33) The heart and veins have valves to ensure that

(A) blood flows in only one direction.

(B) oxygen and carbon dioxide can be exchanged.

(D) platelets do not clot at the site of a wound.

34 / 55

34) The function of the diaphragm in a human being is

(A) to assist the process of respiration.

(B) to conduct the flow of lymph.

(D) to allow development of a fertilized egg.

35 / 55

35) Which of the following are considered normal values for the measurements of a person’s pulse and blood pressure?

(A) 72 beats per minute and 120 over 80 mm Hg

(B) 100 beats per minute and 140 over 100 mm Hg

(D) 55 beats per minute and 75 over 60 mm Hg

36 / 55

36) As water is evaporated from a solution, the concentration of the solute in the solution will

(A) increase.

(B) decrease.

(D) evaporate as well.

37 / 55

37) Given a sample of C₆H₁₂O₆(aq), which of the following is true?

(A) The glucose is the solvent and water is the solute.

(B) The glucose is the solvent and water is the solvent.

(D) The glucose is the solute and water is the solvent.

38 / 55

38) Quantities having both magnitude and direction are

(A) scalar quantities.

(B) vector quantities.

(D) matrices.

39 / 55

39) Exactly 2.0 moles of an element weigh 8.0 grams. Which of the following is true?

(A) One mole of the element weighs 16.0 grams, and the element is sulfur, S.

(B) The element in question is beryllium, Be.

(D) One mole of the element weighs 4.0 grams, and the element is helium, He.

40 / 55

40) The organ that works to detoxify the blood and to produce bile is the

(A) kidney.

(B) liver.

(D) gallbladder.

41 / 55

41) Which of the following causes and effects would occur last in a shallow forest pond that is not fed with a source of freshwater replacement like a larger river?

(A) More consumers in the food chain

(B) A lack of available food

(D) An increased bloom of algae

42 / 55

42) As shown in the heart diagram on the previous page, separating the left and right sides of the heart is the

(A) 1.

(B) 2.

(D) 4.

43 / 55

43) Which of the following is not a type of muscle?

(A) Nervous muscle

(B) Smooth muscle

(D) Cardiac muscle

44 / 55

44) The word renal refers to the

(A) liver

(B) gallbladder

(D) lung

45 / 55

45) What is the temperature as shown on this thermometer?

(A) 98.5

(B) 100.4

(D) 101.4

46 / 55

46) Which reproductive organ belongs to a different system from the other three?

(A) Follicle

(B) Oviduct

(D) Epididymis

47 / 55

47) Given one mole of O₂ gas at STP, what is the mass of this sample?

(A) 8 grams

(B) 16 grams

(D) 64 grams

48 / 55

48) Which of the following statements is true?

(A) The digestive system can do its job without the use of accessory organs.

(B) The digestive system uses sphincters to contain substances being digested at certain points of the digestive tract.

(D) The juices that are used to digest food can be effective at any point along the digestive tract.

49 / 55

49) Which muscle pushes food through the digestive system?

(A) Renal

(B) Smooth

(D) Rough

50 / 55

50) Organic compounds are the basis for life as we know it because

(A) carbon-to-carbon bonds are strong.

(B) carbon can form long chains.

(D) All of the above.

51 / 55

51) The growth and development of bone is assisted by the use of vitamin D because vitamin D can

(A) help the body excrete excess salt.

(B) control sulfur and calcium levels in the blood.

(D) regulate levels of chloride ion.

52 / 55

52) The iris and retina are parts of the

(A) eye

(B) ear

(D) skin

53 / 55

53) Salt is added to a sample of water. Which of the following is true?

(A) The boiling point will increase and the freezing point will decrease.

(B) The boiling point will increase and the freezing point will increase.

(D) The boiling point will decrease and the freezing point will decrease.

54 / 55

54) The larynx is covered by the ______ so that food does not enter the trachea.

(A) esophagus

(B) pharynx

(D) epiglottis

55 / 55

55) What is the percent of oxygen in H₂O?

(A) 11.1

(B) 33.3

(D) 100.0

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