Next Gen question types, decoded

THE EXAM

1. What you're walking into

• 85 to 150 questions5 hours, breaks included
• 3 case studies × 6 questionsSame client; new info unfolds as you go
• About 10% stand-alone itemsSingle questions outside the case studies

Source: NCSBN, 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan.

THE 6 STEPS

2. Every case study tests these

1. Recognize cues
2. Analyze cues
3. Prioritize hypotheses
4. Generate solutions
5. Take action
6. Evaluate outcomes

Source: NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model.

THE FORMATS

3. How you answer

• Select allCheck every option that applies
• HighlightClick the text or rows that matter
• Drop-down (cloze)Pick from menus inside a sentence
• Drag-and-dropMove answer tiles into slots
• Matrix / gridAnswer row by row

Common formats (NCSBN research, 2019). Try each in the free NCLEX Tutorial.

THE BIG THREE

4. Bow-tie, matrix, cloze

• Bow-tieOne item that covers all 6 steps
• MatrixSome grids want one pick per row, some want more
• ClozeRead the whole sentence before you pick
• Every formatRead the instructions every time

Source: NCSBN. Format tips are study advice.

SCORING

5. Partial credit is real

• Plus/minusWrong picks cost points; lowest score is 0
• Zero/one"Select 3": wrong picks just earn nothing
• RationaleBoth halves of a pair must be right
• So on select-all itemsDon't click extras "just in case"

Source: NCLEX.com FAQ (NCSBN).

PRACTICE FREE

6. Official practice from NCSBN

• NCLEX TutorialClick through every format before test day
• NCLEX Exam PreviewFree for students and educators
• Sample PackReal-style case studies at nclex.com

Source: nclex.com FAQ and Prepare pages.