NCLEX-PN test plan
The 2026 NCLEX-PN test plan took effect April 1, 2026, and runs through March 31, 2029. It spreads scored questions across eight Client Needs areas, from 6–12% to 18–24% each; Coordinated Care is the largest. You answer 85 to 150 items in up to five hours, and 15 of them are unscored pretest items.
Sources: NCSBN, 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan (PDF); NCLEX.com, Test Plans. Checked against NCSBN as of October 29, 2026.
Client Needs: what share of the exam
NCSBN sorts every scored question into one of eight Client Needs areas. Four of them sit under two larger categories. The ranges are the share of items from each area.
| Client Needs area | Share of items |
|---|---|
| Safe and Effective Care Environment | |
| Coordinated Care | 18–24% |
| Safety and Infection Prevention and Control | 10–16% |
| Health Promotion and Maintenance | 6–12% |
| Psychosocial Integrity | 9–15% |
| Physiological Integrity | |
| Basic Care and Comfort | 7–13% |
| Pharmacological Therapies | 10–16% |
| Reduction of Risk Potential | 9–15% |
| Physiological Adaptation | 7–13% |
Because the exam changes length to fit each candidate, NCSBN says one person’s exam may differ from these ranges by up to ±3% in each area. Clinical judgment is measured on top of these areas, by 18 case study items (3 sets) and about 10% stand-alone items.
How long the exam is
- Items
- 85 to 150
- Time limit
- 5 hours, breaks included
- Unscored pretest items
- 15
A minimum-length exam of 85 items has 52 items from the eight Client Needs areas, 18 items in 3 clinical judgment case studies and 15 unscored pretest items. Each case study is a set of six items about one client, one for each step of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model:
- Recognize cues
- Analyze cues
- Prioritize hypotheses
- Generate solutions
- Take action
- Evaluate outcomes
Once you confirm an answer and move on, you cannot go back to it. Every item must be answered. How the exam decides when to stop.
Sources: NCSBN, 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan (PDF); NCSBN, 2026 NCLEX Candidate Bulletin (PDF). Checked against NCSBN as of October 29, 2026.
Questions
How many questions are on the NCLEX-PN?
Between 85 and 150. The exam is adaptive, so its length depends on your answers. NCSBN says the length is not a sign of a pass or a fail.
How long is the NCLEX-PN?
Up to 5 hours, and that limit includes every break. The candidate bulletin says the computer offers two optional breaks, after about two hours and after about three and a half hours.
Do the pretest questions count?
No. Every exam has 15 unscored pretest items that NCSBN is trying out. They look like scored items, so you cannot tell which ones they are. Answer every item as if it counts.
Keep going
- NCLEX question types and how each is scored
- How to read the Candidate Performance Report
- NCLEX-PN hub
Practice the formats
Try NCLEX-style questions in these formats, with a rationale for every answer.
NCLEX®, NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN® are registered trademarks of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN®). RN PocketPal is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCSBN. This page summarizes what NCSBN publishes, for study; NCSBN’s own documents are the authority.