RN PocketPalRN PocketPal

AI-led NCLEX-RN® review

Comprehensive Review and Strategy for the NCLEX-RN® Exam

Start with a diagnostic, then follow a study plan built from your results. Learn from short video lessons, checked by AI against current guidelines, with spot-checks by a registered nurse, and practice in the exam’s own formats.

Penny is an AI. She teaches from our course lessons and never gives advice about a real patient.

of video lessons
25 h 42 minof video lessons
lessons
186lessons
test-plan activity statements
149test-plan activity statements
full-length practice exams
Timedfull-length practice exams

What’s in the course

  • A plan built from your results

    A diagnostic of about 40 questions sets your lesson order and what Smart Drill works on first.

  • Every lesson checked and labeled

    We build and narrate each lesson with AI, and AI checks it against current guidelines, with spot-checks by a registered nurse. Each lesson shows whether it is AI-checked or Nurse-checked.

  • Practice in the exam’s formats

    Bowtie, matrix, drop-down, highlight, trend, drag-and-drop and select-all, with a rationale for every answer.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Take the diagnostic

    About 40 questions across every client-needs category, in about 45 minutes. It shows you where to start. It doesn’t predict whether you’ll pass.

  2. Step 2

    Get your plan

    Your results set your lesson order and the topics Smart Drill works on first.

  3. Step 3

    Learn

    Watch short video lessons, built and narrated with AI. Each is checked by AI against current guidelines, with spot-checks by a registered nurse. Then check yourself with the lesson’s flashcards and practice.

  4. Step 4

    Drill and practice

    Smart Drill makes questions harder or easier as you answer, and section quizzes check what stuck.

  5. Step 5

    Sit practice exams

    Full-length practice exams in the Next Generation item formats, in the browser and in the RN PocketPal app, synced across devices.

AI-led lessons, checked by AI with nurse spot-checks

Here’s what that means, and where it stops.

What AI does

AI helps write the lesson scripts, narrates the videos, and checks lessons, flashcards, practice, cheat sheets and questions against current guidelines before they go live.

What a nurse checks

A registered nurse spot-checks lessons, flashcards, practice, section quizzes and practice questions. Anything a licensed nurse has reviewed in its current version is labeled Nurse-checked.

What a nurse hasn’t checked yet

Everything else is labeled AI-checked: it passed our checks, but a nurse hasn’t reviewed it item by item yet. Practice-exam and Smart Drill questions are written with AI help. Until a nurse approves something, we don’t call it Nurse-checked.

Mapped to the whole test plan

The content review is mapped to all 149 activity statements in NCSBN's published 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan. Practice items are written for RN PocketPal; they are not real exam questions.

Curriculum

186 lessons · 25 h 42 min · lessons open as each passes our checks

Part 1 · Start here

6 lessons · 47 min

How the adaptive exam decides a pass, the six clinical-judgment steps, and the three scoring rules that change how you answer.

1Start here: how the exam grades you
  1. 1Welcome: what this course does (and doesn't) doFree preview6 minutes 34 seconds
  2. 2How the adaptive exam decides you passedFree preview8 minutes 28 seconds
  3. 3The six clinical-judgment steps in plain languageFree preview9 minutes 40 seconds
  4. 4Three scoring rules, and what they mean for guessing10 minutes 19 seconds
  5. 5Case studies vs stand-alone items5 minutes 53 seconds
  6. 6What the exam gives you: ranges, bold words, calculator, noteboard6 minutes

Practice: Section quiz

Part 2 · Content review

138 lessons · 21 h

Every activity statement in the 2026 test plan: management of care, safety, pharmacology, every body system, maternity, pediatrics and mental health.

Foundations of care

2Management of care
  1. 1Scope of practice and legal responsibilities7 minutes 49 seconds
  2. 2Delegation, assignment and supervision12 minutes 44 seconds
  3. 3Prioritizing care and managing time11 minutes 20 seconds
  4. 4Orders, handoff and documentation8 minutes 30 seconds
  5. 5Client rights, advocacy and informed consent8 minutes 44 seconds
  6. 6Advance directives and code status6 minutes 30 seconds
  7. 7Confidentiality, privacy and social media6 minutes 18 seconds
  8. 8Ethics and ethical dilemmas7 minutes 24 seconds
  9. 9Mandatory reporting, errors and unsafe practice7 minutes 52 seconds
  10. 10Admission, transfer, discharge and referrals9 minutes 29 seconds
  11. 11Collaboration and conflict6 minutes 22 seconds
  12. 12Quality improvement and cost-effective care6 minutes 22 seconds
  13. 13Equitable, culturally responsive care6 minutes 23 seconds
  14. 14US nursing practice for internationally educated nurses7 minutes 25 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

3Safety and infection prevention
  1. 1Standard precautions, hand hygiene and asepsis8 minutes 10 seconds
  2. 2Transmission-based precautions and PPE9 minutes 38 seconds
  3. 3Client identification and error prevention7 minutes 4 seconds
  4. 4Preventing falls and injuries8 minutes 18 seconds
  5. 5Restraints and their alternatives7 minutes 21 seconds
  6. 6Allergies and anaphylaxis6 minutes 30 seconds
  7. 7Emergency preparedness and hazardous materials11 minutes 46 seconds
  8. 8Security, workplace violence and ergonomics7 minutes 4 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

4Basic care and comfort
  1. 1Daily living, hygiene, dignity and privacy6 minutes 2 seconds
  2. 2Mobility, positioning and assistive devices8 minutes 39 seconds
  3. 3Nutrition and therapeutic diets8 minutes 26 seconds
  4. 4Feeding tubes and tube feedings8 minutes 20 seconds
  5. 5Bowel and bladder elimination9 minutes 38 seconds
  6. 6Skin integrity and pressure injuries8 minutes 17 seconds
  7. 7Pain assessment and nonpharmacological comfort7 minutes 13 seconds
  8. 8Sleep, rest and complementary therapies6 minutes 14 seconds
  9. 9Casts, splints, traction and braces7 minutes 39 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

5Health promotion across the lifespan
  1. 1Health assessment: comprehensive and focused8 minutes 45 seconds
  2. 2Screening and preventive care8 minutes 45 seconds
  3. 3Immunizations across the lifespan7 minutes 32 seconds
  4. 4Growth and development: birth to 2 years8 minutes
  5. 5Growth and development: ages 3 to 179 minutes 20 seconds
  6. 6Adults and older adults8 minutes 56 seconds
  7. 7Client teaching and health literacy7 minutes 26 seconds
  8. 8Home, community and high-risk behaviors8 minutes 43 seconds
  9. 9Sexual and reproductive health10 minutes 59 seconds
  10. 10Developmental stages and age-appropriate care9 minutes 46 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

Pharmacology and risk reduction

6Pharmacology and parenteral therapies
  1. 1Medication safety: rights, orders and reconciliation9 minutes
  2. 2Routes and administration techniques9 minutes 20 seconds
  3. 3High-alert and controlled medications8 minutes 43 seconds
  4. 4Before and after you give a medication8 minutes 9 seconds
  5. 5Dosage calculation I: conversions and doses10 minutes 55 seconds
  6. 6Dosage calculation II: IV rates and titration10 minutes 32 seconds
  7. 7Cardiovascular drugs I: blood pressure and heart failure10 minutes 48 seconds
  8. 8Cardiovascular drugs II: clotting, rhythm and angina12 minutes 1 second
  9. 9Respiratory and allergy drugs8 minutes 46 seconds
  10. 10Endocrine drugs11 minutes 45 seconds
  11. 11Neurological drugs8 minutes 48 seconds
  12. 12Psychiatric drugs9 minutes 53 seconds
  13. 13Anti-infective drugs12 minutes 4 seconds
  14. 14GI, urinary and maternity drugs9 minutes 5 seconds
  15. 15Pain management and reversal agents9 minutes 46 seconds
  16. 16IV therapy and peripheral lines8 minutes 45 seconds
  17. 17Central lines and parenteral nutrition8 minutes 46 seconds
  18. 18Blood products and transfusion reactions8 minutes 43 seconds
  19. 19Chemotherapy, immunology and antidotes8 minutes 33 seconds
  20. 20Reading generic names: drug-class stems7 minutes 19 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

7Labs, diagnostics and perioperative care
  1. 1Vital signs: measuring and interpreting7 minutes 41 seconds
  2. 2Lab values I: blood counts, clotting and chemistry12 minutes 42 seconds
  3. 3Lab values II: kidney, liver, heart and drug levels8 minutes 19 seconds
  4. 4Diagnostic tests and invasive procedures9 minutes 3 seconds
  5. 5Point-of-care testing, ECGs and specimens7 minutes 41 seconds
  6. 6Preoperative care and moderate sedation12 minutes 30 seconds
  7. 7Postoperative care and complications9 minutes 52 seconds
  8. 8Recognizing deterioration across body systems8 minutes 18 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

Body systems

8Fluids, electrolytes and acid–base
  1. 1Fluid balance: deficit and overload7 minutes 57 seconds
  2. 2Sodium and potassium9 minutes 19 seconds
  3. 3Calcium, magnesium and phosphate8 minutes 32 seconds
  4. 4Acid–base balance and blood gases9 minutes 41 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

9Cardiovascular
  1. 1Heart failure9 minutes 22 seconds
  2. 2Coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome10 minutes 20 seconds
  3. 3Dysrhythmias, telemetry and pacemakers13 minutes 40 seconds
  4. 4Hypertension and vascular disease11 minutes
  5. 5Venous thromboembolism and circulation7 minutes 4 seconds
  6. 6Shock, sepsis and hemodynamic monitoring9 minutes 22 seconds
  7. 7Inflammatory and valvular heart disease7 minutes 8 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

10Respiratory
  1. 1Oxygenation, suctioning and pulmonary hygiene8 minutes 23 seconds
  2. 2Asthma and COPD8 minutes 42 seconds
  3. 3Pneumonia, tuberculosis and respiratory infections8 minutes 36 seconds
  4. 4Chest trauma, pneumothorax and chest tubes7 minutes 55 seconds
  5. 5Respiratory failure, ventilators and tracheostomy9 minutes 33 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

11Neurological
  1. 1Neuro assessment and increased intracranial pressure9 minutes 30 seconds
  2. 2Stroke8 minutes 22 seconds
  3. 3Seizures and epilepsy8 minutes 11 seconds
  4. 4Spinal cord injury7 minutes 23 seconds
  5. 5Chronic neurological disorders13 minutes 12 seconds
  6. 6Neurosurgical aftercare: laminectomy, spinal fusion and craniotomy8 minutes 35 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

12Endocrine
  1. 1Diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia11 minutes 33 seconds
  2. 2Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar state7 minutes 39 seconds
  3. 3Thyroid and parathyroid disorders8 minutes 48 seconds
  4. 4Adrenal and pituitary disorders8 minutes 47 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

13Renal and urinary
  1. 1Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease9 minutes 53 seconds
  2. 2Dialysis and continuous renal replacement8 minutes 8 seconds
  3. 3Urinary infections, stones and the prostate7 minutes 38 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

14Gastrointestinal and hepatic
  1. 1Upper GI disorders and GI bleeding10 minutes 26 seconds
  2. 2Lower GI disorders and ostomies12 minutes 1 second
  3. 3Liver disorders8 minutes 45 seconds
  4. 4Gallbladder and pancreas6 minutes 31 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

15Hematology, oncology and immunity
  1. 1Anemias and bleeding disorders12 minutes 3 seconds
  2. 2Cancer care and oncologic emergencies13 minutes 5 seconds
  3. 3Immune disorders, HIV and hypersensitivity8 minutes 46 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

16Musculoskeletal, skin and senses
  1. 1Fractures, compartment syndrome and orthopedic surgery9 minutes 31 seconds
  2. 2Osteoporosis, arthritis and amputation10 minutes 4 seconds
  3. 3Burns9 minutes 21 seconds
  4. 4Wounds, drains and negative-pressure therapy8 minutes 28 seconds
  5. 5Eye and ear disorders8 minutes 21 seconds
  6. 6Common skin disorders8 minutes 46 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

17Emergencies and temperature
  1. 1Emergency care procedures11 minutes 29 seconds
  2. 2Temperature regulation7 minutes 34 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

Special populations

18Maternity and newborn
  1. 1Prenatal care11 minutes 6 seconds
  2. 2Complications of pregnancy14 minutes 39 seconds
  3. 3Labor and birth11 minutes 8 seconds
  4. 4Fetal monitoring and internal monitoring9 minutes 49 seconds
  5. 5Postpartum care and complications10 minutes 12 seconds
  6. 6Newborn care12 minutes 41 seconds
  7. 7The high-risk newborn8 minutes 45 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

19Pediatrics
  1. 1Caring for children and families8 minutes 41 seconds
  2. 2Pediatric respiratory conditions9 minutes 48 seconds
  3. 3Pediatric cardiac conditions8 minutes 28 seconds
  4. 4Pediatric GI conditions and fluid balance8 minutes 32 seconds
  5. 5Pediatric neurological conditions7 minutes 34 seconds
  6. 6Pediatric musculoskeletal conditions7 minutes 11 seconds
  7. 7Pediatric hematology, oncology and renal conditions8 minutes 48 seconds
  8. 8Communicable diseases, genetics and poisoning8 minutes 42 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

20Mental health
  1. 1Therapeutic communication and the therapeutic environment9 minutes 40 seconds
  2. 2Anxiety, stress and crisis11 minutes 47 seconds
  3. 3Depression, bipolar disorder and suicide risk9 minutes 30 seconds
  4. 4Schizophrenia and psychotic disorders9 minutes 28 seconds
  5. 5Substance use disorders15 minutes 3 seconds
  6. 6Eating and personality disorders9 minutes 2 seconds
  7. 7Delirium and dementia8 minutes 29 seconds
  8. 8Abuse, neglect and violence10 minutes 13 seconds
  9. 9Grief, loss, end-of-life and postmortem care8 minutes 18 seconds
  10. 10Child and adolescent mental health7 minutes 30 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

Part 3 · Next Generation item strategy

38 lessons · 3 h 39 min

A repeatable method for each Next Generation item format, worked beat by beat on real practice items, ending with a full unfolding case study.

21Highlight (enhanced hot spot) items
  1. 1How highlight items work and how they're scored4 minutes 54 seconds
  2. 2Worked example: a new nurse's documentationWorked example5 minutes 58 seconds
  3. 3Worked example: the post-op nurse's noteWorked example5 minutes 55 seconds
  4. 4Images, exhibits and sound: hot spot, graphic-option and audio items5 minutes 57 seconds

Practice: Section quiz · Hands-on assignment

22Matrix / grid items
  1. 1Matrix multiple choice vs multiple response5 minutes 47 seconds
  2. 2Worked example: escalate now or keep monitoring?Worked example6 minutes 19 seconds
  3. 3Worked example: physical or emotional stressor?Worked example5 minutes 47 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

23Drop-down (cloze) items
  1. 1Cloze, table and rationale drop-downs5 minutes 48 seconds
  2. 2Worked example: the abdominal assessment sequenceWorked example4 minutes 57 seconds
  3. 3Worked example: START triage, category *because* reasonWorked example4 minutes 54 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

24Extended multiple-response items
  1. 1Select all, select N, grouping, and the +/− trap6 minutes 44 seconds
  2. 2Worked example: is this opioid response dangerous?Worked example6 minutes 12 seconds
  3. 3Worked example: confidentiality and social mediaWorked example6 minutes 1 second

Practice: Section quiz · Hands-on assignment

25Drag-and-drop and ordered-response items
  1. 1How drag-and-drop and ordered items work5 minutes 5 seconds
  2. 2Worked example: which IV complication is this?Worked example5 minutes 19 seconds
  3. 3Worked example: escalating agitation, in orderWorked example5 minutes

Practice: Section quiz

26Bowtie items
  1. 1How bowtie items work and how they're scored4 minutes 56 seconds
  2. 2Worked example: the heparin infusionWorked example11 minutes 51 seconds
  3. 3Worked example: a tight cast at 29 weeksWorked example6 minutes 33 seconds

Practice: Section quiz · Hands-on assignment

27Trend items
  1. 1Reading data over time5 minutes 12 seconds
  2. 2Worked example: after moderate sedationWorked example5 minutes
  3. 3Worked example: heart-failure teach-back at follow-upWorked example4 minutes 48 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

28Calculation items
  1. 1NCSBN's calculation rules6 minutes
  2. 2Worked example: the weight-based dose that catches an errorWorked example5 minutes 56 seconds
  3. 3Worked example: what's left of a fluid restriction?Worked example5 minutes 1 second

Practice: Section quiz

29Priority and delegation in practice
  1. 1Worked example: a sudden wide-complex rhythmWorked example5 minutes 9 seconds
  2. 2Worked example: smoke on the unitWorked example4 minutes 47 seconds
  3. 3Worked example: what can the UAP take?Worked example4 minutes 56 seconds
  4. 4Drill: four clients, one nurseWorked example7 minutes 40 seconds
  5. 5Drill: making the assignmentWorked example7 minutes 53 seconds
  6. 6Drill: psych and maternity prioritiesWorked example8 minutes 2 seconds

Practice: Section quiz

30One full unfolding case study: fentanyl patch toxicity
  1. 1How a case study unfolds4 minutes 4 seconds
  2. 2Step 1 · Recognize cuesCase step5 minutes 5 seconds
  3. 3Step 2 · Analyze cuesCase step4 minutes 57 seconds
  4. 4Step 3 · Prioritize hypothesesCase step4 minutes 45 seconds
  5. 5Step 4 · Generate solutionsCase step4 minutes 58 seconds
  6. 6Step 5 · Take actionCase step5 minutes 16 seconds
  7. 7Step 6 · Evaluate outcomesCase step5 minutes 29 seconds

Practice: Hands-on assignment

Part 4 · Test day and practice

4 lessons · 16 min

Test-day logistics, a study plan, and full-length practice exams weighted to the test plan.

31Test day and your study plan
  1. 1Test day: time, breaks, noteboard, pacing5 minutes 31 seconds
  2. 2An eight-week plan using this course5 minutes 2 seconds
  3. 3If you don't pass: reading the Candidate Performance Report4 minutes 3 seconds

Practice: Section quiz · Two full-length practice exams

32Bonus lecture
  1. 1Bonus lecture1 minute 36 seconds

Bonus · Case walkthroughs

24 lessons · 2 h

One video for each unfolding case study in the practice question bank. Each walks the case screen by screen through the six clinical judgment steps: what the screen asks, how to work it out, and why the other options are wrong. Try the case first, then watch.

Case walkthroughs
  1. 1Casted Leg Pain at 29 Weeks' Gestation5 minutes
  2. 2Correcting an Unwitnessed Controlled-Substance Waste5 minutes
  3. 3Recognizing Citrate Toxicity During Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy5 minutes
  4. 4Home Recovery After Coronary Bypass Surgery5 minutes
  5. 5Psychosocial Barriers to Newly Diagnosed Diabetes Self-Management5 minutes
  6. 6Managing Respiratory Depression During Moderate Sedation5 minutes
  7. 7Fentanyl Patch Toxicity at a Palliative Care Home Call5 minutes
  8. 8Sun and Heat Safety Education After Burns in a Child With Spina Bifida5 minutes
  9. 9Recognizing Evolving Sepsis in a Client with Pneumonia5 minutes
  10. 10Missed Penicillin Allergy in a Pediatric Long-Term Care Resident5 minutes
  11. 11Recognizing and Managing an Acute Hemolytic Transfusion Reaction5 minutes
  12. 12Suctioning a Tracheostomy in a Mechanically Ventilated Client5 minutes
  13. 13Insulin Restriction and Ketoacidosis in an Adolescent With an Eating Disorder5 minutes
  14. 14Discharge Teaching for Newly Diagnosed Heart Failure5 minutes
  15. 15An Advance Directive Conflict After a Heart Failure Admission5 minutes
  16. 16Safe Transition After Heart-Failure Observation5 minutes
  17. 17Medication Reconciliation and Allergy Safety5 minutes
  18. 18Worsening Oxygenation in a Ventilated Client5 minutes
  19. 19A Delegation Near-Miss After a New Swallowing Change5 minutes
  20. 20Updating a Stalled Postoperative Rehabilitation Plan5 minutes
  21. 21Managing an Obstructed Catheter During Continuous Bladder Irrigation5 minutes
  22. 22Fall-Risk Safety Education After a Wrist Fracture5 minutes
  23. 23Targeted Screening at an Annual Wellness Checkup5 minutes
  24. 24Correcting Unsafe Home-Medication Transport at Long-Term Care Admission5 minutes

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Questions

Is this a full content review or just test-taking strategy?

Both. Part 2 is a content review of every client-needs category in the 2026 test plan, from management of care to pediatrics. Part 3 teaches a method for each Next Generation item format, worked on practice items.

Is the course made with AI?

Yes, and we say so. AI helps write the lesson scripts and narrates the videos. Each lesson is checked by AI against current guidelines, with spot-checks by a registered nurse, and is labeled AI-checked or, once a licensed nurse has reviewed it, Nurse-checked. If a lesson changes, it goes through the checks again and says AI-checked until a nurse reviews the new version.

Are the practice questions checked by a nurse?

Some are, and each question says which. Practice-exam, Smart Drill and course questions are checked by AI against current guidelines, with spot-checks by a registered nurse. Questions marked Nurse-checked were reviewed by a licensed RN.

What does the diagnostic tell me?

Where to start. It’s about 40 questions across all the client-needs categories and takes about 45 minutes. Your results set your lesson order and what Smart Drill works on first. It doesn’t predict whether you’ll pass, and no practice test can.

How long is the course?

About 25 h 42 min of video across 186 lessons, plus a flashcard deck for each lesson, section quizzes and full practice exams. Lessons are short, so you can fit one into a break.

Can I join now?

Yes. Start the free trial or buy 90 days at the top of this page. Lessons keep opening as each passes our checks, and your membership includes every new one.

Is every lesson open now?

Not yet. Lessons open one at a time as each passes our checks. The curriculum below shows which lessons are open now.

How does the subscription work?

Monthly is $39.99 a month and renews until you cancel. If you haven’t subscribed before, it starts with a 7-day free trial: cancel during the trial and you won’t be charged. Or pay $100 once for 90 days; it never renews. Cancel anytime from your course dashboard. Your first payment on the website can be refunded in full if you ask within 7 days. You get every lesson we publish while you’re a member, including lessons added after you join. The course terms are in section 20 of our Terms of Service.

Does it guarantee that I pass?

No course can promise a pass, and we won’t. Here’s what we do promise: if you take the NCLEX-RN while you’re subscribed and don’t pass, we’ll give you 90 more days of the course free to prepare for your retake. Email us your result within 60 days. You can hide everything except your name, test date and result. The details are in section 20.7 of our Terms of Service.

Is this affiliated with NCSBN?

No. NCLEX® and NCLEX-RN® are registered trademarks of NCSBN, which does not endorse this course. The course uses only original practice items.

Do I need the RN PocketPal app?

No. The course runs in your browser. If you use the app, sign in with the same Apple or Google account and your practice exams sync between phone and laptop.

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. The course teaches to the published 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan with original practice items; it contains no real exam questions and does not guarantee a result.