The NCLEX-PN examination is the National Council Licensure Examination for Licensed Practical Nurses. In the past, a similar examination was referred to as the “State Board” for a nursing license. Passing the NCLEX-PN examination gives your state the authority to grant you a nursing license after the completion of a state approved school for practical nursing.

The content of the NCLEX-PN Test Plan consists of four major sections, each of which test your knowledge, skills and abilities to meet these client needs. These categories, or sections, and the percentage of questions you should expect to see in this examination are:

1. Safe and Effective Care Environment
   • Coordinated Care (16% to 22%)
   • Safety and Infection Control (10% to16%)

2. Health Promotion and Maintenance (7% to 13%)

3. Psychosocial Integrity (8% to 14%)

4. Physiological Integrity
   • Basic Care and Comfort (7% to 13%)
   • Pharmacological Therapies (11% to 17%)
   • Reduction of Risk Potential (10% to 16%)
   • Physiological Adaptation (7% to 13%)

In addition to the above categories, the questions will also contain ongoing essential themes and skills such as clinical problem solving using the nursing process, communication, caring/compassion, teaching/learning and documentation.

Lastly, most of the questions are multiple choices questions with four items, only one of which is correct. Others are alternative format questions such as choosing all the items where more than one item is correct, fill in the blanks and listing priorities or steps in a procedure from the first to the last. You will see all types of questions in our practice examination for licensed practical nurses.

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