Starting April 2023, an updated NCLEX-RN exam will be renamed the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) exam. The NCLEX-RN tests competency of nursing applicants and is a registration requirement.
The NGN exam will also be a Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) in which the questions are geared to the level of the person completing the exam. The questions are reflective of nursing practice today and test the writer’s clinical judgment.
The NGN exam will continue to have standalone questions. What is new is that approximately 22-33 percent of the questions will be case studies that are reflective of nursing practice today. These case studies will test the writer’s clinical judgment, specifically critical decisions nurses must make in a variety of healthcare settings. The questions focus on interactions between nurse and client, the client's needs and expected outcomes.
These questions, like all NCLEX exam questions, have been tested for the past several years as unscored questions on the current NCLEX exam.
The NCSBN Next Generation NCLEX website has resources to help applicants prepare to write the NGN starting in April 2023. These resources include FAQs, webinars and practice exams.
Exam writer Q&As
The NGN exam uses both standalone questions and a smaller percentage of case studies. These case studies are like those you see in nursing practice and reflect the kinds of critical decisions nurses must make in a variety of healthcare settings. They focus on interactions between nurse and client, the client's needs and expected outcomes.
Each case study is composed of six items, each item measuring the elements of NCSBN’s Clinical Judgment Measurement Model. All exam writers will see three scored case studies and each case study is composed of six items, for a total of 18 items. The NCSBN NCLEX-RN website has more information on the format.
No, starting April 1, 2023, the NGN will be the only registration exam available for RN applicants.
Yes, NCSBN has a practice exam that gives you the look and feel of your test-day exam. You can find more information on the NCSBN NCLEX-RN practice exam website.
Educator Q&As
Test plans will be posted on the NCSBN NCLEX-RN website when available.
NCSBN’s Clinical Judgment Measurement Model was developed by NCSBN researchers as a framework for the valid measurement of clinical judgment and decision-making within the context of a standardized exam.