From Prep to Pass: The Ultimate Guide to Acing Your Next Gen NCLEX-RN Exam (Part 1)

The Next Generation NCLEX-RN (NGN), launched by the NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) on April 1, 2023, is the newest version of the NCLEX-RN licensure exam for nurses. 

Unlike the original NCLEX-RN which was more theoretical, the Next Gen NCLEX-RN is designed to assess a nursing candidate's practical clinical judgment of real-world nursing scenarios. Because the exam aligns with everyday nursing realities, it evaluates a nurse-candidate’s ability to make informed decisions under pressure. 

For starters, see for yourself how Achieve simplifies your Next Gen NCLEX-RN journey towards developing competent clinical judgment with our Next Gen NCLEX-RN course. It is everything you need to ace your NCLEX-RN licensure exam on your first try. 

In this two-part guide, we’ll provide an actionable blueprint for Next Gen NCLEX-RN success. From mastering the NGN format, including its innovative question types, to successful test-day strategies, we’ll equip you with the confidence and tools you need to pass the NCLEX the first time.  

Key Takeaways

• Clinical Judgment Emphasis for the Next Gen NCLEX-RN: Unlike the traditional NCLEX-RN, the NGN focuses on real-world application, assessing a nurse-candidate’s ability to make informed decisions under pressure. Mastering the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (CJMM) is at the heart of NGN success.
• Innovative Question Formats Require Critical Thinking: The NGN contains new question formats like bowtie questions, case studies and prioritization scenarios which are designed to evaluate critical thinking skills. Ensure that you familiarize yourself with these to pass the exam with confidence and accuracy.
• Next Gen NCLEX-RN Success Requires Strategy and Preparation: Your strong clinical reasoning skills is useful for the Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) format and partial credit scoring. A strategic study plan focusing on NGN-style questions and key content areas will help you pass the first time.

Understanding the Next Gen NCLEX-RN

What Is the NGN and Why Was It Introduced?

The NGN is an updated version of the NCLEX licensure exam, implemented to more accurately test the critical thinking and decision-making skills in nurse-candidates for safe and effective nursing practices. In effect, the Next Gen NCLEX-RN tests for clinical nursing judgement, a critical aptitude necessary for effective patient care. Unlike the NCLEX which tests for more theoretical understanding, key reasons for rolling out the NGN included:

• Responding to the growing complexity of healthcare and modern patient care.
• Closing the divide between theoretical and applied, real-world nursing scenarios.
• Ensuring nurses make the best, informed decisions under time-sensitive circumstances.

At the core of the NGN is the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (CJMM) which organizes the decision-making process for nursing into six phases:

1. Recognizing Cues: Identify relevant signals like vital signs and pertinent patient history from various sources.   
2. Analyzing Cues: Organize and interpret these signals to analyze a patient's clinical presentation.
3. Prioritizing Hypotheses: Assessing and ranking prospective explanations for a patient’s condition based on factors like urgency and risk. 
4. Generating Solutions: Predict the expected outcomes and develop interventions to address the prioritized hypotheses.
5. Taking Action: Implement the selected interventions appropriately and effectively. 
6. Evaluating Outcomes: Evaluate the patient’s response to the interventions and compare the observed outcomes with the anticipated result. 

‍Developed by the NCSBN, this structured CJMM framework enables the NGN to evaluate a candidate’s ability to make reasoned clinical judgments. In this way, this cognitive process outlines the critical thinking pathway nurses employ to make sound clinical assessments so that  the NGN can assess core nursing competencies.

Next Gen NCLEX-RN Question Types and Strategies

The Next Gen NCLEX-RN has several different question formats, each designed to probe core nursing competency, critical reasoning skills and decision-making ability. Here are the common question types:

New Question Types

Going beyond the typical multiple choice questions, the Next Gen NCLEX-RN explores real-world nursing scenarios with formats that include:

• Case Studies: Evolving scenarios that unfold to ask stepwise, critical reasoning and decision-making questions about real-world nursing scenarios.
• Bowtie Questions: Emphasizing identification of the most relevant actions, possible complications and patient outcomes. 
• Expanded Stand-Alone Items: Focusing on independent test assessments that determine your clinical judgment and decision-making skills from questions like extended multiple response, matrix/grid items, enhanced hot spot and drop-down cloze. 
• Trend Questions: Identifying patterns and care priorities using patient charts and relevant data. 

For the exam, questions are designed not only to test theoretical knowledge but also practical nursing applications. Comfort and familiarity with these question types will help ensure more complete accuracy. Key Content Category Covered in the NCLEX-RNThe following content categories of the NCLEX-RN exam establish competent credibility to become a licensed LPN. These competencies ensure that each LPN possesses the requisite know-how to practice safe and effective patient care. Each area emphasizes real-world decision-making confidence and critical thinking skills to ensure the LPN candidate is qualified. Here are the key content categories that make up the NCLEX-RN exam, with their weighted values for the exam:

Mastering these sections of the NCLEX-RN exam ensures you have the ability to safely and competently handle effective patient care. By focusing on these categories, you can better prepare for successfully responding to the actual theoretical and practical demands of the NCLEX-RN exam. 

Partial Credit Scoring

Unlike the traditional NCLEX approach to questions as all-or-nothing, the NGN offers more nuanced partial credit. In this way, candidates are rewarded for discerning part of the critical thinking needed to answer each question. This new policy encourages greater efforts in clinical judgment. 

Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) Format

Similar to the traditional NCLEX, the NGN applies the CAT format to make question difficulty responsive to testing performance. The exam contains 85 to 150 questions, including 15 unscored pre-test questions. This adaptive format ensures that your fitness for nursing competence is carefully assessed. 

Does the NGN make passing the NCLEX harder?

Not necessarily. Although the Next Gen NCLEX-RN tests more rigorously for critical thinking and decision making skills in clinical judgment, it also offers partial credit opportunities. Many candidates have found the exam to be manageable with the right test prep strategy. This emphasizes a focus on the CJMM process and practicing NGN-style questions to build confidence. 

Read On in Our Second Part to This Ultimate Guide!

Join us in the second part for this series on the Next Gen NCLEX-RN Exam where we’ll explore how best to prepare for the exam, tips for exam day and post-exam considerations. We’ll see you on the flip side!

Explore Achieve Test Prep’s Proven NCLEX-RN Strategies and Flexible Courses So You Pass the First Time!

With our expert-led instruction, personalized, one-on-one tutoring and NGN-style practice exams, we provide you with everything you need to master clinical judgment and pass on the first try with the help of our specialized Next Gen NCLEX course. Our expert-led Next Gen NCLEX-RN exam prep course is designed to fit your busy schedule so you can prepare for the NCLEX on your own terms. 

If you are looking to fast-track your nursing career, we’re here to support you with bridge programs in LPN to RN, LPN to BSN, CNA to RN, RN to BSN among many more options. Be among the many satisfied students who have succeeded with Achieve and get ahead in your nursing path today. Consider partnering with Achieve Test Prep today!