NCLEX sections
The NCLEX examination consists of four major sections having 10 subsections which according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing are "categories of client needs". "Client Needs" is the base on which the student’s abilities and actions are measured. The exam puts together the thoughts and procedures vital for practicing nursing and meeting client needs. The test consists of multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank items, or items asking the student to recognize the data from a graph/picture/chart.
The following are the sections and subsection of the NCLEX:
Safe, Effective Care Environment
- Management of Care
- Safety and Infection Control
Health Promotion and Maintenance
- Growth and Development Through the Life Span
- Prevention and Early Detection of Disease
Psychosocial Integrity
- Coping and Adaptation
- Psychosocial Adaptation
Physiological Integrity
- Basic Care and Comfort
- Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
- Reduction of Risk Potential
- Physiological Adaptation
The NCLEX exam is in the computer adaptive testing format. The main criterion of this format is that the computer adapts the difficulty of the questions according to the student’s ability to answer. This is possible through the programming of the computer to start with easy questions and then move on to either more difficult or easier questions depending on the student’s correct or wrong answer. The NCLEX test attempts to match the student with questions that are at his level of nursing awareness and acceptance.