Editing NCLEX-RN Exam Blueprint (section)

=== Approximate distribution ===

The following percentage ranges are those published in the 2026 NCLEX-RN test plan (NCSBN, 2026a). They are unchanged from the 2023 edition. Because the exam is variable length, the content distribution of any individual examination may differ by up to plus or minus 3 percent in each category.

{| class="wikitable"
! Client Needs category !! Subcategory !! Percentage of items
|-
| rowspan="2" | Safe and Effective Care Environment || Management of Care || 15 to 21%
|-
| Safety and Infection Prevention and Control || 10 to 16%
|-
| Health Promotion and Maintenance || || 6 to 12%
|-
| Psychosocial Integrity || || 6 to 12%
|-
| rowspan="4" | Physiological Integrity || Basic Care and Comfort || 6 to 12%
|-
| Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies || 13 to 19%
|-
| Reduction of Risk Potential || 9 to 15%
|-
| Physiological Adaptation || 11 to 17%
|}

The practical takeaway is that Physiological Integrity as a whole is the largest block of the exam, and within the remaining categories Management of Care and Safety and Infection Prevention and Control carry substantial weight. Pharmacology, safety, and management of care together account for a large share of items.