Editing NCLEX-PN Exam Blueprint (section)

== Item Types ==

Candidates should expect a mix of traditional and newer formats:

* '''Multiple choice''', four options and one correct answer. This remains the most common item type.
* '''Multiple response''', select all that apply, and newer variants such as select N, select all that apply on a table or grid, and matrix items in which the candidate classifies each finding across columns.
* '''Fill in the blank calculation''', most often a dosage, an intravenous flow rate, or an intake and output total.
* '''Ordered response or drag and drop''', placing steps of a procedure or priority actions in sequence.
* '''Hot spot''', clicking a location on an image such as an auscultation site.
* '''Chart and exhibit''' items requiring the candidate to review a medical record before answering.
* '''Cloze or drop down''' items in which the candidate selects words from menus to complete a sentence about the patient.
* '''Highlight''' items in which the candidate selects the relevant words or phrases in a passage of text.
* '''Audio and graphic''' items, which appear less frequently.

Some NGN item types use '''partial credit scoring''', so answering part of an item correctly can earn partial credit. Traditional items are scored right or wrong. There is no penalty for guessing, and every item must be answered before the exam advances. Candidates cannot skip an item or return to a previous one.