If you’re planning to take the NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® in 2026, the good news is this: the exam is not undergoing a major redesign. Instead, the 2026 NCLEX reflects thoughtful refinements that better align the exam with how entry-level nurses practice today.
The updated test plans take effect April 1, 2026, and are based on the latest nursing practice analyses. While the exam structure remains the same, the updates reinforce clinical judgment, ethical accountability, and equitable, inclusive care.
2025 NCLEX® Examination Candidate Bulletin
2026 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan (April 2026)
2026 NCLEX-PN® Test Plan (April 2026)
No Structural Overhaul—Just Meaningful Refinement
The NCLEX format will remain unchanged in 2026. Candidates can expect the same testing experience they’ve seen in recent years.
What Stays the Same
- Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) format
- Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) clinical judgment items
- Item count ranges and scoring models
- Client Needs categories and content distribution
If you’ve been preparing with NGN-style questions and case studies, you’re already aligned with the 2026 exam.
Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) Is Fully Established
By 2026, NGN is no longer new; it is the standard. The exam continues to assess clinical judgment through realistic patient scenarios that require you to recognize cues, analyze data, prioritize interventions, and evaluate outcomes.
NGN content appears through both case studies and stand-alone items, reinforcing real-world nursing decision-making.
What’s Changed for 2026
Updated Practice Analysis
The 2026 NCLEX test plans are informed by the 2024 RN and LPN/VN Practice Analyses, which examined what newly licensed nurses actually do in practice. These findings guided updates that ensure the exam reflects current nursing responsibilities.
Clearer Emphasis on Health Equity and Inclusive Care
The most notable refinement is a more explicit focus on health equity, bias recognition, and inclusive care. While these concepts have always been part of nursing, they are now more clearly integrated into exam expectations.
Modernized Terminology
Several terms have been updated to reflect current standards. For example, “Safety and Infection Control” is now “Safety and Infection Prevention and Control.” The RN role definition also explicitly includes ethical accountability and equitable access to care.
2026 NCLEX-RN Exam Content and Weighting
The NCLEX-RN remains organized around Client Needs categories. The approximate percentage ranges below reflect how exam items are distributed.
NCLEX-RN Client Needs Categories
- Safe and Effective Care Environment (25–37%)
- Management of Care: 15–21%
- Safety and Infection Prevention and Control: 10–16%
- Health Promotion and Maintenance (6–12%)
- Psychosocial Integrity (6–12%)
- Physiological Integrity (38–62%)
- Basic Care and Comfort: 6–12%
- Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies: 13–19%
- Reduction of Risk Potential: 9–15%
- Physiological Adaptation: 11–17%
Physiological Integrity remains the largest portion of the exam, emphasizing hands-on clinical care and patient management.
2026 NCLEX-PN Exam Content and Weighting
The NCLEX-PN follows a similar Client Needs framework, with an emphasis on practical nursing responsibilities and foundational patient care.
NCLEX-PN Client Needs Categories
- Safe and Effective Care Environment (28–40%)
- Coordinated Care: 18–24%
- Safety and Infection Prevention and Control: 10–16%
- Health Promotion and Maintenance (6–12%)
- Psychosocial Integrity (9–15%)
- Physiological Integrity (33–57%)
- Basic Care and Comfort: 7–13%
- Pharmacological Therapies: 10–16%
- Reduction of Risk Potential: 9–15%
- Physiological Adaptation: 7–13%
What This Means for NCLEX Test-Takers
The 2026 NCLEX is evolving through refinement—not redesign. You don’t need to change how you study, but you do need to study in a way that reflects how nurses actually think and practice.
That’s where Pocket Prep comes in. Our NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN prep is built around clinical judgment, ethical decision-making, and patient-centered care, so you’re not just preparing to pass the exam, but to step confidently into practice on day one.
