Preparing for the New NCLEX Format
The NCSBN® introduced a new format for the NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN® exams in April 2023. The Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) exam includes new item types designed to assess students’ knowledge in more interactive and comprehensive ways by going beyond traditional multiple-choice questions. These new item types offer more dynamic engagement, such as dragging, dropping, ordering, highlighting, or selecting multiple rows.
Pocket Prep’s Introduction of NGN Item Types
Students unfamiliar with the new NGN item types can experience stress, anxiety, and confusion on exam day. To address this, Pocket Prep is introducing NGN items across our web and mobile platforms for the NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN® exams to ensure students are prepared for the variety of question formats they may face during their NCLEX® exams.
In the Fall of 2024, we released two Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) item types — Case Studies and Matrix.
Case Studies
Unfolding case studies are a series of questions based on a changing case study. Within the series of questions, new and unpredictable information is given, requiring the test taker to adapt as the scenario progresses. They can include a variety of question types.
Matrix
The matrix item type is a closed-ended question that asks the test taker to evaluate a number of row items using the same set of column choices. This challenges students to select multiple answers by marking cells in a matrix grid.
Questions on the exam can have 4-10 rows and 2-3 columns. Each row must have 1 response option selected. A student cannot continue to the next question until all rows have a response.
Questions on the exam can have 4-7 rows and 2-10 columns. Each row can have multiple options selected, and each column must have at least 1 response option selected.
In the Fall of 2025, we are releasing three additional Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) item types — Drag-and-Drop Cloze, Drop-Down Cloze, and Drop-Down Rationale.
Drag-and-Drop Cloze
The Drag-and-Drop Cloze item type presents the test taker with a sentence or short passage that includes two or more blanks, called response targets. Below the sentence is a list of word choices, known as tokens, typically ranging from four to ten options.
The test taker must complete the sentence by dragging the correct tokens into the appropriate blanks. A token can be removed by dragging it back to the list, and if a new token is placed into a blank that already contains one, the original token automatically returns to the list. Some items may include more than one response target, and each target may have only one correct answer.
This item type is designed to assess the test taker’s ability to apply knowledge within context by selecting and organizing key information to form a complete, accurate statement.
Drop-Down Cloze
The Drop-Down Cloze item type presents the test taker with a paragraph that includes one or more drop-down menus within the text. Each drop-down contains three to five possible answer options, and the test taker must select the most appropriate choice to complete the sentence accurately. These items typically include at least one sentence with one drop-down per sentence and may include up to five sentences, each containing a single drop-down.
This item type evaluates the test taker’s ability to interpret information in context and apply clinical knowledge to select the best option for completing each part of the paragraph.
Drop-Down Rationale
The Drop-Down Rationale item type presents the test taker with a single sentence that illustrates a cause-and-effect relationship. The sentence may include one cause and one effect, or one cause and two effects. These formats are referred to as a dyad (one sentence with two drop-downs) or a triad (one sentence with three drop-downs).
Each drop-down contains three to five possible answer options, and the test taker must select the choices that best complete the logical relationship between cause and effect.
This item type assesses the test taker’s ability to apply clinical reasoning by identifying accurate causal links within a scenario or statement.
Why Introducing NGN Item Types Matters
Research indicates that understanding the format and types of items significantly enhances performance on exam day. Our NGN prep items are designed to approximately simulate what students will see on their NCLEX exams. We recommend that anyone taking these exams familiarize themselves with these item types in addition to practicing them with Pocket Prep. We offer an intuitive and user-friendly interface that effectively replicates the challenges posed by these advanced question styles. By familiarizing students with these items, Pocket Prep is equipping them with the tools they need to approach NGN items confidently and with minimal stress.
What We’ve Learned From the Experts
Learning science expert Cindy Nebel, PhD, concluded: “Test expectancy is a phenomenon where students adapt their study strategies based on knowing the format of the test they’ll take. The research shows that regardless of the format of practice questions, students will perform better on the test if they know what the test will look like. As students learn, they literally process the information differently to prepare for how they will have to use it later on. Because students can adjust the way they encode, practice test format matters less than simply knowing what’s coming.”
Pocket Prep’s NGN Item Release Timeline
We plan to release our Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) item types on a rolling basis, beginning in November 2024, with additional question formats launching throughout 2025:
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- Matrix: November 2024
- Case Studies: November 2024
- Drag-and-Drop Cloze: October 2025
- Drop-Down Cloze: October 2025
- Drop-Down Rationale: October 2025
Next Generation NCLEX® Prep with Pocket Prep
At Pocket Prep, we are dedicated to providing members with the latest question formats to boost their exam readiness and success on the NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN® exams. Our commitment to continuously enhancing our product includes developing NGN item types that align with emerging certification trends. These updates will help prepare students not only for the exam but also for using clinical judgment in real-world practice.
