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Course-aligned practice questions written and reviewed by RNs — every answer with a full rationale.
ATI Fundamentals
Foundational nursing concepts — patient safety, infection control, vital signs, and the nursing process. Practice with rationale-based questions matching ATI's content outline.
Practice nowStart ATI FundamentalsATI Adult Medical-Surgical
Care of adult patients across major body systems — cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, endocrine, and GI. One of the most heavily weighted proctored exams.
Practice nowStart ATI Adult Medical-SurgicalATI Pharmacology
Drug classifications, mechanisms of action, side effects, and nursing implications for medication administration. Organized by drug class.
Practice nowStart ATI PharmacologyATI Dosage Calculations
Medication math — oral and IV dosages, drip rates, unit conversions, and weight-based dosing. Step-by-step worked solutions for every problem.
Practice nowStart ATI Dosage CalculationsATI Maternal Newborn
Antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and newborn care, including pregnancy and labor complications. Organized by stage of the maternity cycle.
Practice nowStart ATI Maternal NewbornATI Pediatrics
Nursing Care of Children — growth and development milestones, pediatric illness, and family-centered care by age group.
Practice nowStart ATI PediatricsATI Mental Health
Psychiatric disorders, therapeutic communication, crisis intervention, and legal/ethical issues in psychiatric care.
Practice nowStart ATI Mental HealthATI Community Health
Population health, epidemiology, health promotion, and care of vulnerable populations outside the hospital.
Practice nowStart ATI Community HealthATI Leadership
Delegation, prioritization, and management principles nurses apply in clinical settings.
Practice nowStart ATI LeadershipATI Nutrition
Therapeutic diets, nutrient deficiencies, enteral/parenteral nutrition, and patient education.
Practice nowStart ATI NutritionATI Comprehensive Predictor
Cumulative exam covering every content area above — taken near graduation to predict NCLEX readiness. Includes full-length simulated exams.
Practice nowStart ATI Comprehensive PredictorStudy smarter from any device
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Detailed rationales with clinical pearls for every single question.
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Nursing exam preparation
Nursing Exam Prep Guide and Study Tools
From your nursing school application to your nursing license: practice questions, clear explanations and study plans that fit around classes, clinicals and work.
Built for the Whole Nursing School Journey, Not Just One Test
Nursing students don't sit one big exam and then relax. You're tested before you're admitted, at the end of almost every course, again before you graduate, and once more for your license. Each exam assumes you still remember what came before it. That's why memorizing for Friday and forgetting by Monday catches up with so many students in the final semester.
Nurse Moose is set up so that what you study early keeps paying off later. Pharmacology you learn for a course exam is the same pharmacology the NCLEX tests. The prioritization habits you build in fundamentals are the ones that rescue you on a cumulative exam. Steady practice, explained answers, and regular review add up over every semester.
Entrance exam
TEAS 7 or HESI A2: reading, math, science, English and, for some programs, anatomy and physiology, biology or chemistry.
Course exams
Unit tests written by your faculty plus standardized ATI or HESI specialty exams at the end of each course.
Exit exam
A cumulative test such as the ATI Comprehensive Predictor or the HESI Exit, often with a benchmark you must reach.
Licensure
The NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN, taken once your state board of nursing approves you to test.
Nursing Exams at a Glance
Quick facts for each exam, so you know what you're preparing for before you start.
| Exam | Who takes it | Format | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATI TEAS 7 TEAS 7 prep → | Nursing and allied health applicants | 170 questions in 209 minutes: Reading 45, Math 38, Science 50, English & Language Usage 37. 150 are scored. | Academic readiness. ATI reports an overall level from Developmental to Exemplary; each school sets its own minimum. |
| HESI A2 | Nursing applicants at programs that use Elsevier | Each program picks its own mix of sections, commonly math, reading, vocabulary, grammar, and anatomy & physiology. Some add biology, chemistry or a personality/learning-style profile. | Readiness in each chosen subject, with a score for every section and a cumulative score. |
| ATI proctored exams ATI prep → | Students in programs that use ATI | Content Mastery Series tests at the end of courses (fundamentals, pharmacology, adult med-surg, maternal-newborn, care of children, mental health, community health, leadership), plus the Comprehensive Predictor near graduation. | Proficiency levels for course exams; a predicted probability of passing the NCLEX-RN for the Comprehensive Predictor. |
| HESI specialty & Exit HESI prep → | Students in programs that use Elsevier | Specialty exams for individual courses and a cumulative HESI Exit exam before graduation. | A HESI score for each subject area; many schools set benchmarks in the 850–900 range for the Exit. |
| NCLEX-RN NCLEX-RN prep → | Graduates of RN programs | Computerized adaptive test of 85–150 questions, with a 5-hour limit that includes breaks. 15 questions are unscored. | Whether you can practice safely as an entry-level registered nurse. |
| NCLEX-PN NCLEX-PN prep → | Graduates of practical/vocational programs | Same adaptive format: 85–150 questions, 5-hour limit. | Whether you can practice safely as an entry-level LPN/LVN. |
ATI, Elsevier and NCSBN control these formats, and they update them from time to time. Your school and the testing company always have the final word on current requirements.
Practice Questions Written Like Real Nursing Exams
Real nursing exams rarely ask "What is the normal potassium level?" They give you a client, a few findings, and a decision to make. Good practice has to work the same way, so Nurse Moose questions ask you to apply what you know, not just recall it.
Traditional item types
- Single best answer: several options may look right; you choose the best one.
- Select all that apply: anywhere from one to every option can be correct.
- Ordered response: arrange steps in the right sequence.
- Calculation: type your answer for dosages, IV rates and intake/output.
- Exhibit and hot spot: read a chart, lab panel, rhythm strip or image.
Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) item types
- Case studies: one unfolding client scenario with six linked questions.
- Matrix: a grid where each row needs its own answer.
- Drop-down (cloze): complete a sentence or chart entry from menus.
- Bowtie: identify the condition, the actions to take and what to monitor.
- Highlight: select the important findings in a note.
- Trend: interpret data that changes over several hours or days.
How one NGN case study works
The NCLEX uses the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model. Its six steps run through every case study. Here's how they might apply to a single client, an older adult admitted with suspected sepsis:
- Recognize cuesWhich findings matter? New confusion, temperature 38.9 °C, heart rate 118, BP 94/56.
- Analyze cuesWhat could they mean? Infection progressing toward sepsis and poor perfusion.
- Prioritize hypothesesWhat's most dangerous right now? Low blood pressure and organ perfusion.
- Generate solutionsWhat's the plan? Cultures, lactate, fluids and antibiotics as ordered.
- Take actionWhat do you do first? Draw blood cultures, then start antibiotics without delay.
- Evaluate outcomesDid it work? Recheck blood pressure, mental status, urine output and lactate.
Every Answer Explained, Right or Wrong
A score only tells you whether you got it right. The explanation tells you why, and that's what helps on the next question you've never seen before. Each Nurse Moose rationale is written in plain language and covers four things:
Try a question
On the second day after a hip replacement, a client suddenly becomes short of breath and anxious and reports sharp chest pain when breathing in. SpO₂ is 88% and heart rate is 124. Which action should the nurse take first?
- Raise the head of the bed and apply oxygen
- Ask the client to rate the pain on a 0–10 scale
- Massage the client's calf to check for tenderness
- Encourage the client to use the incentive spirometer
Reveal the answer
A. Raise the head of the bed and apply oxygen. Sudden breathlessness, chest pain and low oxygen saturation after orthopedic surgery suggest a pulmonary embolism. Supporting breathing and oxygenation comes first; then stay with the client, notify the provider immediately and prepare for diagnostic tests and anticoagulation.
Why not the others? A pain rating can wait until oxygenation is supported. Massaging the calf is never done when a clot is suspected because it could dislodge more clot. The incentive spirometer helps prevent atelectasis but doesn't treat an acute embolism.
Takeaway: a sudden drop in oxygenation after surgery is an emergency. Support breathing first, then escalate.
Study Tools That Fit Your Schedule
Between lectures, clinical shifts, a job and the rest of your life, your study time comes in odd-sized pieces. Pick a tool to match the time you have:
5–10 minutes
Quick topic reviews
Review lab values, medications and clinical priorities in the Ultimate Nursing Bundle.
Open nursing bundle →20–30 minutes
Topic quizzes
Practice one subject at a time, then read the rationales for the questions you answer.
Browse topic quizzes →About an hour
NCLEX readiness tests
Work through focused readiness sets while keeping case-study questions together.
Open NCLEX practice →2–3 hours
Full-length practice exams
Build stamina with longer ATI and HESI exam sets. Use the Predictor guide to plan your review.
Read the Predictor guide →Any time
Study guides
Review by body system and client population, or explore Mark K lecture notes.
Open Mark K notes →Every session
Attempt history
Revisit your attempts and continue studying in the nursing school, TEAS and NCLEX practice areas.
View attempt history →Understanding Adaptive Testing on the NCLEX
The NCLEX is a computerized adaptive test (CAT). Each time you answer, the computer re-estimates your ability and picks the next question to match. Answer correctly and the next item tends to be a little harder; miss one and it tends to be a little easier. The goal is to find the level where you get about half the questions right, then decide with 95% confidence whether that level is above or below the passing standard.
The test can end at 85
If the computer is already confident you're clearly above or clearly below the passing standard, it stops at the 85-question minimum.
Or keep going to 150
If your ability is close to the standard, it keeps asking until it's confident or you reach 150 questions.
Or hit the time limit
If time runs out after the minimum number of questions, the result depends on your final ability estimate. Running out of time before reaching the minimum means you don't pass, so a steady pace matters.
What this means for your prep: harder questions are a normal part of an adaptive exam, so don't panic when the test feels difficult. Mixed, timed practice at a steady pace prepares you for that experience much better than easy, single-topic drills alone.
Every Subject Nursing Exams Cover
Foundations
- Fundamentals of nursing
- Anatomy & physiology
- Pharmacology
- Dosage calculation
- Lab values
- Health assessment
Adult health
- Cardiac & EKG
- Respiratory
- Neurological
- Endocrine
- Renal & fluids/electrolytes
- GI, hematology & oncology
- Critical care & emergencies
Special populations
- Maternal-newborn
- Pediatrics
- Mental health
- Gerontology
- Community & public health
Professional practice
- Prioritization
- Delegation & assignment
- Leadership & management
- Legal & ethical practice
- Infection control & safety
Use Your Study Resources Thoughtfully
Pair practice questions with your course materials and current guidance. Your school and the testing organizations remain the authority on exam requirements.
How to Prepare for Any Nursing Exam
- Start with a baseline. Take a timed mixed practice set before you begin reviewing. It shows where you actually stand, which is often different from where you think you stand.
- Rank your weak areas. List your subjects from lowest score to highest. Spend most of your review time on the bottom two or three.
- Review, then practice the same day. Read the study guide for a topic and then answer questions on it immediately to test what stuck.
- Study every rationale. Read the explanation for every question, including the ones you got right. A lucky guess is still a gap.
- Track why you miss questions. Was it a knowledge gap, a priority mistake, a misread question, or a correct answer you changed? Each needs a different fix.
- Mix subjects as the exam gets closer. An exit exam or the NCLEX can follow a cardiac question with a pediatric one, so blend topics in your final weeks of practice.
- Rehearse the real thing. Take at least one full-length timed practice exam in a single sitting before test day.
Nursing Exam Prep: Frequently Asked Questions
TEAS 7 or HESI A2: how are they different?
Both are nursing school entrance exams. The ATI TEAS 7 has a fixed format of four sections: reading, math, science, and English and language usage. With the HESI A2, from Elsevier, each school chooses which sections you take. Check which exam your program requires and its minimum scores.
What's a good TEAS 7 score?
Every program sets its own minimum. ATI reports an overall academic preparedness level (Developmental, Basic, Proficient, Advanced or Exemplary), and competitive programs often expect at least Proficient. Look up your target school's requirement before you start studying.
What's the difference between ATI and HESI exams?
They're competing testing companies. ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute) and HESI (from Elsevier) both offer entrance exams, course exams and exit exams. Your school uses one or the other, and the content overlaps heavily, but the scoring and score reports are different.
How does the NCLEX decide whether I pass?
The NCLEX is adaptive. After each answer it updates its estimate of your ability. It stops when it's 95% confident that your ability is above or below the passing standard, when you reach 150 questions, or when the 5-hour time limit runs out.
How soon do I get my NCLEX results?
Your state board of nursing sends official results, typically within about six weeks. In many states you can pay for unofficial "Quick Results" from Pearson VUE about two business days after the exam.
What are NGN questions?
NGN items were added to the NCLEX to measure clinical judgment. You'll see case studies in which six questions follow a single client, plus formats such as matrix, drop-down, bowtie, highlight and trend items. Some award partial credit.
What's a sensible daily practice-question target?
During the semester, 20–30 a day keeps material fresh. In the final weeks before an exit exam or the NCLEX, many students do 75–100 a day. Whatever the number, leave time to read every rationale.
What's the hardest part of nursing exams for most students?
Usually prioritization and pharmacology. Prioritization questions offer several correct actions and ask which comes first, and pharmacology covers a lot of material. Practicing both a little every day works better than cramming them.
Can LPN/LVN students use Nurse Moose?
Yes. Fundamentals, pharmacology, med-surg, maternal-child and mental health content applies to both RN and PN students. The NCLEX-PN uses the same adaptive format and item types as the NCLEX-RN, but focuses on the practical nurse's scope of practice.
Is Nurse Moose connected to ATI, Elsevier or NCSBN?
No. Nurse Moose is run independently of all three organizations. TEAS and ATI belong to Assessment Technologies Institute, HESI belongs to Elsevier, and NCLEX is NCSBN's registered trademark. All are used here only to describe the exams.
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"When taking my proctored exam I felt incredibly prepared. The Review and Tutor modes gave me the confidence I needed."
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Before you begin
Common questions, clear answers
What to expect from Nurse Moose and its practice material.