Are you preparing to take the National Council Licensure Examination, also known as the NCLEX exam? You may have heard about the Next Generation NCLEX, or NGN. This newly developed test replaced the previous NCLEX exam in April 2023 and aims to better assess a nurse's clinical judgment skills.
But what exactly is the NGN, and how does it differ from the traditional NCLEX? Here, we'll break down everything you need to know about the Next Generation NCLEX, from its format to the changes made and tips to find study tools to best prepare for the exam.
The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) is a new version of the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) revises the NCLEX every three years to tweak it and best reflect the abilities and knowledge necessary for entry level nurses to achieve success as new nurses.
These regular three-year adjustments are not usually as dramatic as they are this year, but a better method to evaluate clinical judgments was necessary as the essential scope of practice continues to expand.
If you started nursing school in fall 2021 or afterward, you will be taking the Next Gen NCLEX instead of the old version.
One of the major changes to the new NGN exam is the incorporation of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model. This model aims to establish a consistent approach to evaluating a nurse's clinical judgment, which is essential in the nursing profession.
Test takers will recognize several of the next gen questions, since all the existing NCLEX question types will remain in the examination.
Multiple choice. You will be presented with several answer options and must select the most correct answer. This is the most common form of question on both the old NCLEX and the Next Gen NCLEX, and most practice questions will be in this format. Some questions are graphic multiple choice answers, which are the same thing but uses images instead of plain words as answer options.
Fill in the blank. These questions require you to correctly write in your own response. Some of these will be numbers after making calculations.
Charts and graphics. You will be shown a chart or graphic and then asked a question about what it is or what it means.
Video and audio. Either you will be given a sound clip or a video clip and make a submission based on its content.
Drag and drop. There will be more than one answer presented, and test takers will need to order them correctly and/or sequentially.
Select all that apply. These is one of the more difficult item types. You will need to look at the responses and select every single one that answers the question, not just the one that is most correct.
Hot spot. This relatively uncommon question type requires test takers to look at the presented graphic and then click on the specific area to complete the question.
There are seven new item types that candidates will need to navigate on the Next Gen NCLEX to achieve NGN success.
Case scenario. At one point, NCLEX questions were completely stand alone items, so each question was a completely new chance to earn credit. Now with the NCLEX changing, you'll see a set of unfolding case studies that include two to eight questions. Test takers will be provided with a client record and must deduce the correct choices from that information.
Trend items. These questions will measure your familiarity with the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model.
Matrix/grid. To pass this iteration of the new NGN item types, you may need to see a couple sample questions to give you a feel. These questions are a variation of both multiple response and select all that apply questions. You'll need to sort through more options and sort them into more categories than in the other item types.
Highlight text. This should be familiar to nursing students. You'll receive a block of text and need to determine the correct part to highlight.
Three of the new question types on the NGN are actually enhanced versions of the questions that already exist.
Extended drag and drop. This is very similar to the traditional drag and drop format, but there are too many answer options for the spaces available to drop them into. You'll need to not only match the correct answers with their intended places, but weed out the solutions which are incorrect.
Drop down. These items give you a drop-down list of possibilities to complete sentences, so sort of a mix between multiple choice and fill in the blank.
Extended multiple choice. Just like multiple choice, this version is a way for you to be tested on your nursing knowledge, but with a twist: you can receive partial credit.
To pass the NGN, you'll take advantage of all the new features, but you especially need to know how to take on the partial credit. There are several scoring models involved here, which is called polytomous scoring.
Before the NGN, answers were just right or wrong. So if a problem had multiple parts (and therefore multiple points) and got one thing wrong, the entire thing was incorrect and no points could be earned. Now there are three new ways for the NGN to award partial credit.
+/- scoring is for matrix questions with multiple points. A correct answer will earn you a point out of the total possible for the question, while an incorrect answer will lose you a point. If the total score is negative, the amount of points awarded will be zero - you won’t lose points from your overall score.
This type of question has either two or three answers in a set. You’ll either get a point for getting both the answers in a dyad correct, or two points for getting all three answers in a triad correct.
Test takers who are right out of their student nursing programs may be familiar with the computer-adaptive testing technology, which has been part of the test before now. This feature means that every item on the test will have varying difficulty, and adapt to your responses in order to measure true competency and clinical judgment.
Each correct response will make the next question harder, and incorrect answers make it easier.
The NGN will only be a little bit longer than it was in its previous iteration. This version of the NCLEX has 70-135 scored questions versus the previous amount, 60-130.
To best prepare for the NGN, nursing students should practice questions related to Next Generation items, as these will pose complex scenarios that test critical thinking and decision-making. Additionally, students should focus on developing these skills by engaging in critical thinking exercises, seeking out challenging clinical experiences, and being open to feedback and constructive criticism.
Here are some of the updated resources for the NGN from the official NCLEX site so you can get right into the real nursing process on your first try.
The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) might be a bit tougher. The NGN is stepping up its game by using a fancy system known as Computerized Adaptive Testing. What does that mean for you? Well, based on how you're answering, the test will adjust the difficulty of the questions. So, if you're acing it, expect the questions to get harder - quite different from the old linear exam. The next gen NCLEX is also shifting its focus towards clinical judgment. It wants to see how well you can analyze patient data and make good decisions in the clinic, and it's introducing some new types of questions which may require a bit more thought and interaction.
Clinical judgment refers to the thought process that healthcare professionals employ to assess, analyze, and make decisions about patient care. It incorporates both environmental and individual factors to arrive at the most suitable course of action. The Next Gen NCLEX aims to evaluate this critical ability in students. This means students must be mindful of these factors as they prepare for the exam. By developing their clinical judgment skills, nursing students will be better equipped to face the Next Gen NCLEX and transition smoothly into their professional roles.
NCLEX stands for National Council Licensure Exam and it's a national exam that all nursing students must pass in order to become a licensed registered nurse in the United States.
The 2023 passing standard for the NCLEX-RN is 0.00 logits.
In conclusion, the Next Generation NCLEX offers nurses the opportunity to demonstrate their clinical judgment skills and prepare for the challenges they will face in today's healthcare environment.
By following effective preparation tips, nursing students can position themselves for success on this challenging exam and be ready to take on the responsibilities of caring for patients.