NCLEX-PN study plan: a schedule built from the 2026 NCLEX-PN test plan
Updated November 2026
A good NCLEX-PN study plan follows the exam's own blueprint: the 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan from NCSBN, in effect from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2029. It splits the exam across eight Client Needs areas, led by Coordinated Care (18–24% of questions), then Safety and Infection Prevention and Control and Pharmacological Therapies (10–16% each), down to Health Promotion and Maintenance (6–12%).
The exam is computerized adaptive: you answer between 85 and 150 items in up to 5 hours, breaks included. Every exam includes three clinical judgment case studies of six items each, and 15 items are unscored pretest questions you can't tell apart from the rest.
The builder below turns your exam date, hours a day and days a week into a day-by-day schedule weighted the same way, so Coordinated Care gets the most days. The last quarter of your days goes to mixed practice and review, since the real exam draws from all eight areas at once. It's free and needs no account.
Build your NCLEX-PN study schedule
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NCLEX-PN format at a glance
| Test plan | 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan, April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2029 | nclex.com |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 85 to 150, adaptive (CAT). 15 of them are unscored pretest items. | NCSBN test plan |
| Case studies | 3 clinical judgment case studies of 6 items each on every exam | NCSBN test plan |
| Time | Up to 5 hours, including all breaks | NCSBN test plan |
| Scoring | Pass/fail against a passing standard; no fixed share of candidates passes. Some items give partial credit. | NCSBN test plan |
| Passing standard | -0.18 logits for the NCLEX-PN, kept through March 31, 2029 | nclex.com |
| Fee (U.S. licensure) | $200; $350 from February 1, 2027 | nclex.com fees |
Checked against the official sources on November 1, 2026.
What the NCLEX-PN covers, by official weight
- Coordinated Care: 18–24%
- Safety and Infection Prevention and Control: 10–16%
- Pharmacological Therapies: 10–16%
- Psychosocial Integrity: 9–15%
- Reduction of Risk Potential: 9–15%
- Basic Care and Comfort: 7–13%
- Physiological Adaptation: 7–13%
- Health Promotion and Maintenance: 6–12%
NCSBN publishes these ranges in the 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan and says each exam may differ by up to 3% per area. They are the same ranges as in the 2023 PN plan. On top of these content-area items, every exam has three clinical judgment case studies of six items each.
How the builder splits your time
- It counts your study days between today and the day before the exam, using the days a week you chose.
- It keeps the last quarter of those days (at least one week) for mixed practice questions and reviewing what you missed.
- It splits the rest across the eight Client Needs areas in proportion to the official weights above, using the single percentage NCSBN prints for each area in the test plan's distribution chart (the midpoint of each range).
- This is our rule of thumb, not advice from NCSBN. Move days toward your weak areas once your practice scores show them.
Protect each block from your own browser
A schedule only works if the hours happen. Focus AI is a Chrome extension built for that: when a block starts, type its task (the "Copy focus task" button gives you the line, like "NCLEX-PN: Coordinated Care practice questions") and it blocks pages that don't serve that task. Your question bank and the NCLEX sample pack stay open; feeds, Shorts and game sites don't. Ending a block early means typing a sentence, not clicking a button.
First 3 sessions free, then $9.99 a month or $49 a year. The schedule builder above is free either way.
Frequently asked questions
What is on the NCLEX-PN in 2026?
The 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan, in effect from April 1, 2026, covers eight Client Needs areas: Coordinated Care (18–24%), Safety and Infection Prevention and Control (10–16%), Health Promotion and Maintenance (6–12%), Psychosocial Integrity (9–15%), Basic Care and Comfort (7–13%), Pharmacological Therapies (10–16%), Reduction of Risk Potential (9–15%) and Physiological Adaptation (7–13%), plus three clinical judgment case studies on every exam.
How many questions are on the NCLEX-PN?
Between 85 and 150. The NCLEX-PN is computerized adaptive, so it stops once it is 95% certain whether you are above or below the passing standard, when you reach 150 items, or when the 5-hour limit runs out. 15 items on every exam are unscored pretest questions you can't identify.
How is the NCLEX-PN scored?
Pass/fail. The computer compares its estimate of your ability with the passing standard, which NCSBN has kept at -0.18 logits for the NCLEX-PN through March 31, 2029. There is no fixed percentage of candidates who pass, and items with more than one correct answer can earn partial credit. If time runs out before you have answered the minimum 85 items, the result is a fail.
How much does the NCLEX-PN cost?
The NCLEX registration fee for U.S. licensure is $200. NCSBN says it rises to $350 from February 1, 2027, so check the date you register. Your state board of nursing's licensure fee is separate.
What changed in the 2026 NCLEX-PN test plan?
The percentage ranges for all eight areas are the same as in the 2023 plan. One area was renamed, from Safety and Infection Control to Safety and Infection Prevention and Control, and the plan is now based on NCSBN's 2024 PN Practice Analysis. It is a different plan from the NCLEX-RN: the RN exam has Management of Care (15–21%) where the PN exam has Coordinated Care (18–24%).
Sources
- NCSBN, 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan (PDF) (checked November 1, 2026)
- NCSBN, NCLEX test plans (checked November 1, 2026)
- NCSBN, 2023 NCLEX-PN Test Plan (PDF) (checked November 1, 2026)
- NCSBN, 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan (PDF) (checked November 1, 2026)
- NCSBN, NCLEX passing standard (checked November 1, 2026)
- NCSBN, NCLEX fees and payment (checked November 1, 2026)
Lock in your NCLEX-PN study blocks
Type the block's task, pick a length, and everything that doesn't serve it stays shut until the timer ends.
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