Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) Item Types

The NCSBN has introduced a new format for the NCLEX® exam set to launch in April 2023. The Next Generation NCLEX exam includes a new case study-based format and 15 new question types. The NGN Explainer videos offer a great overview, with visual representations of all the questions and item types!

Take a look at how these item types are presented in our digital solutions

Drag-and-drop

Drag-and-Drop Cloze Item Type

Minimum of 4 tokens and a maximum of 10. There can be 1 or more response targets to drag a token to. Students can select a token on top of a target and remove it by either dragging it back to the token list or just removing it. If the target already has a token and the student selects another token on top of the same target, the original token is sent back to the token list.

Drag-and-Drop Rationale Item Type

Item includes 1 sentence with 1 cause and 1 effect or 1 sentence with one cause and 2 effects. This can be a single dyad (1 sentence with 2 targets) or a single triad (1 sentence with 3 targets). Students can select a token on top of a target and remove it by either dragging it back to the token list or just removing it.

Drop down

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Drop Down Cloze Item Type

Includes a paragraph of information with 1 or more drop‐down options from which to complete the paragraph. There can be 3‐5 options in each drop‐down. There is a minimum of 1 sentence with 1 drop‐down per sentence; maximum of 5 sentences with 1 drop‐down per sentence.

Drop Down Rationale Item Type

Item includes 1 sentence with 1 cause and 1 effect or 1 sentence with one cause and 2 effects. This can be a single dyad (1 sentence with 2 drop‐downs) or a single triad (1 sentence with 3 drop downs each). There can be 3 to 5 options in each drop‐down.

Drop Down Table Item Type

Item includes 1 sentence with 1 cause and 1 effect or 1 sentence with one cause and 2 effects. This can be a single dyad (1 sentence with 2 drop‐downs) or a single triad (1 sentence with 3 drop downs each). There can be 3 to 5 options in each drop‐down.

Multiple choice

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Multiple Choice Item Type

Includes radio buttons that can be selected or unselected. If one radio button is already selected and another is selected, the selection moves to the newly selected one.

Matrix Multiple Choice Item Type

Items have at least 4 rows and no more than 10 rows. There can be 2 options/columns or 3 options/columns. Each row must have 1 response option selected. A student cannot continue to the next item until responding to all rows.

Multiple response

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Matrix Multiple Response Item Type

Each response column could have multiple correct responses. There can be between 2 and 10 columns and 4 to 7 rows, and each column must have 1 response option selected.

Multiple Response Select All That Apply Item Type

Includes questions with answers with only 1 correct response or multiple correct responses. There are at least 5 options with no more than 10 options. All 10 could be correct.

Multiple Response Select N Item Type

Different than other multiple response item types in that the student may not select all but instead is limited to a certain number of keys. The required number to select is based on the keys.

Multiple Response Grouping Item Type

The table has a minimum of 2 groupings with a maximum of 5 groupings Each grouping has a minimum of 2 options and maximum of 4 options. The number of options are the same for all groupings, and students must select at least one option from each grouping.

Highlight

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Highlight Text Item Type

Students must select parts of the text to determine what is critical for the action. Responses are tokenized, and there can be a maximum of 10 options. Students can also select and unselect options.

Highlight Table Item Type

Students must select parts of the text to determine what is critical for the action. Responses are tokenized, and there can be a maximum of 10 options. Students are able to select and unselect options.

Bowtie

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Bowtie Item Type

Addresses all 6 steps of the NCJMM in one item. Students must drag and drop an item a series of the targets to continue forward.