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 will release two Next Generation NCLEX® (NGN) item types.
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 have a variety of question types within them, including Matrix questions.
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 much 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.
Why Introducing NGN Item Types Matter
Research shows that knowing what to expect in terms of format and item types significantly improves performance on exam day. Our NGN prep items are designed to approximately simulate what students will see on their 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 while replicating the challenges these advanced question types pose. By familiarizing students with these item types, Pocket Prep is equipping them with the tools they need to approach NGN item types 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 that 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:
- Matrix: November 2024
- Case Studies: November 2024
- Drag & Drop: 2025
- Cloze (Fill-in-the-Blank): 2025
- Build List: 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.
