NCLEX® Cardiac
Practice Questions
Try NCLEX Cardiac Practice Questions
Test your cadiovascular knowledge with this nursing cardiac quiz. To experience UWorld's official questions, with detailed visual rationales for every answer choice. See our full library of free NCLEX practice questions.
Priority question - CHF Exacerbation
The nurse is caring for assigned clients.
The nurse should first assess the client who has
| 1. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a pulse oximetry reading of 91% on room air, and reports a chronic cough | |
| 2. atrial fibrillation, an elevated heart rate, and reports an occasional fluttering feeling in the chest | |
| 3. fibromyalgia, fatigue, and reports generalized pain rated as 7 on a scale of 0-10 | |
| 4. heart failure, edema of the lower extremities, and reports dyspnea |
Intervene question - Cardiac tamponade
The nurse is assessing a client who had coronary artery bypass graft surgery 1 day ago and notes muffled heart sounds on auscultation.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
| 1. Administer IV furosemide. | |
| 2. Notify the health care provider. | |
| 3. Place the client in the semi-Fowler position. | |
| 4. Document the finding in the client’s electronic medical record. |
Plan of care question - Hypertension
The nurse is teaching a client with newly diagnosed hypertension.
Which of the following information should the nurse include? Select all that apply.
| 1. “Consider participating in a smoking cessation program.” | |
| 2. “Practice stress management techniques.” | |
| 3. “Engage in moderate exercise every day.” | |
| 4. “Consume a low-fiber diet.” | |
| 5. “Check your blood pressure before taking metoprolol.” |
Medication/Risk factor/Manifestation question - Digoxin
The nurse is teaching a client with newly diagnosed hypertension.
Which of the following information should the nurse include? Select all that apply.
| 1. heart rate of 56/min | |
| 2. temperature of 99.1 F (37.3 C) | |
| 3. respiratory rate of 22/min | |
| 4. blood pressure of 90/48 mm Hg |
Teaching question - DVT Prophylaxis
The nurse has taught a client about the prevention of deep venous thrombosis (DVT).
Which of the following statements by the client would require follow-up?
| 1. “I am not at risk for developing a new DVT because I have had a DVT in the past.” | |
| 2. “I will plan rest stops during long car rides to get out of the car and walk around.” | |
| 3. “I should wear compression stockings on days when I am working long hours.” | |
| 4. “I will notify my health care provider if one of my legs looks larger than the other.” |
Priority question - Aortic Aneurysm
The nurse at an outpatient care facility is reviewing telephone messages from clients previously seen at the facility.
The nurse should first telephone the client who has
| 1. osteoporosis and reports pain in the joints of the hands rated as 4 on a scale of 0-10 | |
| 2. hyperlipidemia and reports abdominal pain radiating to the lower back | |
| 3. diabetes mellitus and reports paraesthesias in the lower extremities | |
| 4. allergic rhinitis and reports purulent nasal drainage |
Priority question - Abdominal Pain
The nurse in the emergency department is caring for assigned clients.
Which of the following clients should the nurse assess first?
| 1. 32-year-old client who has right lower quadrant abdominal pain and rebound tenderness | |
| 2. 54-year-old client who has severe back pain and a pulsatile mass in the periumbilical area | |
| 3. 75-year-old client who has fever, nausea, and left lower quadrant abdominal pain | |
| 4. 87-year-old client who has confusion, suprapubic pain, and dysuria |
Intervene question - Clopidogrel
The nurse is reviewing new medication prescriptions for a client who is receiving clopidogrel.
The nurse should clarify the prescription for
| 1. Metoprolol | |
| 2. Furosemide | |
| 3. omeprazole | |
| 4. levothyroxine |
Plan of care question - Atrial Fibrillation
The nurse is caring for a client with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
| 1. Prepare the client for immediate cardiac defibrillation. | |
| 2. Instruct the client to bear down using the abdominal muscles. | |
| 3. Teach the client about the need for long-term anticoagulation therapy. | |
| 4. Monitor the client’s laboratory test results for an increased serum TSH level. |
Medication/Risk factor/Manifestation question - Hypertension
The nurse is assessing a 54-year-old client during a routine physical examination.
Which of the following findings would indicate that the client is at increased risk for developing hypertension? Select all that apply.
| 1. has a first-degree relative with hypertension | |
| 2. smokes 1 pack of cigarettes per day | |
| 3. history of obstructive sleep apnea | |
| 4. history of melanoma | |
| 5. BMI of 30 kg/m2 |
Teaching question - Mechanical Valves
The nurse is teaching a client who has a new mechanical heart valve and is taking warfarin.
Which of the following information should the nurse include? Select all that apply.
| 1. “Request prophylactic antibiotics before any invasive dental procedure.” | |
| 2. “Notify your health care provider if you develop flu-like symptoms.” | |
| 3. “Take naproxen to relieve minor aches and pains.” | |
| 4. “Schedule routine monitoring of your INR.” | |
| 5. “Avoid using an electric razor to shave.” |
Watch Expert NCLEX Cardio Question
Watch our expert nursing educators break down high-yield cardiovascular NCLEX questions step by step. . See exactly how to read the clinical scenario, identify cardiac rhythms, eliminate distractor answers, and apply clinical judgement to heart failure, arrhythmia, and EKG questions.
Can You Spot the Main Sign of Right-Sided Heart Failure?
What Actually Causes Right-Sided Heart Failure?
Which Meds Treat Acute Decompensated Heart Failure?
Does Your Patient Understand Their Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)?
Which Heart Failure Patient Statement Requires Follow-Up?
How to Answer NCLEX Cardio Questions
You don't need to memorize every rhythm strip or hemodynamic value. You need a repeatable system for reasoning through any cardiovascular question the NCLEX puts in front of you.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who writes UWorld's cardiac NCLEX questions?
Every UWorld question is crafted through a rigorous, multi-step authoring process. A dedicated team of over 40+ practicing nurses and nurse educators writes, reviews, and continuously updates each item to ensure it meets strict NCSBN standards and matches the difficulty of the actual exam.
Our clinical team also works alongside professional designers with advanced degrees to create the medical illustrations and visuals that accompany each explanation. The result is a QBank that doesn’t just test you, it teaches you the clinical reasoning behind every answer.
How much is cardiac content tested on the NCLEX?
Cardiovascular concepts fall under the “Physiological Adaptation” and “Reduction of Risk Potential” categories of the official NCLEX test plan, making them among the most heavily tested clinical areas on the exam. Cardiac topics also appear frequently in NGN Unfolding Case Studies that integrate heart failure management, dysrhythmia recognition, and post-MI nursing care, so the actual volume of cardiovascular questions you’ll face is substantial.
What are the most important cardiac topics to know for the NCLEX?
Focus on heart failure (left-sided vs. right-sided, acute decompensation), cardiac dysrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, heart blocks), myocardial infarction (troponin, MONA protocol, time-sensitive interventions), EKG interpretation basics, and key cardiac medications including beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, antiarrhythmics, anticoagulants, and nitroglycerin. Priority and delegation questions involving hemodynamic instability are also high-yield.
What is the best way to study cardiac content for the NCLEX?
The most effective approach is grounding yourself in cardiovascular pathophysiology first, understand how blood flows, what happens when it’s disrupted, and how the heart compensates, then practicing with NCLEX-style questions that force you to apply that knowledge to clinical scenarios. Focus on priority interventions and assessment findings rather than rote memorization of normal values alone. That’s what the NCLEX actually tests.
What makes UWorld's cardiac questions different from other QBanks?
Three things. First, every question comes with an in-depth explanation that covers every answer choice, correct and incorrect, so you understand the reasoning, not just the answer.
Second, our questions are written to match the difficulty and clinical judgment demands of the actual NCLEX, not simplified recall questions.
Third, our explanations include professionally designed medical illustrations that visualize cardiac anatomy, hemodynamic changes, EKG rhythms, and pathophysiology pathways, the kind of context that makes cardiovascular nursing click instead of requiring brute-force memorization.
How many cardiac questions does UWorld's QBank include?
UWorld’s NCLEX QBank includes hundreds of cardiac and cardiovascular questions spanning heart failure, arrhythmias, valvular disorders, coronary artery disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, and related cardiac medications. You can filter by cardiovascular specifically when creating custom practice tests, making it easy to target cardiac knowledge as a focused study area or drill into a specific topic like dysrhythmias or EKG interpretation.
Does UWorld cover Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) question types for cardiac content?
Yes. Our QBank includes every NGN item type, Unfolding Case Studies, Bow-tie, Matrix, Extended SATA, Drag-and-Drop, Drop-Down, Highlight, and Trend questions, across all subjects including cardiovascular. You’ll practice the exact question formats you’ll face on exam day, with the same partial-credit scoring the real NGN uses.
How does partial credit work on NGN cardiac questions?
The Next Generation NCLEX uses a plus/minus (+/−) scoring model for Select All That Apply (SATA) and other scored NGN item types. You earn points for correct selections and lose points for incorrect ones. The lowest possible score on any individual item is zero, you cannot receive a negative score.
How do I read EKG strips for the NCLEX?
Use a systematic approach every time: calculate the rate, assess the rhythm (regular vs. irregular), identify P-waves, measure the PR interval, and evaluate QRS width. This method lets you work through NCLEX EKG questions methodically, even for unfamiliar rhythms. Pair strip interpretation with knowledge of which dysrhythmias are life-threatening and require immediate intervention.
Can I use UWorld to focus specifically on cardiac content?
Yes. UWorld lets you create unlimited custom practice tests filtered by subject, body system, question status, and difficulty level. Select “Cardiovascular” to generate a practice test made entirely of cardiac-related questions, or combine it with additional filters (e.g., Cardiovascular + Pharmacology) to drill into the exact intersection you need.
Does UWorld offer a free trial for NCLEX cardiac practice?
Yes. UWorld offers a 7-day free trial that includes 50 exam-style NCLEX practice questions with full in-depth explanations and access to review videos, no credit card required. It’s the fastest way to experience how UWorld teaches cardiac nursing differently.
*98% of UWorld NCLEX-RN Review users who completed at least 75% of the QBank passed the NCLEX-RN the first time.