NCLEX® Question Format, SATA and Critical Thinking Practice Questions
Try SATA and Critical Thinking NCLEX® Practice Questions
Practice NCLEX®-style questions with our nursing quiz, featuring formats used on the real exam. To experience UWorld’s official questions, with clinical scenarios, detailed visual rationales, and explanations for every answer choice, see our full library of free NCLEX®practice questions.
Question
The nurse is assessing a client with pyelonephritis.
Which of the following findings would be consistent with the condition? Select all that apply.
| 1. fever | |
| 2. dysuria | |
| 3. nausea | |
| 4. flank pain | |
| 5. periorbital edema |
Question
The nurse is planning care for a client who is receiving mechanical ventilation.
Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the client's plan of care? Select all that apply.
| 1. Perform oral care for the client once daily | |
| 2. Maintain the head of the client’s bed at less than 30 degrees | |
| 3. Hyperoxygenate the client with 100% oxygen before suctioning | |
| 4. Apply a sequential compression device to the client’s lower extremities | |
| 5. Perform endotracheal suctioning only when the high-pressure alarm sounds |
Question
The nurse is teaching the parents of school-age children about the treatment of pediculosis capitis (head lice).
Which of the following information should the nurse include? Select all that apply.
| 1. “Wash your child’s bed linens in cold water.” | |
| 2. “Keep your child’s fingernails trimmed short.” | |
| 3. “Remove nits from your child’s head using a fine-tooth comb.” | |
| 4. “Treat all your household pets with a pediculicide.” | |
| 5. “Seal non-washable items in a plastic bag for 10 to 14 days.” |
Question
The nurse is planning care for a client with cellulitis of the right foot.
Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the client’s plan of care? Select all that apply.
| 1. Put on a protective gown and clean gloves before entering the client’s room | |
| 2. Maintain the client’s affected extremity in a dependent position | |
| 3. Mark and date the area of inflammation | |
| 4. Apply warm compresses to the affected area | |
| 5. Encourage the client to ambulate frequently |
Question
The nurse is planning a staff education program about syphilis.
Which of the following information should the nurse include? Select all that apply.
| 1. “All clients should be tested for syphilis during pregnancy.” | |
| 2. “Antibiotics should be prescribed for syphilis even if the initial chance has healed.” | |
| 3. “Syphilis can affect the brain, eyes, ears, and other organs.” | |
| 4. “Syphilis increases the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections.” | |
| 5. “Cesarean birth helps protect newborns from contracting syphilis.” |
Question
The nurse is screening clients for trichomoniasis.
Which of the following findings would be consistent with trichomoniasis? Select all that apply.
| 1. frothy, yellow-green vaginal discharge | |
| 2. vesicular lesions around the genitals | |
| 3. itching and inflammation of the vulva | |
| 4. pain with sexual intercourse | |
| 5. foul-smelling penile discharge |
Question
The nurse is teaching a client who has pubic lice.
Which of the following information should the nurse include? Select all that apply.
| 1. Wash and dry your linens using hot water and high heat. | |
| 2. Use a pediculicide product to kill the lice. | |
| 3. Follow the product instructions for repeating the treatment. | |
| 4. Check your pets in the home for lice. | |
| 5. Notify your recent sexual partners about the risk of infestation. | |
| 6. Soak your hair brushes and accessories in hot water. |
Question
The nurse is talking with a female client who has human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and genital warts.
Which of the following statements by the client would require follow-up? Select all that apply.
| 1. My sexual partners may have HPV infection even if they are not experiencing symptoms. | |
| 2. I will be immune to genital warts in the future after these warts are removed. | |
| 3. The HPV vaccine is not effective after HPV infection has already occurred. | |
| 4. I should schedule routine Pap tests to monitor for cervical changes. | |
| 5. Cervical cancer is the only cancer related to HPV infection. |
Question
The nurse is caring for a client who had a right-sided stroke.
Which of the following complications is the client at risk for developing? Select all that apply.
| 1. aspiration | |
| 2. joint contractures | |
| 3. impulsive behavior | |
| 4. numbness of the feet | |
| 5. impaired concept of time |
Question
The nurse has taught a client who is entering the 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
Which of the following statements would indicate a correct understanding of the teaching? Select all that apply.
| 1. Fetal movement is expected to decrease toward the end of the pregnancy. | |
| 2. Lightening makes it easier to breathe but can cause increased bladder pressure. | |
| 3. Spontaneous rupture of membranes can cause a large gush or slow trickle of fluid. | |
| 4. True labor occurs when regular contractions cause progressive dilation of the cervix. | |
| 5. Blurry vision and a severe headache are common discomforts of pregnancy. |
How to Answer SATA & Critical Thinking NCLEX Questions
NCLEX questions are designed to test how you think, not just what you know. Learn how to recognize question types, identify the information that matters most, and approach every NCLEX-style question with a clear strategy.
Read the Stem First
Master Each NCLEX Question Type
Master all NCLEX question formats, including SATA and critical thinking questions. Understanding how each works will help you approach stand-alone items, case studies, and alternate item types.
Multiple-Choice Questions
Traditional multiple-choice questions ask you to identify the single best answer based on the client scenario.
Select All That Apply (SATA)
SATA questions require more than one correct response and may use partial-credit scoring.
Unfolding Case Studies
Six-question case studies follow the same client over time while measuring clinical judgment across multiple decisions.
Bow-tie Questions
Bow-tie questions require you to connect clinical cues, nursing actions, and expected outcomes within a single scenario.
Matrix Questions
Matrix questions ask you to evaluate multiple findings or interventions by matching them to the appropriate category.
Drag-and-Drop Questions
Drag-and-drop questions require you to place responses in the correct order or match related concepts.
Highlight Questions
Highlight questions ask you to identify the most important information within a client scenario, medical record, or exhibit.
Trend Questions
Trend questions require you to interpret changes in a client’s condition over time using clinical data.
Drop-Down Questions
Drop-down questions ask you to select the most appropriate response from multiple choices embedded within the question.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who writes UWorld’s 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 National Council of State Boards of Nursing (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.
What types of questions are on the NCLEX?
The NCLEX includes a variety of question formats designed to measure clinical reasoning and nursing judgment. You’ll encounter stand-alone questions, unfolding case studies, questions with more than one correct answer (aka Select All That Apply or SATA), and items that include multimedia such as charts, tables, and graphics.
Although the format may change from one question to the next, every item is designed to assess your ability to apply nursing knowledge in a clinical scenario rather than simply recall facts.
What NCLEX question types are most important to practice?
Focus on the question formats you’ll encounter throughout the exam, including stand-alone items, SATA, unfolding case studies, and questions that include multimedia such as charts, tables, and graphics. It’s also important to understand how NCLEX questions are structured, including the client data, stem, correct answer(s), and distractors that appear in every well-designed item.
What makes UWorld’s NCLEX practice questions different from other QBanks?
Three things:
- 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.
- Our questions are written to match the difficulty and clinical judgment demands of the actual NCLEX, not simplified recall questions.
- Our explanations break down the anatomy of each question, highlighting the client data, stem, correct answer(s), and distractors so you understand how NCLEX questions are designed, not just how to answer them.
Does UWorld cover every NCLEX-style question type?
Yes. Our QBank includes every item type: Unfolding Case Studies, Bow-tie, Matrix, Extended SATA, Drag-and-Drop, Drop-Down, Highlight, and Trend questions across all subjects, including respiratory nursing. You’ll practice the exact question formats you’ll face on exam day, with the same partial-credit scoring the real NCLEX uses.
How does partial credit work on NCLEX respiratory questions?
The NCLEX uses a plus/minus (+/−) scoring model for Select All That Apply (SATA) and other scored 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 identify distractors on NCLEX questions?
Distractors are incorrect answer choices intentionally written to reflect common mistakes, misconceptions, or irrelevant information. Rather than looking for answers that sound familiar, compare each option to the client data and the question stem to determine which response is fully supported by the information provided.
Understanding how distractors are designed can help you focus on the clinical evidence in the question instead of eliminating answers based on assumptions or memorized patterns.
Can I use UWorld to practice SATA & Critical Thinking NCLEX question types?
Yes. UWorld lets you create unlimited custom practice tests filtered by subject and system. Practice all NCLEX question types, such as SATA, or build mixed quizzes that mirror the variety of questions you’ll encounter on exam day.
Does UWorld offer a free trial for NCLEX 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 this topic differently.
*98% of UWorld NCLEX-RN Review users who completed at least 75% of the QBank passed the NCLEX-RN the first time.