NCLEX-RN Key Vocabulary
Essential terms and definitions you must know before exam day.
Key Vocabulary
CAT
Computerized Adaptive Testing — the NCLEX selects each next question based on prior answers.
NGN
Next Generation NCLEX — 2023 format update adding case studies, bowtie, trend, matrix, and drop-down cloze items.
Clinical Judgment Measurement Model
NCSBN's framework: recognize cues, analyze cues, prioritize hypotheses, generate solutions, take action, evaluate outcomes.
Therapeutic range
Serum concentration window where a drug is effective without toxicity.
Kussmaul respirations
Deep, labored breathing pattern associated with metabolic acidosis (e.g. DKA).
Vocabulary Study Tips
- 1.Prioritize content review in high-yield areas: cardiac, respiratory, endocrine, OB, pharm.
- 2.Practice with NCLEX-style questions — 3,000+ before the exam is a common benchmark.
- 3.Focus on prioritization and delegation — these are the hardest question types.
- 4.Master SATA questions — they're often the trickiest.