The LPN/LVN licensure exam
NCLEX-PN: what it is, and how to practice for it free
396 original practice questions. Every answer explained and cited.
The NCLEX-PN is the exam every Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) — or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in California and Texas — must pass to get licensed. This page explains how the exam works, how the practical-nurse scope differs from the RN’s, and then hands you a free, growing bank of original NCLEX-PN-style questions to practice with, no signup required to start.
396
original NCLEX-PN-style practice questions, every answer explained and cited
651k
LPNs and LVNs employed in the U.S. (BLS)
~63,000
candidates sit the NCLEX-PN each year (NCSBN)
85–150
items per exam — a Computerized Adaptive Test, not a fixed form
The exam, explained
What is the NCLEX-PN?
The NCLEX-PN is the licensure examination a candidate must pass to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) — called a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in California and Texas. Like the RN exam, it's developed and owned by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), and each state or territory's own Board of Nursing is the licensing authority that requires a passing result before issuing an LPN/LVN license. A candidate typically finishes a state-approved practical/vocational nursing program (often about 12 months) before becoming eligible to sit for it.
Mechanically, the NCLEX-PN works like the NCLEX-RN: it's a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) delivered at Pearson VUE test centers, every candidate answers a minimum of 85 and a maximum of 150 questions, and the time limit is five hours. Since April 2023 it includes Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) item types — case studies, bowtie, and matrix questions — built to measure clinical judgment. The $200 registration fee and the Authorization to Test (ATT) process are the same as the RN pathway. Where the two exams differ is emphasis: the PN test area 'Coordinated Care' focuses on the practical nurse's role in the care team rather than the RN's independent management-of-care responsibilities.
The real distinction between the credentials is scope of practice. An LPN/LVN practices under the direction of a registered nurse or licensed provider: the typical LPN/LVN role centers on collecting data and monitoring (rather than the comprehensive initial assessment an RN performs), reinforcing teaching an RN has planned, giving many routine medications, and providing hands-on bedside care. Tasks such as initiating the nursing care plan, performing the admission assessment, administering certain IV-push medications, and giving blood are commonly reserved for the RN, and the exact boundaries are set state by state. That narrower, supervised scope is exactly what the NCLEX-PN tests — and it's why LPN/LVN is a distinct rung on the ladder, one step above CNA and one step below RN.
The real difference
LPN/LVN scope vs. RN scope
The NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN look almost identical in format — same adaptive engine, same 85–150 range, same five-hour limit. What they test is different, because the two roles have different scopes of practice. Exact boundaries are set state by state.
LPN/LVN — practices under direction
- Collects data and monitors patients (contributes to, but doesn’t own, the assessment)
- Reinforces teaching the RN has planned
- Administers many routine medications and provides hands-on bedside care
- Works under the direction of an RN or licensed provider
RN — practices independently
- Performs the comprehensive admission assessment
- Initiates and manages the nursing care plan
- Handles higher-acuity tasks — e.g. certain IV-push meds and blood administration (state-dependent)
- Directs and delegates to LPNs/LVNs and assistive personnel
Where LPN/LVN sits on the ladder
LPN/LVN is the middle rung of the nursing career ladder
Many nurses climb from CNA to LPN/LVN to RN over several years. LPN/LVN is a real, licensed role in its own right — and a common stepping stone. RN is the next rung up: the highest-paid destination on the ladder, and LPN-to-RN bridge programs make it a natural next move.
- CNAin development
- LPN/LVNyou are here
- RN
Want the full picture of the ladder and every credential along it? Read the nursing career ladder & exams guide.
Eight topics, four formats
The nursing topics our NCLEX-PN questions cover
Practice one topic at a time, or mix all eight into a full-length NCLEX-PN-style test. Every question format the exam uses is represented: multiple choice, select-all-that-apply, ordered response, and dosage-calculation fill-in — all written for the practical/vocational-nurse scope.
PHARM
Pharmacology
Drug classes, safe dosing, and the side effects that show up on every exam.
MEDSURG
Medical-Surgical
Adult health across body systems — the core of NCLEX-style practice.
PEDS
Pediatrics
Growth, development, and family-centered care from infancy to adolescence.
OB
OB & Maternity
Antepartum through postpartum, labor, and newborn assessment.
PSYCH
Mental Health
Therapeutic communication, crisis care, and psychiatric conditions.
FUND
Fundamentals
Safety, infection control, mobility, and the basics done right.
DOSE
Dosage Calculations
Fill-in dosage problems with worked solutions, step by step.
LEAD
Leadership & Management
Delegation, prioritization, and assignment questions.
Ready to practice?
Take a free NCLEX-PN practice test now
A full-length practice test drawn from all eight topics in the LPN/LVN bank, in every NCLEX-style format — the closest free rehearsal to test day. No account required to start.
Common questions
NCLEX-PN, explained
- What is the NCLEX-PN?
- The NCLEX-PN is the national licensure exam a candidate must pass to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in California and Texas. It's developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN); your state's Board of Nursing issues the actual license once you pass.
- How is the NCLEX-PN different from the NCLEX-RN?
- Both are computerized adaptive tests from NCSBN with the same 85–150 question range and five-hour limit, and both now include Next Generation NCLEX item types. The difference is scope: the PN exam emphasizes the practical nurse's role in coordinated care — data collection, monitoring, routine medication administration, and bedside care under RN or provider direction — rather than the independent assessment and management-of-care responsibilities the RN exam tests.
- Who takes the NCLEX-PN, and how many people take it?
- Candidates who have completed a state-approved practical or vocational nursing program (often around 12 months) take the NCLEX-PN to become licensed LPNs/LVNs. About 63,000 candidates sit the exam each year, and roughly 651,000 LPNs and LVNs are employed across the U.S. (BLS).
- How many NCLEX-PN-style practice questions does NursingCEA have?
- The live count is shown at the top of this page and pulled directly from our LPN/LVN question database, so it's always current. Every question is original, written for the practical/vocational-nurse scope, includes a full rationale, and cites a real clinical source.
- Is NursingCEA affiliated with NCSBN or the real NCLEX-PN exam?
- No. NCLEX® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN), which does not endorse or sponsor this site. Our questions are original practice material written to the same style and topic areas — not real exam items.
All questions and study material on this site are original, written for practice and study only — they are not medical advice or a substitute for clinical judgment, institutional policy, or a licensed provider. Scope-of-practice boundaries for LPNs/LVNs are set by each state’s Board of Nursing and vary by state. NCLEX® is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN), which does not endorse or sponsor this site.