Nursing Exam Cram Sheet for the NCLEX-RN

1. Test Information  Six hours—the maximum time allotted for the NCLEX is 6 hours. Take breaks if you need a time out or need to move around.  75/265—the minimum number of questions you can answer is 75 and a maximum of 265.  Read the question and answers carefully—do not jump into conclusions or make wild guesses.  Look for keywords—Avoid answers with absolutes like always, never, all, every, only, must, except, none, or no.  Don’t read into the question—Never assume anything that has not been specifically mentioned and don’t add extra meaning to the question.  Eliminate answers that are clearly wrong or incorrect—to increase your probability of selecting the correct answer!  Watch for grammatical inconsistencies—Subjects and verbs should agree. If the question is an incomplete sentence, the correct answer should complete the question in a grammatically correct manner.  Rephrase the question—putting the question into your own words can pluck the unneeded info and reveal the core of the stem.  Make an educated guess—if you can’t make the best answer for a question after carefully reading it, choose the answer with the most information. 2. Vital Signs  Heart rate: 80—100 bpm  Respiratory rate: 12-20 rpm  Blood pressure: 110-120/60 mmHg  Temperature: 37 °C (98.6 °F) 3. Hematology values  RBCs: 4.5—5.0 million  WBCs: 5,000—10,000  Platelets: 200,000—400,000  Hemoglobin (Hgb): 12—16 gm (female); 14—18 gm (male).  Hematocrit (Hct): 37—47 (female); 40— 54 (male) 4. Serum electrolytes  Sodium: 135—145 mEq/L  Potassium: 3.5—5.5 mEq/L  Calcium: 8.5—10.9 mEq/L  Chloride: 95—105 mEq/L  Magnesium: 1.5—2.5 mEq/L  Phosphorus: 2.5—4.5 mEq/L 5. ABG Values  pH: 7.36—7.45  HCO3: 24—26 mEq/L  CO2: 35—45 mEq/L  PaO2: 80%—100%  SaO2: 95% 6. Acid-Base Balance  Remember ROME (respiratory opposite/metabolic equal) to remember that in respiratory acid/base disorders the pH is opposite to the other components.  Use the Tic-Tac-Toe Method for interpreting ABGs. Read more about it here ( 7. Chemistry Values 