NCLEX-RN Physiological Adaptation practice test

Acute and chronic illness, emergencies, fluid and electrolytes, hemodynamics.

11–17% of the real exam 85–150 items, adaptive 2026 test plan
NCLEX-RN — Physiological Adaptation Question 1 of 10

A high-pressure alarm sounds on a mechanically ventilated client’s ventilator. Which cause should the nurse assess for first?

What this section asks

The client who is actually sick: chest tubes and ventilators, wound care, dialysis, pacing devices, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, and the pathophysiology behind each. This is where medical-surgical nursing lives on the exam. Items lean toward recognising a complication early and knowing the first action — which is usually an assessment or an airway, not a phone call.

Fluid and electrolyte imbalanceImpaired ventilation and oxygenationChest tubes, drains and suctionWound and ostomy careHemodynamics and perfusionDialysis and renal replacementEmergency care and complicationsPathophysiology of acute and chronic conditions

Frequently asked

How much of the NCLEX-RN is Physiological Adaptation?
11–17% of the items, under the 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan. The exam is adaptive — between 85 and 150 items — so the count you meet depends on how long your exam runs.
Is there a passing score on the NCLEX?
Not as a percentage. The exam is computer-adaptive and ends when the computer is 95% sure your ability is above or below the passing standard, a level NCSBN sets rather than a number of correct answers.
Is this the official NCLEX?
No. These are original practice questions written for study from the categories in the published test plan. The official exam is administered by NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing).

Other NCLEX-RN sections

Mixed practice test Management of CareSafety and Infection Prevention and ControlHealth Promotion and MaintenancePsychosocial IntegrityBasic Care and ComfortPharmacological and Parenteral TherapiesReduction of Risk Potential

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of the documents below, with the date it was read. Requirements change; if a source has moved on since that date, the source is right and this page is out of date.

Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or authorized by ATI (Assessment Technologies Institute), Elsevier, NCSBN, or any nursing program or board of nursing. TEAS®, HESI® and NCLEX® are trademarks of their respective owners. Practice questions here are original study material, not the official exams.