NCLEX-PN Pharmacology Practice Questions
Pharmacological Therapies · 10–16% of the NCLEX-PN · Physiological Integrity
85 questions weighted to every client-needs category, three case studies, and a score for Pharmacology so you know where you stand.
Free pharmacology drillBefore giving a scheduled dose of rapid-acting insulin, the nurse checks a resident's fingerstick glucose. It is 62 mg/dL and the resident is alert. What should the nurse do first?
Pharmacological Therapies on the 2026 PN test plan
Pharmacological Therapies is 10–16% of the NCLEX-PN. It tests medication safety as the practical nurse practices it: the rights of administration, the data to collect before a dose, every route an LPN/VN uses, dosage and IV flow-rate calculations, IV piggyback medications, blood transfusion monitoring, adverse effects to report and medication teaching to reinforce.
- Share of the exam
- 10–16% of scored stand-alone items (we weight our mock exams at 13%)
- Client Needs category
- Physiological Integrity
- Our drill
- 10 questions, untimed, a rationale for every option; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What Pharmacology questions test
- The rights of medication administration and reconciling the medication list, including herbal and over-the-counter products
- Data to collect before a dose: apical pulse before digoxin, blood pressure before antihypertensives, glucose before insulin, INR before warfarin
- Oral, enteral-tube, subcutaneous, intradermal, intramuscular, topical, eye, ear, nose, inhalation, rectal and vaginal routes
- Dosage calculations: tablets, liquids, weight-based doses, units, and IV flow rates in mL/hr and gtt/min
- IV piggyback (secondary) medications, and monitoring pain control devices such as PCA and epidurals
- Monitoring a blood transfusion and the first action for a reaction
- Adverse effects, interactions, therapeutic effects and critical drug levels to report
- Controlled substance counts, storage, expiration dates and compatibility
- Reinforcing medication teaching by drug class
Sit the full exam under the real clock
85 questions weighted to every client-needs category, three case studies, and a score for Pharmacology so you know where you stand.
Free pharmacology drillHow to study it
- Set up every calculation the same way (desired over have times quantity; mL/hr = volume ÷ hours; gtt/min = volume × drop factor ÷ minutes) and check the unit before you commit.
- Learn one hold parameter, one adverse effect to report and one teaching point for each major drug class.
- For any transfusion or IV reaction, the first action is to stop the infusion, then keep the line open with normal saline, stay with the client and report.
- Scope matters here too: the LPN/VN gives IV piggyback medications and monitors infusions, but IV push medications and starting a transfusion are RN tasks on this exam.
Common questions
What pharmacology is on the NCLEX-PN?
Pharmacological Therapies is 10–16% of the 2026 PN test plan. Its activity statements cover the rights of administration, medication reconciliation, transfusion monitoring, IV flow rates, oral, tube, injection and topical routes, controlled substance counts, pain control devices, IV piggyback medications, data to collect before a dose, evaluating response, teaching, safety practices and calculations.
What should the nurse check before giving digoxin?
The apical pulse for a full minute (hold the dose and report if it is below 60 in an adult), the serum potassium, because hypokalemia raises the risk of toxicity, and signs of toxicity: nausea, vomiting, anorexia, visual changes and a new irregular pulse.
What is the first action for a transfusion reaction?
Stop the transfusion immediately, keep the IV line open with normal saline per protocol, stay with the client, check vital signs and report to the RN and the health care provider. The blood bag and tubing are saved for the blood bank.
85 questions weighted to every client-needs category, three case studies, and a score for Pharmacology so you know where you stand.
Free pharmacology drillMore NCLEX-PN guides
- NCLEX-PN Coordinated Care Practice Questions
- NCLEX-PN Safety and Infection Control Practice Questions
- NCLEX-PN Health Promotion Practice Questions
- NCLEX-PN Psychosocial Integrity Practice Questions
- NCLEX-PN Basic Care and Comfort Practice Questions
- NCLEX-PN Reduction of Risk Potential Practice Questions
- NCLEX-PN Physiological Adaptation Practice Questions
- NCLEX-PN Next Generation case studies
- NCLEX-PN vs NCLEX-RN
- Retaking the NCLEX-PN
- Studying for the NCLEX-RN instead? RN practice test
- NCLEX-PN practice exam (85 items)
Sources
- NCSBN: 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan (effective April 1, 2026)
- NCLEX.com: Test plans
- NCSBN: NCLEX Candidate Bulletin (October 2025): fees, retake policy, exam length and breaks
- NCSBN: NCLEX registration fee change effective February 1, 2027
- NCSBN: 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics (NCLEX-PN volumes, pass rates and test length)
- NCLEX.com FAQs: partial-credit scoring (plus/minus, zero/one, rationale)
- NCSBN: Candidate Performance Report
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) or Pearson VUE. NCLEX and NCLEX-PN are registered trademarks of NCSBN.