NCLEX Strategies: Critical Thinking & Rewording Questions

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The NCLEX-RN®exam is not a test about recognizing facts. You must be able to correctly identify what the question is asking. Do not focus on background information that is not needed to answer the question. The NCLEX-RN®exam focuses on thinking through a problem or situation.

Now that you are more knowledgeable about the components of a multiple-choice test question, let’s talk about specific strategies that you can use to problem-solve your way to correct answers on the NCLEX-RN® exam.

Are you feeling overwhelmed as you read these words? Don’t be! We are going teach you a step-by-step method to choose the appropriate path. The Kaplan Nursing team has developed a decision tree that shows you how to approach every NCLEX-RN® exam question.

There are some strategies that you must follow on every NCLEX-RN®exam test question. You must always figure out what the question is asking, and you must always eliminate answer choices. Choosing the right answer often involves choosing the best of several answers that have correct information. This may entail your correct analysis and interpretation of what the question is really asking. So let’s talk about how to figure out what the question is asking.

Strategies for solving critical thinking and rewording questions on the NCLEX


Remember, the NCLEX-RN® exam is testing your ability to think critically. Critical thinking for the nurse involves the following:

  • Observation
  • Deciding what is important
  • Looking for patterns and relationships
  • Identifying the problem
  • Transferring knowledge from one situation to another
  • Applying knowledge
  • Discriminating between possible choices and/or courses of action
  • Evaluating according to criteria established

Steps for critical thinking and rewording questions on the NCLEX


The first step to correctly answering NCLEX-RN® exam questions is to find out what each question is really asking.

  • Step 1

    Read each question carefully from the first word to the last word. Do not skim over the words or read them too quickly.

  • Step 2

    Look for hints in the wording of the question stem. The adjectives most, first, best, primary, and initial indicate that you must establish priorities. The phrase further teaching is necessary indicates that the answer will contain incorrect information. The phrase client understands the teaching indicates that the answer will be correct information.

  • Step 3

    Step 3. Reword the question stem in your own words so that it can be answered with a yes or a no, or with a specific bit of information. Begin your questions with what, when, or why. We will refer to this reworded version as the Reworded Question in the examples that follow.

  • Step 4

    If you can’t complete step 3, read the answer choices for clues.


NCLEX Practice Question 1


Let’s practice rewording a question.

A preschooler with a fractured femur is brought to the emergency room by her parents. When asked how the injury occurred, the child’s parents state that she fell off the sofa. On examination, the nurse finds old and new lesions on the child’s buttocks. Which of the following statements most appropriately reflects how the nurse should document these findings?


We omitted the answer choices to make you focus on the question stem this time. The answer choices will be provided and discussed later in this chapter.

Steps to answer this practice question.

  1. Read the question stem carefully.
  2. Pay attention to the adjectives. Most appropriately tells you that you need to select the best answer.
  3. Reword the question stem in your own words. In this case, it is, “What is the best charting for this situation?”
  4. Because you were able to reword the question, the fourth step is unnecessary. You didn’t need to read the answer choices for clues.

NCLEX Practice Question 2


We have all missed questions on a test because we didn’t read accurately. The following question illustrates this point.

A construction worker is admitted to the hospital for treatment of active tuberculosis (TB). The nurse teaches the client about TB. Which of the following statements by the client indicates to the nurse that further teaching is necessary?


Again, just the question stem is given to encourage you to focus on rewording the question. We will discuss the answer choices for this question later in this chapter.

Steps to answer this practice question.

  1. Read the question stem carefully.
  2.  Look for hints. Pay particular attention to the statement “further teaching is necessary.” You are looking for negative information.
  3. Reword the question stem in your own words. In this case, it is, “What is incorrect information about TB?”
  4. Because you were able to reword the question, the fourth step is unnecessary. You didn’t need to read the answer choices for clues to determine what the question is asking.

NCLEX Practice Question 3


Try rewording this test question.

A woman admitted to the hospital in premature labor has been treated successfully. The client is to be sent home on an oral regimen of terbutaline. Which of the following statements by the client indicates to the nurse that the client understands the discharge teaching about the medication?


Again, just the question stem is given to encourage you to focus on rewording the question. We will discuss the answer choices for this question later in this chapter.

Steps to answer this practice question.

  1. Read the question stem carefully.
  2. Look for hints. Pay attention to the words client understands. You are looking fortrue information.
  3. Reword the question stem. This question is asking, “What is true about terbutaline (Brethine)?”
  4. Because you were able to reword this question, the fourth step is unnecessary. You didn’t need to obtain clues about what the question is asking from the answer choices.

[Next: NCLEX Strategies: Eliminate Incorrect Answer Choices ]