NCLEX health promotion and psychosocial integrity questions: free drills

Health Promotion and Maintenance (6-12% of the NCLEX-RN) covers growth and development, pregnancy, birth, the newborn, immunizations and screening. Psychosocial Integrity (6-12%) covers therapeutic communication, suicide risk, crisis, abuse, substance use and withdrawal, mental health conditions and grief. The two free drills below are 12 original questions each, with every rationale explained.

6-12%
Health Promotion: 6-12%
Psychosocial Integrity: 15
of our 85 mock questions: 2 × 12
free drill questions

Last checked 13 November 2026 · Ranges from the 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan (NCSBN)

Free drills: 12 original NCLEX-RN-style questions each, at 2 minutes a question, then every rationale shown. No sign-up.

12
questions
24 min
time limit
Free
every answer explained

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 13 November 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

What is on the Health Promotion and Maintenance section?

Care across the lifespan: growth and development from infancy to older adulthood, antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum and newborn care, immunizations, health screening, and teaching that prevents illness.

Maternal and newborn numbers the NCLEX asks about
Topic	What to know
Estimated date of birth	Naegele's rule: first day of the last period minus 3 months plus 7 days, plus 1 year
Fundal height	At the umbilicus at about 20 weeks; then roughly 1 cm per week
Gestational diabetes screening	Usually 24 to 28 weeks
Rho(D) immune globulin	About 28 weeks and within 72 hours after birth of an Rh-positive newborn
Fetal decelerations	Early: head compression. Variable: cord compression. Late: uteroplacental insufficiency
Postpartum fundus	Firm, at or near the umbilicus on day 1, then lower each day; boggy means massage
Lochia	Rubra (days 1 to 3), serosa (about days 4 to 10), alba (after)
Newborn	Apgar at 1 and 5 minutes; vitamin K IM; eye prophylaxis; back to sleep

NCLEX-RN-style question 1 · Intrapartum care
A client in labor receiving oxytocin has contractions every 90 seconds lasting 100 seconds, with late decelerations. What should the RN do first?
1. AIncrease the oxytocin to finish labor faster
2. BStop the oxytocin infusion
3. CEncourage the client to push
4. DPlace the client flat on her back
Worked answer
B: Stop the oxytocin infusion. Contractions this frequent and long are tachysystole, and late decelerations show the fetus is not getting enough oxygen. Stopping the oxytocin is the first step; side-lying, IV fluid and notifying the provider follow.
1. Spot the cause: oxytocin is overstimulating the uterus.
2. Remove the cause first: stop the infusion.
3. Then reposition to the side, give an IV fluid bolus and notify the provider.
The trap: Choosing oxygen or repositioning first. They help, but while the oxytocin runs the cause of the problem is still being infused.

Which growth and development facts are tested on the NCLEX?

Milestones, Erikson's stages, types of play, and how to prepare children of each age for care. The question is usually what fits the child's age and keeps them safe.

Erikson's stages with the play and preparation that fit each age
Age	Erikson stage	Play and preparation
Infant	Trust vs mistrust	Consistent caregivers; large, soft toys; nothing small enough to swallow
Toddler	Autonomy vs shame and doubt	Parallel play; simple choices; routines
Preschool	Initiative vs guilt	Associative play; hands-on preparation with equipment or dolls just before a procedure
School age	Industry vs inferiority	Cooperative, rule-based games; explanations with diagrams
Adolescent	Identity vs role confusion	Privacy, peers, being involved in decisions
Older adult	Integrity vs despair	Life review, independence and safety at home

NCLEX-RN-style question 1 · Growth and development
Which toy is most appropriate for a 10-month-old infant?
1. AA 500-piece jigsaw puzzle
2. BLarge, soft stacking blocks
3. CA board game with small pieces
4. DA tricycle
Worked answer
B: Large, soft stacking blocks. At 10 months infants sit well, bang and stack objects and put things in their mouths. Large soft blocks fit the skill and are not a choking risk.
1. What can a 10-month-old do? Sit, grasp, bang, stack.
2. What is dangerous? Small parts (choking).
3. So large, soft blocks.
The trap: Ignoring safety. Even if a toy fits the skill, anything small enough to swallow is wrong for an infant.

Four more drills in each area

The Pass Pack has four 12-question drills each for Health Promotion and Psychosocial Integrity, plus two more full mocks.

The NCLEX-RN Pass Pack gives you 3 full mocks on the real clock, 32 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The NCLEX-RN Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the NCLEX-RN Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

3
timed mocks: 32
topic drills: 1
score predictor

What is on the Psychosocial Integrity section?

Therapeutic communication, suicide and safety, crisis intervention, abuse and neglect, substance use and withdrawal, mental health conditions and their care, cognitive impairment, grief and end of life, coping and culture.

Therapeutic and non-therapeutic communication
Use	Avoid
Open-ended questions ("Tell me about...")	Closed or "why" questions that put the client on the defensive
Reflecting feelings ("You sound worried")	False reassurance ("Don't worry")
Silence and presence	Changing the subject
Clarifying ("What do you mean by...")	Giving advice or your own opinion
Stating reality without arguing ("I don't hear voices")	Arguing with delusions or agreeing with them

NCLEX-RN-style question 1 · Therapeutic communication
A client newly diagnosed with cancer says, "Why is this happening to me?" Which response by the RN is best?
1. A"Everything happens for a reason."
2. B"This must be very hard for you. Tell me what you are feeling."
3. C"You should focus on getting better."
4. D"Don't worry, the treatment works for most people."
Worked answer
B: "This must be very hard for you. Tell me what you are feeling.". Acknowledging the feeling and inviting the client to talk is therapeutic. Clichés, advice and false reassurance block the conversation.
1. The client is expressing a feeling, not asking for facts.
2. Look for the option that names the feeling and opens the door.
3. Rule out advice, reassurance and platitudes.
The trap: Choosing reassurance because it sounds kind. On the NCLEX, "don't worry" is almost always the wrong answer.
NCLEX-RN-style question 2 · Suicide risk
A client with depression, who has been withdrawn for a week, is suddenly calm and gives away a favorite watch. What should the RN do?
1. APraise the client for feeling better
2. BAssess the client directly for suicidal thoughts and a plan
3. CReturn the watch to the client's family
4. DPlan the client's discharge
Show the worked answer
B: Assess the client directly for suicidal thoughts and a plan. Sudden calm and giving away possessions can mean the client has made a decision to die. The nurse asks directly about thoughts, a plan and means, and puts safety measures in place.
1. A sudden change in mood after depression is a warning sign.
2. Giving away possessions is another.
3. Ask directly about suicide and act on the answer.
The trap: Reading calm as recovery. In depression, a sudden lift with these signs needs assessment, not praise.

What does the NCLEX ask about alcohol and opioid withdrawal?

The timeline and the danger signs. Alcohol withdrawal starts within about 6 to 24 hours of the last drink, and delirium tremens, an emergency, usually at 48 to 72 hours. Opioid withdrawal is miserable but rarely life-threatening on its own.

Alcohol and opioid withdrawal compared
	Alcohol	Opioids
Starts	About 6 to 24 hours after the last drink	Hours to a day or two, depending on the drug
Signs	Tremor, anxiety, tachycardia, sweating; then hallucinations, seizures, delirium tremens	Yawning, runny nose, tearing, dilated pupils, goosebumps, cramps, diarrhea
Danger	Seizures and delirium tremens can kill	Dehydration; relapse with lost tolerance can lead to overdose
Treatment	Benzodiazepines by a withdrawal scale such as CIWA-Ar; thiamine	Supportive care; medications such as buprenorphine or methadone

Suicide risk questions follow one rule: when a client hints at suicide, ask directly, and stay with a client at immediate risk. Risk often rises when energy returns early in antidepressant treatment, or when a depressed client suddenly seems calm and gives possessions away.

How should I practise these two areas?

Learn the numbers (maternity and development) and the communication rules (psychosocial) first, with the two drills above, then check them in a full mock.

These two areas are smaller than Management of Care or pharmacology, so do not over-invest; one card for each table on this page is enough for most graduates. Then take the free NCLEX-RN practice test, where 8 questions are Health Promotion and 7 are Psychosocial Integrity, mixed in with the rest. The study plan is in how to pass the NCLEX, and the format on the NCLEX-RN exam guide.

Frequently asked questions

How much maternity is on the NCLEX-RN?

There is no separate maternity section. Pregnancy, birth and newborn care sit mostly in Health Promotion and Maintenance (6-12%), with emergencies in Physiological Adaptation.

What is the best answer on therapeutic communication questions?

Usually the one that acknowledges the client's feeling and invites them to say more, without reassurance, advice or "why".

When does alcohol withdrawal start?

Within about 6 to 24 hours of the last drink, with delirium tremens usually around 48 to 72 hours.

Are these real NCLEX questions?

No. They are original NCLEX-RN-style questions written for LifeScore, which is not affiliated with NCSBN.

Cover the smaller areas without wasting a week

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