Cloze and drop-down questions on the NCLEX
A cloze item asks you to complete one or more blanks in a sentence, short paragraph or table by choosing from drop-down options. Use the current NCLEX Candidate Tutorial and official sample materials for the exact interface and directions.
Format and scoring boundary
NCSBN states generally that items with more than one key can receive partial credit under plus/minus, zero/one or rationale scoring. That does not establish that every blank is scored independently, that choices must be linked to earn credit, or that one incorrect selection automatically makes the remaining selections wrong. Follow the directions displayed for the item rather than applying an unofficial blank-level scoring rule.
Evidence: Item-format context comes from NCSBN's Next Generation NCLEX materials. The scoring boundary comes from Scoring Items in the 2026 RN Test Plan and the NCLEX FAQ.
A consistency-checking study method
- Read the complete prompt and client information. Identify what the item is asking before opening a menu.
- Review every option for each blank. Compare each choice with the information supplied rather than relying on familiarity alone.
- Make the best-supported selection for each blank. The examination does not require candidates to complete the blanks in a particular reasoning order.
- Read the completed statement or table. Check whether every selection fits the prompt, the client information and the other selections.
- Recheck the displayed directions. Confirm that every required blank has a response before advancing.
Reading the completed response for consistency is study guidance, not a claim that NCSBN scores the blanks as a linked chain.
Consistency questions to ask
- Does each selection answer the wording of its blank?
- Does each selection fit the client's age, condition, time course and current findings?
- If the response identifies a condition, do the selected evidence and action fit that condition?
- Have you avoided adding facts that the item did not provide?
Common questions
What is a cloze question on the NCLEX?
A drop-down item in which the candidate selects options to complete one or more blanks in a sentence, short paragraph or table. Consult the current Candidate Tutorial and official samples for the exact interface.
Are cloze-question blanks scored separately?
NCSBN describes partial-credit methods for items with more than one key, but that general guidance does not prove an independent point value or linked-dependency rule for every cloze blank. Follow the item's directions.
Should I answer cloze blanks in order?
NCSBN does not require a particular reasoning order. Choose the response best supported by the client information for each blank, then review the completed response for consistency.
Sources and further reading
- NCSBN — 2026 RN Test Plan — National Council of State Boards of Nursing; evidence locator: 2026 RN Test Plan; effective April 1, 2026–March 31, 2029; source updated ; accessed
- NCSBN — Next Generation NCLEX — National Council of State Boards of Nursing; evidence locator: NGN Project and Clinical Judgment Measurement Model sections; source updated ; accessed
- NCSBN — NCLEX Frequently Asked Questions — National Council of State Boards of Nursing; evidence locator: How the NCLEX Works — item selection and initial difficulty; What the Exam Looks Like — partial-credit methods and unanswered-item prompt; live page checked 2026-08-28 and no page-level revision date is published; accessed
Practice this for real. PulseRN can provide cloze-style practice with rationales; it does not reproduce the official NCLEX item bank or predict an exam result.