The Ultimate Guide to the NLN Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX): Everything You Need to Know (Updated for 2025)

The National League for Nursing (NLN) Nursing Entrance Exam is a standardized assessment designed to evaluate your readiness for nursing education. As the official 2025 replacement for the NLN PAX exam, the NEX has become the preferred admissions test for many nursing programs across the country.
This computer-based exam assesses your fundamental academic abilities in three core areas: verbal skills, mathematics, and science—all essential foundations for success in nursing education.

In 2025, the National League for Nursing officially replaced the long-standing PAX exam with the new and improved NLN Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX). This transition represents a significant update to align the entrance examination more closely with current nursing education requirements. If you were preparing for the PAX, it's important to understand that nursing programs nationwide are now adopting the NLN NEX as their standard admission test.

The NLN NEX is typically required for students applying to:

• Generic Bachelor of Science (BS) nursing programs
• Accelerated Second-Degree (A2D) BS programs
• Practical Nursing (PN) programs

Many prestigious nursing schools now use the NEX as a key component of their admissions process to identify candidates who possess the academic foundation necessary for success in their rigorous curricula.

The NLN NEX consists of three 60-minute sections, each designed to evaluate specific skills relevant to nursing education:

Verbal Ability (58 questions)

• 50 scored questions, 8 unscored
• Content: Word knowledge (vocabulary), reading comprehension
• Tests your ability to understand complex texts and healthcare terminology

Mathematics (45 questions)

• 40 scored questions, 5 unscored
• Content: Numbers and operations, measurement conversions, algebra, data interpretation
• Focuses on mathematical skills directly applicable to nursing practice

Science (60 questions)

• 55 scored questions, 5 unscored
• Content: Biology, human anatomy and physiology, chemistry, health concepts
• Evaluates your understanding of scientific principles fundamental to nursing

All questions are multiple-choice with four response options. There's no penalty for guessing, but unanswered questions are marked incorrect—so answer everything!

As a 2025 replacement for the PAX, the NLN NEX incorporates several significant improvements:

• Extended testing time (60 minutes per section versus 40)
• Removal of physics content from the science section
• Increased focus on anatomy and physiology
• Enhanced emphasis on comprehension, application, and inference skills
• Addition of data interpretation questions
• Availability of virtual proctoring options
• New scoring scale (0-300) versus the old PAX scale (0-200)
• Equal weighting of all three sections (PAX weighted Mathematics at 1.5)
• Updated norm groups based on 2022 performance data

These changes make the NEX more directly relevant to nursing education and provide a more comprehensive assessment of your academic readiness.

NLN NEX scores remain valid for two years. Most institutions have specific policies regarding retakes, typically allowing:

• Retakes every six months
• Up to three attempts per admission cycle
• Mandatory waiting periods between attempts

The NLN recommends at least 30 days between test attempts to allow adequate time for additional preparation.

Effective preparation is crucial for achieving your best score. Consider these strategies:

• Take a diagnostic test to identify your strengths and weaknesses
• Create a structured study schedule that allocates more time to challenging areas
• Use official NLN preparation materials designed specifically for the NEX
• Supplement with additional resources like TestPrep=Online for targeted concept review
• Practice with timed tests to build stamina and improve pacing

Verbal Ability

• Build vocabulary through consistent reading of nursing and healthcare materials
• Practice identifying main ideas and supporting details in complex passages
• Work on inference questions, which require reading between the lines

Mathematics

• Master unit conversions, which are critical in nursing practice
• Focus on dosage calculations and medication administration math
• Practice interpreting data from charts, graphs, and tables

Science

• Focus heavily on anatomy and physiology, which comprise a significant portion of the test
• Review basic chemistry concepts, particularly those relevant to biological systems
• Study the fundamentals of biology at the cellular and systemic levels

Our NEX Prep Pack gives you:

• Comprehensive Content Coverage across all three test sections
• Realistic Practice Experience with full-length tests
• Proven Study Strategies to maximize your score
• 428 Total Practice Questions to build confidence and competence