NLN PAX Practice Test

The NLN PAX Practice Test is a free beginner-level, 30-minute skill test from Science of Apps. Timed practice for the NLN nursing entrance exam (the NEX, which replaced the PAX) — verbal ability (word knowledge and reading), mathematics and science — modelled on the NLN NEX Technical Manual blueprint, with science drawn from OpenStax Biology, Anatomy and Physiology and Chemistry, for 2026. Thirty questions in 30 minutes, about one minute each, like the real exam's pace. Score 60% or more on its 30 questions to earn a verifiable NLN PAX Readiness certificate (SOA-NLNP). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX) Technical Manual (successor to the PAX) (National League for Nursing), Anatomy and Physiology 2e (OpenStax (Rice University)), Biology 2e (OpenStax (Rice University)) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free NLN PAX Practice Test, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures verbal ability, mathematics and science and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Read the three skill areas on this page, then take the 30-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 60% or more and you get a NLN PAX Readiness certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX) Technical Manual (successor to the PAX) (National League for Nursing); Anatomy and Physiology 2e (OpenStax (Rice University)); Biology 2e (OpenStax (Rice University)); Chemistry 2e (OpenStax (Rice University)). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

30 questions in 30 minutes across three areas, following the original test's format: Verbal Ability (Word knowledge and Reading); Mathematics (Arithmetic, Fractions and Algebra); Science (Biology, Chemistry and Anatomy and physiology). Every question is original, with the published source named under it.

Nursing school applicant (RN or PN), Pre-nursing student, Allied health programme applicant, Career changer entering nursing and Adult learner returning to study. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show NLN PAX knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

Yes. The NLN replaced the Pre-Admission Exam (PAX) with the Nursing Entrance Exam (NEX). The NEX gives 60 minutes for each of its three sections — verbal, mathematics and science — instead of the PAX's 40 minutes, and the science section no longer includes physics.

It tests verbal ability (word knowledge and reading comprehension), mathematics (arithmetic, fractions, percentages, basic algebra and measurement) and science (biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology) to predict readiness for nursing study.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

30 questions — 10 from each of 3 skill areas — with a 30-minute limit. You need 60% (18 of 30) to pass and 80% for distinction.

We rate it Beginner: no experience needed: fundamentals and clear reasoning. It has 30 questions — 10 from each of 3 skill areas — and a 30-minute limit. You need 60% (18 of 30) to pass and 80% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.