CNE Practice Questions (2026) — Free Sample Questions with Answers

Answer: C

A lecture with slides summarizing priority-setting frameworks: A lecture can present frameworks, but students passively receive information and do not practice reprioritizing as data change.

Assigned textbook reading followed by a recall quiz: Reading and recall quizzes build knowledge but do not require applying priorities to changing client situations.

An unfolding case study in which client data change over time: Correct. Unfolding cases release new data in stages, so learners must reassess and reprioritize, which matches the application-level outcome.

A skills-lab check-off on medication administration steps: Skills check-offs build psychomotor skills, not judgment about priorities across several clients.

Match the strategy to the outcome's level and domain: outcomes about prioritizing and clinical judgment call for active, changing-situation strategies such as unfolding cases or simulation.

Answer: A

Provide the approved accommodation and keep the information private: Correct. Under the ADA and Section 504, faculty carry out accommodations approved by the disability services office and keep disability information confidential.

Ask the student to disclose the diagnosis so the need can be confirmed: Faculty are not entitled to the diagnosis; the disability office has already reviewed the documentation.

Decline, since nursing exams must copy the NCLEX timing exactly: Approved accommodations must be given, and the NCLEX itself offers testing accommodations to eligible candidates.

Decide personally whether the extra time is fair to other students: The institution's disability services office decides what is reasonable; faculty do not re-judge approved accommodations.

Accommodations: disability services decides; faculty carry them out promptly and confidentially without asking for the diagnosis.

Answer: C

Keep the item, since difficult items are expected to have low p-values: Low difficulty alone is fine, but a negative point-biserial means strong students did worse on it than weak students, which is a problem.

Remove every item on the exam with a p-value below 0.50: A p-value cutoff alone would throw out good, challenging items; discrimination and content must also be considered.

Check the item for a miskey or ambiguity before scoring decisions: Correct. Negative discrimination with high scorers choosing one distractor suggests a wrong key or a defensible second answer; review the item, then rekey, accept more than one answer, or remove it.

Treat the negative value as a sign of excellent discrimination: Positive values show good discrimination; a negative value means the item works against overall performance.

Item analysis: p = proportion correct (difficulty); point-biserial or discrimination index should be positive (about 0.20 or higher is desirable). Negative values call for review for a miskey or ambiguity.

Answer: B

The student will understand principles of priority setting: "Understand" is an internal state that cannot be observed or measured directly.

The student will rank care for four clients using ABCs: Correct. It uses an observable action verb (rank), a condition (four clients) and a criterion (the ABC framework), so achievement can be measured.

The student will appreciate the importance of priority setting: "Appreciate" describes an attitude without observable behavior or criteria.

The student will know how to set priorities for client care: "Know" is not observable; the objective needs an action verb that shows the knowledge.

Measurable objectives use observable action verbs (from Bloom's taxonomy) plus a condition and criterion; avoid verbs like understand, know or appreciate.

Answer: D

Avoiding, by postponing the discussion until the semester ends: Avoiding leaves the student's grade unresolved and lets tension grow between long-term colleagues.

Accommodating, by having one faculty member give in: Accommodating may keep the peace, but it ignores real concerns and can build resentment on an important issue.

Competing, by asking the coordinator to impose a decision: A forced decision creates a winner and a loser and does not build a shared grading standard.

Collaborating, by weighing both views against criteria: Correct. When the issue matters and the relationship is ongoing, collaborating (working through both concerns using shared criteria) produces a solution both can support.

Thomas-Kilmann: collaborate when the issue is important and the relationship is long-term; compromise, accommodate, avoid or compete only in specific situations.

Answer: B

Ignore it so the student does not feel singled out: Ignoring incivility signals it is acceptable and harms the learning climate for other students.

Meet privately soon about the behavior and impact: Correct. Addressing incivility promptly and privately, naming specific behaviors and their effect, and setting expectations under the code of conduct models civility and protects the climate.

Correct the student sharply in front of the whole class: Public reprimand can escalate conflict and models the very incivility the faculty member wants to stop.

Lower the student's participation grade without explanation: An unexplained penalty does not address the behavior or give the student a chance to change.

Fostering civility: address uncivil behavior early, privately and specifically; link it to shared norms and the code of conduct; document and follow up.