How to Cross Out Two Wrong Answers in 15 Seconds
With four options a blind guess is 25 percent, but crossing out two wrong choices makes it 50 percent, which is worth a great deal over 85 to 150 questions. Run a fast series of cuts: not the nurse's job, wastes time or leaves the client, breaks a rule, wrong step, and true in general but wrong for this client now. About thirteen seconds of cutting usually leaves you with two options.
With 4 options, a guess is 25%. Cross out two, and it is 50%.
That is worth a lot over 85 to 150 questions.
Here is how to do it fast.
Cut 1: Not your job (2 seconds)
Cross out anything an RN cannot do alone.
- Ordering things. Medications, doses, diets, tests. Nurses do not prescribe.
- Making a medical diagnosis. “Tell the client they have appendicitis” is not nursing.
- Another profession’s job with no nursing part.
This is the fastest cut. It works more often than you think.
Cut 2: Wrong step (3 seconds)
First decide: stable or unstable?
- Stable client, and one option is an assessment while another jumps to action? The action is usually out.
- Unstable client with a clear danger, and one option says “assess more”? That is usually out.
This often removes two options at once.
Cut 3: Wastes time (2 seconds)
For “what should the nurse do first” with a sick client:
Cross out anything that delays care: - Documenting - Calling for a consult - Reading the chart - Waiting for a call back - Getting supplies you do not need yet
“Notify the provider” often belongs here. See Article 44.
Cut 4: Leaves the client (2 seconds)
If the client is unstable, never leave them.
Cross out: going to get supplies, going to find another nurse, going to make a call.
You stay. You use the call light or call system.
Cut 5: Breaks a rule (3 seconds)
Cross out anything that: - Breaks sterile technique - Uses the wrong precautions - Uses restraints without monitoring - Shares private information - Ignores the client’s right to refuse - Is contraindicated for this client
Cut 6: True in general, wrong here (3 seconds)
This is the hardest one.
The option is good nursing care — but for a different diagnosis or a different stage.
Ask: is this right for THIS client, RIGHT NOW?
Cut 7: Bad communication (2 seconds)
In any communication question, cross out:
- False comfort — “Don’t worry, it will be fine”
- Giving advice — “What you should do is…”
- Asking “why” — it sounds like blame
- Changing the subject
- Making it small — “It’s not that bad”
- Defending the staff or hospital
This one is almost automatic.
Do them in this order
- Not your job — 2 seconds
- Wastes time or leaves the client — 2 seconds
- Breaks a rule — 3 seconds
- Wrong step — 3 seconds
- True in general, wrong here — 3 seconds
Total: about 13 seconds. You will usually be down to 2 options before you finish.
Example
A client is 2 hours after a heart catheter through the groin. They say their leg feels numb. What should the nurse do first?
- Write it in the chart
- Check pulses and capillary refill in that leg
- Call the provider
- Move the client to be more comfortable
Not your job? All are nursing actions. No cuts.
Wastes time? Option 1 — writing it down does not help the client now. OUT.
Breaks a rule? No.
Wrong step? This is a new symptom after an artery procedure. You do not know how bad it is yet. So you assess. - Option 3 calls before you have anything to report. OUT. - Option 4 makes them comfortable while a blood flow problem goes unchecked. OUT.
Left: Option 2. Check pulses and capillary refill.
Four down to one in about 10 seconds. And you did not need to remember anything special about heart catheters.
Why speed helps
You have 5 hours for up to 150 questions. That is about 2 minutes each. Break time counts too.
Fast cutting saves your time for the hard things: case studies, math questions, and the questions where you are stuck between two options.
It also saves your energy. Thinking hard on every question for 5 hours is exhausting. Tired students make careless mistakes.
How to practice
Do “cut only” drills. Take practice questions. Do not answer them. Just write which options you can cut and why. Twenty of these teaches you a lot.
Say the reason out loud. “Out — not my job.” “Out — wastes time.”
Check your cuts, not just your answers. If you cut the correct answer, that is the most useful mistake you can find.
One honest limit
Cutting options narrows things down. It does not decide for you.
When you are down to 2, you need real knowledge. No trick replaces knowing that aPTT goes with heparin.
But getting to 2 is worth a lot. And you can learn it in a week.
Sources
- NCSBN. 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan. https://www.nclex.com/files/2026_RN_Test%20Plan_English-F.pdf
- NCSBN. Computerized Adaptive Testing. https://www.nclex.com/computerized-adaptive-testing.page
- NCSBN. Clinical Judgment Measurement Model. https://www.nclex.com/clinical-judgment-measurement-model.page
Frequently asked questions
Common follow-up questions on Test-Taking Strategy.
What is the fastest option to cross out?
Anything an RN cannot do alone, such as ordering medications, doses, diets, or tests, or making a medical diagnosis. Nurses do not prescribe, so options that have the nurse doing another profession's job with no nursing part are out. This cut works more often than students expect.
How do you cut options that waste time or leave the client?
For a sick client asked what to do first, cross out anything that delays care, such as documenting, calling a consult, reading the chart, or waiting for a call back. If the client is unstable, also cross out anything that leaves them, like going to get supplies or find another nurse. You stay and use the call light or call system.
What is the hardest kind of distractor?
The option that is good nursing care but for a different diagnosis or a different stage. It reads as correct in general, so you have to ask whether it is right for this client right now. This is the cut that most often trips up strong students.
How should I practice eliminating options?
Do cut-only drills: take practice questions, do not answer them, and just write which options you can cut and why. Say the reason out loud, such as out, not my job, and check your cuts rather than only your answers. If you cut the correct answer, that is the most useful mistake you can find.
Does cutting options replace knowing the content?
No. Cutting narrows things down but does not decide for you, and when you are down to two options you need real knowledge to choose. No trick replaces knowing facts like aPTT going with heparin. Getting to two is still worth a lot, and it can be learned in about a week.
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