What’s in the pack

NCLEX cheat sheets work best when they cover the things you’re expected to just know — the recall layer underneath all the critical thinking. Memorize these and you free up brain space for the actual reasoning the exam is testing. The pack includes:

• Lab values: the normal ranges that show up again and again — electrolytes, CBC, coags, ABGs, and the therapeutic drug levels worth knowing cold.
• High-alert meds: common drug classes, what to watch for, and the antidotes and safety checks examiners love.
• Delegation & prioritization: who can do what (RN vs LPN/LVN vs UAP), and how to spot the “which patient do you see first” answer.
• Safety & positioning: the classic positions, precautions, and “never event” red flags.

How to actually use a cheat sheet

Here’s the thing — reading a cheat sheet over and over feels productive but barely works. What works is active recall: cover the answers, try to produce them from memory, then check. A few ways to do it:

• Cover and quiz. Fold the sheet so only the prompts show. Say the answer out loud before you peek.
• Teach it. Explain delegation rules to a friend, your dog, or an empty room. If you can teach it, you know it.
• Space it out. Five minutes a day beats a three-hour cram. Review the same sheet today, in two days, then in a week.

Ready for the bigger picture? Build a schedule with our NCLEX study plan, practice the math with dosage-calc questions, or get the lay of the land back on the NCLEX prep hub.