NEX Study Guide
Your area-by-area roadmap
The NEX has three timed subject tests — Verbal, Mathematics, and Science — for 163 questions in 180 minutes. Each subject rewards a specific skill set. Study one subject at a time, learn the content areas within it, then reinforce with flashcards and a full-length timed test.
Verbal
58 questions · 60 minutes
Two content areas: Word Knowledge (vocabulary in context, synonyms/antonyms, and word parts) and Reading Comprehension (main idea, detail, inference, and purpose from short passages).
Word Knowledge
- Use sentence context to define an unfamiliar word before looking at the choices.
- Learn common prefixes, suffixes, and roots (inter-, intra-, -less, -ology) to decode unknown words.
- For synonym/antonym items, decide first whether the question wants the same or the opposite meaning.
- Watch for near-synonyms among the distractors that are related but not exact.
Reading Comprehension
- Read the passage once for overall structure before reading the questions.
- Separate the main idea from supporting details; the best main-idea answer covers the whole passage.
- Inference questions ask what must follow from the text, not what is merely plausible.
- Return to the passage to confirm detail and 'according to the passage' answers.
High-yield takeaways
- Extreme wording in an answer is usually wrong unless the passage is equally strong.
- For vocabulary, the surrounding sentence almost always signals the intended meaning.
- Do not bring outside knowledge into reading questions — answer only from the passage.
Mathematics
45 questions · 60 minutes
Four content areas: Numbers and Operations, Measurement, Algebra, and Data and Information. Most items are practical, nursing-flavored word problems.
Numbers, Operations & Measurement
- Follow order of operations (PEMDAS) exactly and double-check the final step.
- Be fluent converting among fractions, decimals, and percents.
- Handle ratios, proportions, and unit conversions — the backbone of dosage-style problems.
- Know common metric and household measurement equivalents.
Algebra & Data
- Translate word problems into a single equation before solving.
- Solve one-variable linear equations and simple formulas reliably.
- Read values directly from tables and graphs, then compare or compute as asked.
- Identify what the question is actually asking before choosing an answer.
High-yield takeaways
- Percent-of and ratio problems appear repeatedly — practice them until they are automatic.
- Estimate first so an unreasonable answer stands out.
- For data questions, locate the exact row/column before calculating.
Science
60 questions · 60 minutes
Four content areas: Biology, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Chemistry. Questions test core definitions, relationships, and applying a known principle to a new scenario — sometimes with a data table.
Biology & Chemistry
- Know cell structures and their functions, and basic ecology (producers, consumers, food chains).
- Understand pH, acids and bases, and how to read a pH table.
- Recognize states of matter and basic chemical reactions.
- Focus on definitions and relationships across topics rather than memorizing trivia.
Anatomy & Physiology
- Learn the major body systems and how their structures connect to function.
- Understand homeostasis and how the body responds to activity (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure).
- Apply a known principle to a new, specific scenario the question describes.
- When a question includes a table or graph, study it before reading the choices.
High-yield takeaways
- Many items reward applying a principle to a scenario, not recall alone — read the scenario carefully.
- For table/graph questions, identify the trend (increasing, leveling off, peak) first.
- Anatomy and physiology together make up the largest share of Science — prioritize them.
Ready to practice?
Reinforce what you reviewed with flashcards or a timed test.