SATA questions: how select-all-that-apply is scored on the NCLEX
NCLEX SATA questions are scored plus/minus: a point for each correct option, a point off for each wrong one. See a worked example and how to approach them.
- NCLEX SATA questions earn partial credit with plus/minus scoring.
- Each incorrect option you select takes a point off. The lowest score is zero.
- One or more options are correct. The question does not say how many.
- REx-PN has scored multiple-response questions for partial credit since January 2026.
A select-all-that-apply (SATA) question on the NCLEX earns partial credit. You gain a point for each correct option you select and lose a point for each incorrect one, and your score on the question cannot go below zero.
Sources checked 6 October 2026.
What a SATA question is
NCSBN calls it a multiple-response item. The words "select all that apply" appear in bold in the question. NCSBN says that when you see them, one or more of the options is correct. The question does not tell you how many.
How the NCLEX scores SATA
NCSBN uses three scoring methods for questions with more than one correct answer. Which one applies depends on what the question asks you to do.
| Method | Used when | How points work |
|---|---|---|
| Plus/minus | You may select any number of options. This is the SATA format. | A point for each correct option selected. A point off for each incorrect option selected. The lowest score is zero. |
| Zero/one | You are told how many responses to choose. | A point for each correct response. Nothing is taken off for an incorrect one. |
| Rationale | You pair two linked pieces of information, such as a cause and its effect. | Both parts of the pair must be correct to earn the point. |
The highest score on a plus/minus question equals the number of correct options.
A worked example
Take a question with five options, three of them correct. This example applies NCSBN's published rule. It is our illustration, not an exam item.
| You select | Calculation | Score out of 3 |
|---|---|---|
| All three correct options | 3 − 0 | 3 |
| Two correct options | 2 − 0 | 2 |
| Two correct, one incorrect | 2 − 1 | 1 |
| All five options | 3 − 2 | 1 |
| One correct, two incorrect | 1 − 2, raised to zero | 0 |
How REx-PN scores SATA
Until the end of 2025, REx-PN marked a multiple-response question as all correct or all incorrect. Since January 2026 these questions are scored for partial credit, and every other REx-PN question is still scored correct or incorrect. The REx-PN site says the new model gives points for partial understanding. It does not publish the formula, so we do not state one here.
How to approach a SATA question
- Read the question and decide what it is asking before you look at the options.
- Judge each option on its own, as true or false for this client. Do not compare the options with each other.
- Do not aim for a number. A SATA question can have one correct option, or all of them.
- Under plus/minus scoring, a guess on an option can cost you a point you had already earned. Select what you can defend.
That last point matches what test takers pass on. In a r/PassNclex study guide thread, the author credits Mark Klimek's lectures for the advice to leave out options you are not sure of. In a thread from a repeat test taker, one reply says the current exam leans on SATA and priority questions.
Where to practise
Medibara's lessons end with questions in your exam's format, and select all that apply is one of them. After you submit, each option is marked as right, wrong or missed, and the feedback shows your points for the question, so you see what a wrong selection cost. The rationale opens underneath. If you cannot see why an option was wrong, tap "Ask Cappy why" and the tutor answers from the lesson. Start learning on Medibara.
On this site, our free REx-PN practice questions include multiple-response items with a reason for every option. For the whole exam, see how to pass the NCLEX.