How NCLEX drag-and-drop and cloze questions are scored
Written and reviewed by Rachel Goldberg, MSN, RN, CEN · 4 min read · Updated November 2026
Short answer
NCSBN does not publish a scoring table for NCLEX drag-and-drop or cloze items. Items with more than one correct answer earn partial credit under zero/one, plus/minus or rationale scoring, and the instruction line is your best clue to which rule applies: a stated number, an open number, or a linked pair.
NCSBN scores by instruction, not by item name
NCSBN's FAQ on NCLEX.com does not publish a scoring table by item name such as drag-and-drop or cloze. It describes three partial credit methods and ties each to the instruction you are given: choose a specific number of responses, select an unspecified number, or evaluate closely linked information as a pair.
The 2026 RN and PN test plans add a rule that matters here: partial credit applies to items for which more than one key exists. A drag-and-drop or drop-down item with a single correct answer is simply right or wrong. Partial credit only comes in when the item has several targets or blanks with correct answers.
Zero/one: when you are told how many to place
Many drag-and-drop items tell you exactly how many options to move, such as two actions into two boxes. NCSBN says zero/one scoring is used when candidates are told to choose a specific number of responses, and that they earn points for correct responses and do not earn points for incorrect options.
The name zero/one suggests all-or-nothing, but NCSBN's definition says candidates earn points for correct responses and do not earn points for incorrect ones. It describes no deduction. NCSBN does not say how those points add up on a single item, so do not count on either a lost or a saved placement. Since every item must be answered anyway, fill every target with your best answer.
Plus/minus: when the number is left open
NCSBN uses plus/minus scoring when candidates may select an unspecified number of options. Correct choices earn points and points are deducted for incorrect ones. If a drag-and-drop or drop-down item does not tell you how many options to choose, this is the rule its wording points to.
This is the rule where guessing has a cost, because an extra option you cannot defend can cancel out a correct one. Count before you answer: if the instruction gives a number, place exactly that many; if it gives no number, include only options you can justify from the client data on screen.
Rationale scoring: the paired cloze sentence
Some cloze items read as one sentence with two linked blanks, for example the client is at risk for one condition as evidenced by one finding. NCSBN uses rationale scoring when candidates must evaluate closely associated information, and says the only way to show comprehension is by understanding both parts of the pair.
So treat the pair as a single answer. Picking the right condition with a finding that does not support it does not show the link the item measures. Before you confirm, read the finished sentence back to yourself: if the finding would not actually explain the condition you chose, one of the blanks is wrong.
A ten-second check on test day
Start every drag-and-drop or drop-down item by reading the instruction line for a number. A stated number points to zero/one, an open number to plus/minus, and a linked sentence to rationale scoring. That one check tells you whether to fill every slot, hold back on doubtful options, or test the pair as one statement.
Do not try to guess your score from these items during the exam. The bulletin warns that rapid guessing lowers your ability estimate, and the computer recalculates that estimate after every item anyway. Answer each item on its merits and move on, since you cannot return to it once you confirm.
Sources
NCLEX FAQs: scoring methods (NCSBN, NCLEX.com). Definitions of plus/minus (unspecified number, points deducted for incorrect), zero/one (specific number, points for correct responses, none for incorrect) and rationale scoring (closely associated pair)
2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan, effective April 2026 (NCSBN). Partial credit scoring applies to items for which more than one key exists; three methods; see NCLEX.com FAQs
2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan, effective April 2026 (NCSBN). Same partial credit statement for the PN exam; every item must be answered and you cannot return to a previous item after confirming
2026 NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin (NCSBN). Rapid guessing can drastically lower your score on an adaptive test
Common questions
Is drag and drop all or nothing on the NCLEX?
Not necessarily. NCSBN's zero/one definition says candidates earn points for correct responses, with no deduction described, but it publishes no point table per item. Single-answer items are simply right or wrong.
How is cloze scored on the NCLEX?
It depends on the instruction. Drop-downs that each ask for one choice fit NCSBN's description of zero/one scoring, while a linked pair, such as a condition and the finding that supports it, is scored with rationale scoring.
Can you lose points on drag and drop questions?
Only under plus/minus scoring, which NCSBN uses when the number of options to select is left open. Under zero/one, where the number is stated, NCSBN describes no deduction for a wrong choice.