ATI PN Adult Medical-Surgical Online Practice 2026 (A & B)
A plain-language guide to ATI's PN/VN Adult Medical-Surgical Online Practice assessments (Forms A and B) for the 2026 content-mastery series — what they are, the NGN item types they use, and where to find full-length practice for whichever series your program uses.
What “Online Practice A” and “B” actually mean
“Online Practice” is ATI's name for its untimed, lower-stakes practice assessments — as opposed to the proctored exam, which is timed, closed-book, and typically counts toward your grade. Adult Medical-Surgical Online Practice comes in two parallel forms, Form A and Form B, so you (or your cohort) can take two different question sets covering the same content areas without repeating questions.
What makes the 2026 series different
The 2026 content-mastery series is ATI's current update, and it leans harder on Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) item types than the older series: case studies, extended multiple response, and select-all-that-apply, alongside classic multiple choice. If your Online Practice A or B session includes multi-part case scenarios or “select all that apply” questions, you're most likely on the 2026 series.
What's covered
Both forms cover the same broad Medical-Surgical content areas: cardiovascular & respiratory care, endocrine & metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal & renal care, musculoskeletal & neurological care, and perioperative & wound care, all scoped to what a PN/VN performs and reports rather than independently manages. Programs often assign Form A as a first pass and Form B later in the term, or use one as a pre-test and the other as a post-test.
Going beyond Online Practice A & B
Online Practice is a good first pass, but it's short and untimed, so it won't tell you how you'd perform under real exam conditions. A full-length, timed practice run — matched to your program's actual series — is the closer dress rehearsal. We publish a 94-question exam for the 2026 series (with 9 select-all-that-apply and 35 case-study/NGN items) and a separate one for the 2023 series, each with a full answer key and rationales.
Sample Medical-Surgical practice questions
Rationale: Visible bowel protruding through an incision (evisceration) is a surgical emergency. The nurse should cover the area with a sterile saline-moistened dressing to prevent drying and notify the RN immediately — the protruding tissue should never be pushed back in.
Rationale: Excessive thirst, polyuria, and a fruity (acetone) breath odor are classic findings of diabetic ketoacidosis, caused by severe hyperglycemia and ketone production, and should be reported to the RN immediately.
Rationale: Sudden dyspnea and chest pain in a postoperative client may indicate a pulmonary embolism, a life-threatening complication that requires immediate RN notification.
Online Practice A & B — frequently asked questions
What is ATI PN/VN Adult Medical-Surgical Online Practice A and B?
ATI Adult Medical-Surgical Online Practice comes as two parallel forms, A and B, each a shorter, untimed, open-book-style set of questions with feedback provided as you go. This differs from the proctored exam, which is timed, closed-book, and used as a scored assessment for your program.
What's different about the 2026 version of Online Practice A and B?
The 2026 content-mastery series adds Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) item types — case studies, extended multiple response, and select-all-that-apply — alongside classic multiple choice. Online Practice A and B for 2026 include these newer formats, while the earlier 2023 series stays mostly classic multiple choice.
Are Online Practice A and B the same as this site's practice questions?
No. Online Practice A and B are ATI's own untimed practice assessments, delivered inside your ATI account. This site is independent and offers original practice questions written to the same content areas — it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a reproduction of ATI's proprietary content.
How do I know if I need the 2026 or 2023 version?
Check your course syllabus or ask your instructor which content-mastery series your program uses. If you're not sure, our 2026 exam and 2023 exam pages both describe their content outline and item types so you can compare against what you're seeing in your ATI account.
Why do Online Practice A and B feel easier than the proctored exam?
Online Practice A and B are meant as low-stakes, open-book practice you can take more than once, so ATI intentionally keeps them shorter and less exam-like. A full-length, timed practice run — like our 94-question exam with 9 select-all-that-apply and 35 case-study/NGN items — more closely mirrors the actual proctored testing experience.