What’s in the 9th edition
Elsevier describes the 9th edition as a content review plus a large practice-question set split between the printed book and the Evolve website.
| Feature | Details (Elsevier) |
|---|---|
| Authors | Linda Anne Silvestri and Angela Silvestri |
| Edition | 9th edition, 2022 |
| Questions | 5,700+ NCLEX-style questions in the book and online |
| Structure | 70 chapters in 19 units, from NCLEX preparation to complex care |
| Online (Evolve) | Practice questions filterable by content area, client needs, cognitive level and more; audio review summaries |
| Formats | Multiple response, ordered response, hot spot, chart/exhibit and Next Generation NCLEX items |
| Final check | A 75-question comprehensive exam weighted like the NCLEX-RN test plan |
Don’t confuse it with Saunders Q&A Review for the NCLEX-RN, a separate question-focused book.
How to use it without getting buried
At more than 1,000 pages of content, Saunders works best as a reference you return to, not a book you read front to back.
- Start with questions, not chapters. Take a mixed practice set to find your weakest client-needs categories.
- Read only those chapters, focusing on Pyramid Points and Priority Nursing Action boxes.
- Do the chapter questions and read every rationale, including for the options you ruled out.
- Re-test with mixed questions a few days later to check the gap is closed.
- Finish with the 75-question comprehensive exam about a week before your test date.
Saunders vs. a question bank
Saunders is strongest as a content review with practice built in. A dedicated question bank is strongest for volume and exam-style timing. Many students use both: the book for weak topics, the bank for daily mixed practice.
| Need | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Re-learn a topic you never understood | Saunders chapter + its questions |
| Daily mixed practice under time | A question bank |
| Check overall readiness | Saunders comprehensive exam or a full-length practice test |
Progress Note’s free NCLEX-RN bank has about 1,500 NCLEX-style questions mapped to the 2026 test plan, each with a cited explanation and mastery tracking by client-needs category. Try 10 questions with no account.