IV Study Guide 2026

Everything you need to pass the IV exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.

IV exam key facts

The CRNI® exam has 140 items, of which 120 are scored and 20 are pretest items. Source
The CRNI® minimum passing score is set by the Angoff criterion-referenced method and may vary slightly by exam form. Source
Candidates who fail the CRNI® exam may reapply for the next administration and may test an unlimited number of times while they remain eligible. Source
The CRNI® credential is valid for three years, effective April 1 for March passers and October 1 for September passers. Source

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📋 IV Exam Format at a Glance

140

Questions

150 min

Time Limit

70.00%

Passing Score

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📚 IV Topics to Study (20)

Fluid & Electrolyte Balance · 9 cards Patient Assessment & Monitoring · 9 cards Venous Access Devices · 9 cards Medication Administration & Management · 9 cards IV Site Care & Maintenance · 7 cards IV Complications & Adverse Events · 6 cards IV Complications & Adverse Events · 6 cards IV Complications & Adverse Events · 6 cards IV Equipment & Infusion Technology · 6 cards IV Equipment & Infusion Technology · 6 cards IV Equipment & Infusion Technology · 6 cards IV Infection Control & Sterile Technique · 6 cards IV Infection Control & Sterile Technique · 6 cards IV Infection Control & Sterile Technique · 6 cards IV Nutrition & Blood Products · 6 cards IV Nutrition & Blood Products · 6 cards IV Nutrition & Blood Products · 6 cards IV Therapy in Special Populations · 6 cards IV Therapy in Special Populations · 6 cards IV Therapy in Special Populations · 6 cards

✍️ Sample IV Questions & Answers

1. What is the best practice for monitoring a patient receiving an IV medication infusion?

✓ Monitor the IV site for any signs of infiltration or infection.

The best practice for monitoring a patient receiving an IV medication infusion involves regularly assessing the IV insertion site for signs of complications. This includes checking for infiltration (fluid leaking into surrounding tissue), phlebitis (vein inflammation), or infection (redness, warmth, pus), which can compromise therapy and cause patient harm.

2. An elastomeric infusion device (balloon pump) is used primarily for which type of IV therapy?

✓ Ambulatory antibiotic infusions where a portable, non-electronic delivery device is preferred

Elastomeric pumps use balloon pressure to deliver medication at a preset rate, making them ideal for home or ambulatory antibiotic infusions that do not require rate adjustment.

3. In elderly patients, which factor most significantly increases the risk of IV therapy complications such as fluid overload?

✓ Decreased cardiac and renal reserve

Decreased cardiac and renal reserve in elderly patients impairs their ability to handle IV fluid loads, significantly increasing the risk of fluid overload.

4. Why is it critical to use microbore (low-volume) IV tubing when infusing medications to neonates?

✓ To minimize dead-space volume and prevent large unintended drug boluses during flushes

Microbore tubing minimizes dead-space volume in pediatric IV lines, preventing inadvertent drug boluses when lines are flushed in neonates.

5. Speed shock is best prevented by which of the following nursing actions?

✓ Programming infusion pumps with appropriate rate limits and using bolus checks

Speed shock — a systemic reaction to rapid IV drug delivery — is best prevented by programming infusion pumps with correct rate settings and utilizing secondary line checks.

6. Why should IV medications be administered cautiously in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD)?

✓ Impaired renal clearance leads to drug accumulation and increased risk of toxicity

CKD impairs renal drug clearance, causing renally-cleared medications to accumulate to toxic levels if doses are not adjusted.

🎯 Free IV Practice Tests

Venous Access Devices · 9 questions Fluid & Electrolyte Balance · 9 questions Medication Administration & Management · 9 questions Patient Assessment & Monitoring · 9 questions IV Site Care & Maintenance · 7 questions IV Complications & Adverse Events · 6 questions IV Infection Control & Sterile Technique · 6 questions IV Complications & Adverse Events · 6 questions IV Infection Control & Sterile Technique · 6 questions IV Nutrition & Blood Products · 6 questions

📖 IV Guides & Articles

Your IV Study Path

1. Learn with Flashcards → 2. Drill Practice Tests → 3. Take the Full Exam Simulation

🃏 IV Flashcards (133)🏆 IV Exam Simulation

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for IV

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length IV mock exam — 140 questions in 150 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed IV question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable IV cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
IV flashcards built from the same question bank.
Free IV practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.

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How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

ins1.org — Test delivery, eligibility, exam format, passing score, registration deadline, retake fee, retake policy, score release, score validity, test dates · verified Oct 2026