Every safe medication starts with the basics. This free Dosage Calculations Practice Test #6 covers the foundational math every nursing student needs — tablet and liquid dosing, metric conversions (g, mg, mcg), household units (tsp to mL), and pound-to-kilogram weight conversions. Work through 10 timed questions, then check your work with the full answer key and step-by-step rationales below. No sign-up required.
All 10 Questions With Answers & Rationales
Prefer to work at your own pace? Every question from the timed quiz above is listed here in full. Solve each on paper, then tap Show Answer & Rationale to check your work.
Question 1: Tablets
A provider orders 500 mg of a medication. The tablets on hand are 250 mg each. How many tablets should the nurse give?
- A. 1 tablet
- B. 2 tablets
- C. 3 tablets
- D. 0.5 tablet
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. 2 tablets
Rationale: Desired ÷ Have = 500 mg ÷ 250 mg = 2 tablets.
Question 2: Liquid
An order reads 125 mg of an oral suspension labeled 250 mg/5 mL. How many mL should the nurse give?
- A. 2.5 mL
- B. 5 mL
- C. 1.25 mL
- D. 10 mL
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: A. 2.5 mL
Rationale: (125 mg ÷ 250 mg) × 5 mL = 0.5 × 5 = 2.5 mL.
Question 3: Conversion
A medication is ordered as 0.25 g. How many milligrams is this? (1 g = 1,000 mg)
- A. 25 mg
- B. 2.5 mg
- C. 250 mg
- D. 2,500 mg
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: C. 250 mg
Rationale: 0.25 g × 1,000 mg/g = 250 mg. Move the decimal 3 places to the right when converting g to mg.
Question 4: Tablets
A client is ordered 90 mg of a medication supplied as 30 mg tablets. How many tablets should the nurse administer?
- A. 2 tablets
- B. 3 tablets
- C. 4 tablets
- D. 1.5 tablets
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. 3 tablets
Rationale: Desired ÷ Have = 90 mg ÷ 30 mg = 3 tablets.
Question 5: Conversion
A drug is ordered as 2,000 mcg. How many milligrams is this? (1 mg = 1,000 mcg)
- A. 0.2 mg
- B. 2 mg
- C. 20 mg
- D. 200 mg
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. 2 mg
Rationale: 2,000 mcg ÷ 1,000 = 2 mg. Move the decimal 3 places to the left when converting mcg to mg.
Question 6: Liquid
An order reads 40 mg of a liquid medication available as 10 mg/mL. How many mL should the nurse give?
- A. 2 mL
- B. 3 mL
- C. 4 mL
- D. 0.4 mL
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: C. 4 mL
Rationale: (40 mg ÷ 10 mg) × 1 mL = 4 mL.
Question 7: Conversion
A client is to receive 1 teaspoon of a liquid medication. How many mL should the nurse document? (1 tsp = 5 mL)
- A. 1 mL
- B. 5 mL
- C. 10 mL
- D. 15 mL
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. 5 mL
Rationale: 1 tsp × 5 mL/tsp = 5 mL. Always document in mL, not household teaspoons.
Question 8: Weight
A client weighs 154 lb. What is the weight in kilograms? (1 kg = 2.2 lb)
- A. 70 kg
- B. 77 kg
- C. 68 kg
- D. 72 kg
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: A. 70 kg
Rationale: 154 lb ÷ 2.2 = 70 kg. Divide pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms.
Question 9: Tablets
A provider orders 0.5 mg of a medication. The available tablets are 0.25 mg. How many tablets should the nurse give?
- A. 1 tablet
- B. Half a tablet
- C. 2 tablets
- D. 4 tablets
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: C. 2 tablets
Rationale: Desired ÷ Have = 0.5 mg ÷ 0.25 mg = 2 tablets.
Question 10: Liquid
An antibiotic suspension is labeled 200 mg/5 mL. The order is for 300 mg. How many mL should the nurse give?
- A. 6 mL
- B. 7.5 mL
- C. 5 mL
- D. 10 mL
Show Answer & Rationale
Answer: B. 7.5 mL
Rationale: (300 mg ÷ 200 mg) × 5 mL = 1.5 × 5 = 7.5 mL.
NCLEX Dosage Calculation Practice Tests
Master the medication math that shows up most on the NCLEX with 135 free, timed dosage questions — complete with answers and step-by-step rationales. Work through all twelve tests to build speed and confidence.
Dosage Calculations Practice Questions
Our original 25-item mixed practice set covering the core dosage calculations every nursing student needs to know.
IV Flow Rates
Drops per minute, mL/hr pump settings, and drop-factor calculations for IV infusions.
Pediatric & Weight-Based Dosing
mg/kg calculations, safe-dose range checks, and body-weight dosing for pediatric clients.
Heparin, Insulin & Units
High-alert unit-based math — heparin drips, insulin dosing, and weight-based bolus calculations.
Oral Meds & Unit Conversions
Tablets, oral suspensions, and metric conversions including g, mg, mcg, tsp, mL, and lb-to-kg.
Basic Dosage & Conversions
Tablets, oral liquids, and metric/household unit conversions — the foundation of safe medication math.
IV Titration (mcg/kg/min, mg/hr)
Vasoactive and sedation drips: mcg/kg/min, mcg/min and mg/hr to mL/hr, working back from the pump, and titration steps.
Reconstitution
Mixing powdered medications: diluent volume vs. final concentration, multi-strength vial tables, labeling, and doses per vial.
Safe-Dose Range
Is the prescribed dose safe? mg/kg/day vs. mg/kg/dose ranges, maximum-dose caps, unit conversions, and what to do when a dose is too high or too low.
IV Drip Rates & Infusion Times
When will the bag finish? Infusion end times, time left in a bag, counting drops on a gravity line, shift and 24-hour IV totals, and IVs that fall behind.
Pediatric BSA & Weight-Based Dosing
Body surface area with the Mosteller formula, mg/m² doses, BSA safe-dose checks, mL/kg boluses, maintenance fluid rates, and mg/kg/hr infusions for children.
Mixed Review
Every skill in the series mixed together: IM doses, heparin and insulin drips, lb-to-kg, mEq, percent solutions, g/hr infusions, pediatric liquids, gravity drips, and safe dose writing.
