ATI Dosage Calculation Exam 2026

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Sample questions from ATI Dosage Calculation Exam 2026

This material has 30 questions with answers and rationales. Here are the first 5.

1. 1.A 64-year-old client on a medical unit has bacterial pneumonia, a temperature of 38.6 C, and a prescription for ceftriaxone 1.5 g IV. The reconstituted vial contains 1 g per 10 mL. How many mL should the nurse withdraw before adding the medication to the prescribed infusion solution?

   • A.10 mL
   • B.15 mL
   • C.1.5 mL
   • D.20 mL

   Rationale: The nurse should withdraw 15 mL because 1.5 g multiplied by 10 mL/1 g equals 15 mL. A volume of 10 mL provides only 1 g, and 1.5 mL provides only 0.15 g. A volume of 20 mL provides 2 g, which exceeds the prescribed dose. Match the prescribed dose to the vial concentration before accounting for any subsequent dilution.

2. 2.A 7-year-old child in an outpatient clinic weighs 48.4 lb and has otitis media. The prescription is amoxicillin 40 mg/kg/day orally, divided into two equal doses. The suspension contains 400 mg/5 mL. Using 1 kg = 2.2 lb, how many mL should the nurse administer per dose? Round to the nearest tenth.

   • A.11.0 mL
   • B.2.8 mL
   • C.5.5 mL
   • D.12.1 mL

   Rationale: The child weighs 22 kg, so the daily dose is 880 mg and each of the two doses is 440 mg. At 400 mg/5 mL, 440 mg requires 5.5 mL. The 11.0 mL option gives the entire daily dose, 2.8 mL approximately halves the correct dose, and 12.1 mL results from treating pounds as kilograms. Distinguish mg/kg/day from mg/kg/dose before calculating the administration volume.

3. 3.A 3-year-old child in urgent care weighs 16 kg and has a temperature of 39.1 C. Acetaminophen 240 mg orally is prescribed, and the medication reference lists a single-dose range of 10 to 15 mg/kg. The liquid contains 160 mg/5 mL. Which action should the nurse take?

   • A.Administer 5 mL because the prescribed dose exceeds the safe range.
   • B.Administer 10 mL because fever requires the highest available volume.
   • C.Withhold the medication because the maximum single dose is 160 mg.
   • D.Administer 7.5 mL because the prescribed dose is within the safe range.

   Rationale: The safe single-dose range is 160 to 240 mg, so the prescribed 240 mg is safe and equals 7.5 mL. Giving 5 mL changes the prescription to 160 mg without authorization, while 10 mL delivers 320 mg and exceeds the stated range. Withholding because the maximum is 160 mg incorrectly treats the minimum recommended dose as the maximum. Verify weight-based safety before converting a pediatric dose to mL.

4. 4.A 45-year-old client in the emergency department has vomiting, dry mucous membranes, and a blood pressure of 102/64 mm Hg. The provider prescribes 1,000 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride IV over 8 hours. At what rate should the nurse program the infusion pump?

   • A.125 mL/hr
   • B.100 mL/hr
   • C.80 mL/hr
   • D.250 mL/hr

   Answer and rationale are in the full material.

5. 5.A 52-year-old client on a surgical unit has poor oral intake and a prescription for 750 mL of lactated Ringer's solution over 6 hours. The infusion must run by gravity using tubing with a drop factor of 15 gtt/mL. How many gtt/min should the nurse regulate? Round to the nearest whole drop.

   • A.25 gtt/min
   • B.31 gtt/min
   • C.42 gtt/min
   • D.125 gtt/min

   Answer and rationale are in the full material.