19/03/2026
NCLEX CRANIAL NERVES CHEAT SHEET (2026)
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🧠 NAMES MNEMONIC
Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, AH!
🧠 FUNCTION MNEMONIC
Some Say Money Matters, But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More
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📊 CRANIAL NERVES TABLE
I – Olfactory → Smell → Sensory
II – Optic → Vision → Sensory
III – Oculomotor → Eye movement → Motor
IV – Trochlear → Eye movement → Motor
V – Trigeminal → Face sensation + chewing → Both
VI – Abducens → Eye movement → Motor
VII – Facial → Facial expression + taste → Both
VIII – Vestibulocochlear → Hearing + balance → Sensory
IX – Glossopharyngeal → Swallow + gag → Both
X – Vagus → Heart, lungs, gut → Both
XI – Accessory → Shoulder + neck → Motor
XII – Hypoglossal → Tongue → Motor
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⚡ QUICK MEMORY TRICKS
Eyes → 3, 4, 6
Face → 5 (feel), 7 (smile)
Hearing → 8
Swallow → 9, 10
Tongue → 12
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🚨 NCLEX HIGH-YIELD TIPS
• Facial droop → CN VII (stroke sign)
• Difficulty swallowing → CN IX & X (aspiration risk)
• Tongue deviates → CN XII
• Dizziness / vertigo → CN VIII
• Vagus nerve (CN X) → controls vital organs (VERY IMPORTANT)
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📝 PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. Patient cannot smile on one side.
→ Answer: CN VII
2. Patient has no gag reflex.
→ Answer: CN IX & X
3. Patient has hearing loss.
→ Answer: CN VIII
4. Tongue deviates to one side.
→ Answer: CN XII
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✅ FINAL TIP
Focus on patterns, not memorization:
Eyes (3,4,6) | Face (5,7) | Swallow (9,10) | Life (10)
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