NCLEX-RN
NCSBN
Complete guide to passing the NCLEX-RN exam on your first attempt.
$200
~87% (first-time)
One-time (license renewal varies)
USA
NCSBN
RN license required
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Complete Overview
The NCLEX-RN is the licensure examination that nursing graduates must pass to practise as a registered nurse in the United States, Canada and Australia. It is owned by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), delivered by Pearson at Pearson Professional Centers, and costs $200 USD for candidates seeking US or Australian licensure and $360 CAD for candidates seeking Canadian licensure, with an additional $150 international scheduling fee for testing outside your licensure jurisdiction. NCSBN has confirmed that the registration fee rises to $350 USD in the United States and Australia, and to $570 CAD in Canada, effective February 1, 2027, with the registration date rather than the exam date determining which fee applies.
The exam is variable in length. Every candidate answers a minimum of 85 items and a maximum of 150 within a five-hour limit that includes all breaks. In the minimum-length exam, 52 items come from the eight content areas of the test plan, 18 items form three clinical judgment case studies of six items each, and 15 are unscored pretest items. Across all first-time US-educated candidates in 2025 the average exam ran 103 items and 2 hours 14 minutes, 59.1 percent finished at the minimum length, 20.5 percent went to the maximum, and only 0.5 percent used the full five hours.
Scoring uses computerised adaptive testing against a criterion-referenced passing standard of 0.00 logits, which the NCSBN Board of Directors retained in April 2019, April 2023 and again in April 2026 for a further three years. There is no percentage score and no preassigned proportion of candidates who pass. The computer re-estimates your ability after every item and stops under one of three rules: the 95 percent confidence interval rule, the maximum-length rule, or the run-out-of-time rule. Exam length tells you nothing about the outcome; NCSBN states plainly that a candidate may pass or fail regardless of how many items they receive.
The 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan, built on the 2024 RN Practice Analysis, distributes content across eight subcategories with published ranges and target percentages: Management of Care 15 to 21 percent, Safety and Infection Prevention and Control 10 to 16 percent, Health Promotion and Maintenance 6 to 12 percent, Psychosocial Integrity 6 to 12 percent, Basic Care and Comfort 6 to 12 percent, Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 13 to 19 percent, Reduction of Risk Potential 9 to 15 percent and Physiological Adaptation 11 to 17 percent.
Pass rates differ sharply by candidate group. In 2025, first-time US-educated candidates for US licensure passed at 86.7 percent across 192,916 exams, repeat US-educated candidates at 52.7 percent, first-time internationally educated candidates at 47.3 percent and repeat internationally educated candidates at 30.5 percent. Across all 328,443 NCLEX-RN administrations for US licensure that year, 69.1 percent passed. The NCSBN retake policy allows a new attempt 45 days after an administration, with up to eight attempts a year and 45 test-free days between each, though individual nursing regulatory bodies may impose stricter limits.
Why Get NCLEX-RN Certified?
Passing the NCLEX-RN is the licensure requirement for registered nurse practice in the United States, Canada and Australia, and NCSBN confirms the same NCLEX-RN exam serves both US and Canadian entry to practice.
First-time US-educated candidates passed at 86.7 percent in 2025, but repeat US-educated candidates passed at only 52.7 percent. The first attempt is worth far more than any later one.
The exam ends as soon as the computer is 95 percent certain of your standing, which is why 59.1 percent of first-time US-educated candidates in 2025 finished at the 85-item minimum.
Estimated decision consistency for first-time US-educated NCLEX-RN candidates in 2025 was 0.90, meaning the pass-fail decision reproduces itself in nine of ten hypothetical retests.
The registration fee is $200 USD until January 31, 2027 and $350 USD from February 1, 2027, so registering before that date locks in the lower price regardless of when you test.
Candidates in participating US jurisdictions can buy unofficial Quick Results two business days after the exam for $7.95, against up to six weeks for the official result from the nursing regulatory body.
Failing produces a two-page Candidate Performance Report grading each of the eight content areas and clinical judgment as Below, Near or Above the Passing Standard, which no other licensure exam feedback matches for retake targeting.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
Five hours maximum, including all breaks. NCSBN reports that first-time US-educated candidates in 2025 averaged 2 hours 14 minutes of testing time and that only 0.5 percent used the full five hours.
Questions
Minimum 85 items, maximum 150 items. In the minimum-length exam, 52 items come from the eight test plan content areas in their stated percentages, 18 items form three six-item clinical judgment case studies, and 15 are unscored pretest items. Every exam contains exactly 15 pretest items regardless of total length. The 2025 average length for first-time US-educated candidates was 103 items.
Passing Score
Pass or fail only, judged against a passing standard of 0.00 logits on the NCLEX-RN ability scale. NCSBN sets this criterion-referenced standard through a modified Angoff procedure by a panel of judges, with additional statistical compromise procedures, and reevaluates it every three years or whenever the test plan changes. There is no percentage score and no preassigned proportion of candidates who pass.
Question Types
- Stand-alone items in multiple formats, any of which may include multimedia such as charts, tables and graphics
- Six-item clinical judgment case studies, one item for each step of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model: recognise cues, analyse cues, prioritise hypotheses, generate solutions, take action, evaluate outcomes
- Items with more than one credited response, scored for partial credit by one of three published methods: plus/minus, zero/one, or rationale scoring
- Calculation items requiring a typed numeric answer, rounded at the end of the calculation, with the decimal point entered when the item asks for one or two decimal places
- Items with exhibit tabs that the candidate must open and review individually; the software does not prompt you to open them all
- NCSBN states there is no established percentage of item formats, because item selection follows candidate ability rather than a fixed format quota
Delivery Method
Computerised adaptive testing at Pearson Professional Centers. Candidates may test at any Pearson Professional Center regardless of the jurisdiction where they seek licensure. Domestic centers for US licensure include the United States, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands. International locations include Australia, Brazil, France, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Turkiye and the United Kingdom.
How scoring works
Score scale
There is no numeric score. Candidate ability is estimated in logits, short for log-odds-units, on the NCLEX-RN ability scale, and the result reported to you is pass or fail only. NCSBN notes that logits have no inherent meaning in terms of nursing content and that the scale's zero point is arbitrary.
Score needed to pass
0.00 logits. NCSBN's Board of Directors set the NCLEX-RN passing standard at 0.00 logits in April 2013, raising it from minus 0.16, and retained it in April 2016, April 2019, April 2023 and April 2026, each time for a further three years. The NCLEX-PN standard sits at minus 0.18 logits over the same period.
Roughly what that means raw
NCSBN publishes no raw-to-scale conversion and no number of correct answers that guarantees a pass, because item difficulty and content area vary from candidate to candidate under CAT. The published proxies for precision are the estimated decision consistency of 0.90 for first-time US-educated NCLEX-RN candidates in 2025 and the design target of stopping only when the computer is 95 percent certain a candidate is clearly above or clearly below the standard.
When results arrive
No result appears at the test center. Every exam is scored twice, first by the computer at the center and again after the record reaches Pearson. Official results come only from your nursing regulatory body, within six weeks of the exam appointment. Candidates seeking US licensure whose NRB participates in the Quick Results Service can purchase unofficial results two business days after the exam for $7.95, charged only if a result is available; those results do not authorise practice.
How the scale is built
Computerised adaptive testing under a criterion-referenced standard. After each answered item the computer re-estimates your ability from all previous responses and their difficulties, then selects the next item from an appropriate test plan content area at a difficulty giving you roughly a 50 percent chance of answering correctly. Scoring is compensatory across content areas: NCSBN states the NCLEX is not graded in sections and overall performance alone determines pass or fail. Wrong answers do not subtract, but every item must be answered because the software will not advance otherwise. Items with more than one credited response can earn partial credit through plus/minus, zero/one or rationale scoring.
Pacing and time budget
150 questions in 300 minutes gives you 2 minutes exactly if you reach the 150-item maximum, and 3 minutes 32 seconds if your exam stops at the 85-item minimum. The realistic planning figure is the maximum-length pace of 2 minutes, since 20.5 percent of first-time US-educated candidates reached 150 items in 2025. The observed average in that group was 103 items in 2 hours 14 minutes, about 1 minute 18 seconds per item. per question.
Minute 60
About 30 items. This is the point where you find out whether case study sets are eating your clock. If you are under 25, shorten your deliberation on stand-alone items rather than rushing exhibit tabs.
Minute 120
About 60 items. If the exam has not stopped by now you are heading past the average length of 103 items, which is normal and carries no information about your result.
Minute 170
At least 85 items, the minimum required. Crossing this line matters more than any other checkpoint, because running out of time before 85 items is an automatic fail under the run-out-of-time rule.
Minute 240
About 120 items if your exam is still running. At this stage you are in the group whose ability sits close to the standard, and the final ability estimate across all items is what will decide it.
Minute 290
As close to 150 as the clock allows. Only 0.5 percent of first-time US-educated candidates used the full five hours in 2025, so reaching this point means answering steadily rather than perfectly.
| At this point | You should have answered |
|---|---|
| Minute 60 | About 30 items. This is the point where you find out whether case study sets are eating your clock. If you are under 25, shorten your deliberation on stand-alone items rather than rushing exhibit tabs. |
| Minute 120 | About 60 items. If the exam has not stopped by now you are heading past the average length of 103 items, which is normal and carries no information about your result. |
| Minute 170 | At least 85 items, the minimum required. Crossing this line matters more than any other checkpoint, because running out of time before 85 items is an automatic fail under the run-out-of-time rule. |
| Minute 240 | About 120 items if your exam is still running. At this stage you are in the group whose ability sits close to the standard, and the final ability estimate across all items is what will decide it. |
| Minute 290 | As close to 150 as the clock allows. Only 0.5 percent of first-time US-educated candidates used the full five hours in 2025, so reaching this point means answering steadily rather than perfectly. |
- The five-hour limit includes every break you take. There is no separate break allowance, and you must repeat the security scanning protocol each time you re-enter the testing room.
- There is no time limit on any individual item, but there is also no way to bank time by rushing, because the exam ends when the algorithm is confident rather than when a question count is reached.
- Answer every item on its own screen. You may change your selection before pressing NEXT and never afterwards, so a slow decision now is cheaper than a wrong one you cannot revisit.
- Case study sets are six items on one scenario. Read all exhibit tabs before the first of the six, because the same material carries all six answers and rereading it six times is where candidates lose minutes.
- Crossing 85 items is a hard requirement under the run-out-of-time rule. If you sense the clock slipping past minute 170 with fewer than 85 items answered, prioritise finishing items over perfecting them.
- Do not adjust your effort based on perceived item difficulty. NCSBN states candidates cannot reliably identify which items are easy or difficult on the NCLEX scale, and that at the end of an exam both high and low ability candidates find items challenging.
Where the marks are
Management of Care
18%, published range 15 to 21%
The heaviest area on the exam. Items test delegation boundaries between RN, LPN and unlicensed assistive personnel, informed consent, advance directives and which client the nurse sees first.
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
16%, published range 13 to 19%
Dosage calculation, expected actions, adverse effects and blood product administration. NCSBN publishes no medication list and uses generic names, so class-level reasoning outperforms memorised drug lists.
Physiological Adaptation
14%, published range 11 to 17%
Fluid and electrolyte imbalance, haemodynamic instability, medical emergencies and unexpected responses to therapy. Items usually ask for the first nursing action rather than the diagnosis.
Safety and Infection Prevention and Control
13%, published range 10 to 16%
Precautions by organism, restraint use, error and incident reporting, and emergency response plans. The 2026 plan renamed this area, so older resources index it under Safety and Infection Control.
Reduction of Risk Potential
12%, published range 9 to 15%
Diagnostic test preparation and complications, abnormal vital sign trends, and potential complications of procedures. Numeric lab values now appear with their normal reference ranges attached.
Clinical judgment case studies and stand-alone items
18 case study items in every exam, plus approximately 10% stand-alone clinical judgment items
Three six-item case studies map to the six NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model steps. They span content areas and are counted separately from the content-area items.
Health Promotion and Maintenance
9%, published range 6 to 12%
Growth and development, antepartum through newborn care, screening and health teaching. A compact area where memorised milestones convert directly into points.
Psychosocial Integrity and Basic Care and Comfort
9% each, published ranges 6 to 12%
Therapeutic communication, abuse recognition, end-of-life care, plus nutrition, mobility, elimination and non-pharmacological comfort. Together they equal Management of Care in weight.
| Topic | Weight | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Care | 18%, published range 15 to 21% | The heaviest area on the exam. Items test delegation boundaries between RN, LPN and unlicensed assistive personnel, informed consent, advance directives and which client the nurse sees first. |
| Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies | 16%, published range 13 to 19% | Dosage calculation, expected actions, adverse effects and blood product administration. NCSBN publishes no medication list and uses generic names, so class-level reasoning outperforms memorised drug lists. |
| Physiological Adaptation | 14%, published range 11 to 17% | Fluid and electrolyte imbalance, haemodynamic instability, medical emergencies and unexpected responses to therapy. Items usually ask for the first nursing action rather than the diagnosis. |
| Safety and Infection Prevention and Control | 13%, published range 10 to 16% | Precautions by organism, restraint use, error and incident reporting, and emergency response plans. The 2026 plan renamed this area, so older resources index it under Safety and Infection Control. |
| Reduction of Risk Potential | 12%, published range 9 to 15% | Diagnostic test preparation and complications, abnormal vital sign trends, and potential complications of procedures. Numeric lab values now appear with their normal reference ranges attached. |
| Clinical judgment case studies and stand-alone items | 18 case study items in every exam, plus approximately 10% stand-alone clinical judgment items | Three six-item case studies map to the six NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model steps. They span content areas and are counted separately from the content-area items. |
| Health Promotion and Maintenance | 9%, published range 6 to 12% | Growth and development, antepartum through newborn care, screening and health teaching. A compact area where memorised milestones convert directly into points. |
| Psychosocial Integrity and Basic Care and Comfort | 9% each, published ranges 6 to 12% | Therapeutic communication, abuse recognition, end-of-life care, plus nutrition, mobility, elimination and non-pharmacological comfort. Together they equal Management of Care in weight. |
The numbers
First-time US-educated 86.7% of 192,916 exams; repeat US-educated 52.7% of 42,513; first-time internationally educated 47.3% of 52,827; repeat internationally educated 30.5% of 40,187; all candidates 69.1% of 328,443
2025 pass rates for US licensure
Source: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, Table 1
Average test length 103 items and average testing time 2 hours 14 minutes for first-time US-educated candidates in 2025; 59.1% took the minimum number of items, 20.5% took the maximum, 0.5% used the maximum time
Exam length and time in practice
Source: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, Table 3
0.00 logits, in force since April 2013 and retained in April 2016, 2019, 2023 and 2026; estimated decision consistency 0.90 for first-time US-educated candidates in 2025
Passing standard and reliability
Source: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, Table 3 and passing standard history
$200 USD for US and Australian licensure, $360 CAD for Canadian licensure excluding local taxes; rising to $350 USD and $570 CAD effective February 1, 2027; international scheduling fee $150
Registration fee
Source: NCSBN, NCLEX Fees and Payment page
Management of Care 15-21%, Safety and Infection Prevention and Control 10-16%, Health Promotion and Maintenance 6-12%, Psychosocial Integrity 6-12%, Basic Care and Comfort 6-12%, Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 13-19%, Reduction of Risk Potential 9-15%, Physiological Adaptation 11-17%, each exam varying up to plus or minus 3%
Content distribution
Source: NCSBN, 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan, Distribution of Content
First-time Canada-educated 86.0% of 10,789 exams; repeat Canada-educated 60.6%; first-time internationally educated 39.6%; all candidates 58.9% of 26,479 exams
Canadian licensure pass rates, 2025
Source: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics, Table 2
If you fail
Wait before retaking
45 days between administrations under the NCSBN retake policy. Some nursing regulatory bodies require a longer interval, and that longer wait shows up in the validity dates of the new Authorization to Test rather than in any NCSBN document.
Attempt limit
Eight attempts per year with 45 test-free days between each, for candidates registered with a participating nursing regulatory body. NCSBN notes that some jurisdictions set stricter annual limits and directs candidates to their own NRB for the applicable rule. Veterans claiming Department of Veterans Affairs reimbursement currently face no limit on the number of reimbursable attempts, though that is a funding rule rather than a testing rule.
Retake fee
The full registration fee applies to every retake, based on the date the registration is completed: $200 USD or $360 CAD until January 31, 2027, then $350 USD or $570 CAD. Your nursing regulatory body may also charge its own fee to make you eligible again. The international scheduling fee of $150 applies again if you schedule outside your licensure jurisdiction, and it is never refundable.
Retake outcomes are much weaker than first attempts. In 2025, repeat US-educated candidates passed at 52.7 percent against 86.7 percent for first-time US-educated candidates, and repeat internationally educated candidates passed at 30.5 percent against 47.3 percent for first-timers. The Candidate Performance Report is the only individualised diagnostic you will get, so work its Below the Passing Standard areas first, then the Near ones, and keep revising the Above ones to hold proficiency. Note also that NCSBN may cancel or withhold results where unusual answer patterns or unusual score increases from one exam to another call validity into question, in which case an appeal or a free retest is offered.
Exam Domains & Topics
A subcategory of Safe and Effective Care Environment and the single heaviest content area in the 2026 test plan. Covers directing nursing care that protects clients, families and health care personnel.
Key Topics to Master:
- Assignment, delegation and supervision, including what may be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel
- Advance directives, informed consent and client rights
- Advocacy, case management and continuity of care
- Confidentiality and information security
- Ethical practice, legal rights and responsibilities
- Establishing priorities and referrals across the care team
- Performance improvement and quality assurance
- Collaboration with the interdisciplinary team
A subcategory of Physiological Integrity and the second heaviest area. Covers administering medications and parenteral therapies and monitoring their effects.
Key Topics to Master:
- Dosage calculation, rounded at the end of the calculation
- Expected actions and outcomes of medications
- Adverse effects, contraindications, side effects and interactions
- Medication administration by all routes
- Blood and blood product administration
- Central venous access devices and total parenteral nutrition
- Parenteral and intravenous therapies
- Pharmacological pain management
A subcategory of Physiological Integrity covering the management of clients with acute, chronic or life-threatening physical health conditions.
Key Topics to Master:
- Alterations in body systems
- Fluid and electrolyte imbalances
- Haemodynamic instability and its management
- Illness management across chronic conditions
- Medical emergencies and rapid response
- Pathophysiology as it drives nursing intervention
- Unexpected response to therapies
- Monitoring and maintaining internal monitoring devices
The second subcategory of Safe and Effective Care Environment. Protects clients and health care personnel from health and environmental hazards. Note that the 2026 test plan renamed this area, which earlier plans called Safety and Infection Control.
Key Topics to Master:
- Standard precautions, transmission-based precautions and surgical asepsis
- Accident, injury and error prevention
- Handling hazardous and infectious materials
- Home safety and safe use of equipment
- Reporting incidents, events, irregular occurrences and variances
- Emergency response plans and security plans
- Ergonomic principles and safe client handling
- Use of restraints and safety devices
A subcategory of Physiological Integrity focused on reducing the likelihood that clients develop complications or health problems related to existing conditions, treatments or procedures.
Key Topics to Master:
- Changes and abnormalities in vital signs
- Diagnostic tests and laboratory values, which now appear with their normal reference ranges
- Potential for alterations in body systems
- Potential for complications of diagnostic tests, treatments and procedures
- Potential for complications from surgical procedures and health alterations
- System-specific assessments
- Therapeutic procedures and their monitoring
A full Client Needs category in its own right. Covers expected growth and development and prevention or early detection of health problems.
Key Topics to Master:
- Ageing process and developmental stages and transitions
- Ante-, intra- and postpartum care and newborn care
- Health promotion and disease prevention programmes
- Health screening and physical assessment techniques
- High-risk behaviours and lifestyle choices
- Self-care and health teaching
- Techniques of physical assessment across the lifespan
A full Client Needs category covering emotional, mental and social wellbeing for clients experiencing stressful events and those with acute or chronic mental illness.
Key Topics to Master:
- Abuse and neglect recognition and reporting
- Behavioural interventions and crisis intervention
- Chemical and other dependencies and substance use disorder
- Coping mechanisms, grief and loss
- Cultural awareness, spiritual influences and religious practice
- End-of-life care
- Mental health concepts and therapeutic communication
- Stress management and support systems
A subcategory of Physiological Integrity covering comfort and assistance with activities of daily living.
Key Topics to Master:
- Assistive devices and mobility or immobility
- Elimination
- Non-pharmacological comfort interventions
- Nutrition and oral hydration
- Personal hygiene
- Rest and sleep
- Palliative and comfort measures alongside pharmacological pain management
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Download the free 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan from NCLEX.com and read Appendix A, which lists detailed content examples for all eight content areas.
- 2Download the free NCSBN Sample Pack, which contains three RN case studies plus additional item examples, and the Exam Preview showing how those items sit inside a whole exam.
- 3Read the 2026 Candidate Bulletin end to end, including the NCLEX Candidate Rules you will electronically sign at check-in.
- 4Work the NCLEX Candidate Tutorial so that no item format is unfamiliar on exam day, especially exhibit tabs and numeric-entry calculation items.
- 5Apply for licensure with your nursing regulatory body if you have not already, since the NRB grants eligibility before Pearson can issue an Authorization to Test.
- 6Note that NCSBN does not recommend or endorse any review course or study material, so treat commercial claims about pass guarantees accordingly.
- 1Learn the delegation boundary cold: what may be assigned to unlicensed assistive personnel, to a licensed practical nurse and what an RN must retain.
- 2Study client rights, informed consent, advance directives and confidentiality until you can name who may sign, who may witness and who may not.
- 3Drill prioritisation frameworks and practise choosing the first action rather than the correct list of actions.
- 4Work 60 to 80 items a day from a question bank, filtered to Management of Care only, and read every rationale including those for options you did not choose.
- 5Start a delegation and priority error log, recording the cue in the stem that should have driven your answer.
- 6Learn the bolded key words NCSBN uses: best, most, essential, first, priority, immediately, highest, initial, next, refute, increased, decreased and support.
- 1Learn medications by class and mechanism rather than by individual name. NCSBN publishes no medication list and states that items generally use generic names only.
- 2Drill dosage calculation daily, including weight-based dosing, IV flow rates and reconstitution, rounding only at the end of the calculation.
- 3Practise numeric entry with the on-screen calculator provided at the test center; handheld calculators are prohibited aids.
- 4Study blood product administration, central venous access devices and total parenteral nutrition as discrete blocks.
- 5Learn the high-alert medications where a nursing action changes the outcome: anticoagulants, insulins, opioids, digoxin, lithium, aminoglycosides.
- 6Do 80 to 100 pharmacology items and record each miss as either a knowledge gap or a reading error.
- 1Work fluid and electrolyte imbalances until you can predict the ECG change, the reflex change and the nursing action for each.
- 2Study haemodynamic instability, shock states and the sequence of interventions for each.
- 3Cover medical emergencies by body system, in each case naming the first nursing action rather than the diagnosis.
- 4Study internal monitoring devices, since the test plan lists monitoring and maintaining them explicitly.
- 5Practise unexpected response to therapies, a content example candidates rarely revise.
- 6Continue 80 to 100 items a day, now mixing content areas so retrieval is not cued by the topic label.
- 1Memorise transmission-based precautions by organism, including which require an N95 and which require a private room.
- 2Study restraint use, including assessment, documentation and the least restrictive alternative.
- 3Cover error prevention, incident reporting and variance reporting, distinguishing what gets reported from what gets documented in the chart.
- 4Study handling of hazardous and infectious materials and safe equipment use.
- 5Learn emergency response and security plans, including triage priorities in mass casualty situations.
- 6Take a 100-item mixed practice set under a strict 3-hour-20-minute cap to build time discipline at the maximum-length pace of two minutes per item.
- 1Learn normal laboratory reference ranges anyway, even though NCSBN now supplies the reference range beside any numeric lab value in an item.
- 2Study pre-procedure and post-procedure nursing care for common diagnostic tests, especially invasive ones.
- 3Cover potential complications of surgical procedures and of health alterations by system.
- 4Practise recognising abnormal vital sign trends across a series of readings rather than a single value.
- 5Work system-specific assessment sequences so that the assessment step comes before the intervention step in your answers.
- 6Do 80 to 100 items daily and review your error log from weeks 2 to 5 for repeat misses.
- 1Cover growth and development milestones and the ageing process, since these underpin many health promotion items.
- 2Study antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum and newborn care as a block.
- 3Work therapeutic communication until you can identify the response that stays with the client's feeling rather than reassuring or redirecting.
- 4Study abuse and neglect indicators plus mandatory reporting obligations.
- 5Cover nutrition, elimination, mobility and non-pharmacological comfort measures, which together carry as much weight as psychosocial integrity.
- 6Do 80 to 100 items daily across these three areas combined.
- 1Rework the three RN case studies in the NCSBN Sample Pack, naming which of the six NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model steps each item targets.
- 2Practise reading a case study's exhibit tabs in full before answering; the software will not prompt you to open them all.
- 3Drill the six steps in order on real scenarios: recognise cues, analyse cues, prioritise hypotheses, generate solutions, take action, evaluate outcomes.
- 4Remember that clinical judgment adds approximately 10 percent stand-alone items on top of the 18 case study items, so the skill appears twice in your exam.
- 5Practise partial-credit items deliberately, since NCSBN scores multi-key items by plus/minus, zero/one or rationale scoring rather than all-or-nothing in every case.
- 6Take a 150-item full-length simulation with a five-hour cap and no returning to previous items.
- 1Rank your question bank performance by the eight test plan content areas in the exact order of their target weights, not by how uncomfortable each feels.
- 2Give the heaviest weak area at least half the week; a five-point gain in Management of Care is worth almost twice a five-point gain in Basic Care and Comfort.
- 3Redo every logged error from weeks 2 to 8 and mark those you now answer correctly twice in a row as closed.
- 4Practise answering without the option to skip. On the real exam the software refuses to advance until the current item is answered, and you can never return.
- 5Rehearse changing an answer before pressing NEXT, which is permitted, and accept that after NEXT the item is gone.
- 6Confirm your Authorization to Test validity dates, since NCSBN states these cannot be extended for any reason.
- 1Take a final full-length simulation at the same clock time as your appointment.
- 2Check your identification against every NCSBN requirement: physical rather than digital, non-expired, government-issued, name in Roman characters, recent photograph and a signature or a signed secondary ID.
- 3Confirm the first and last names on your ID match your Pearson registration exactly, and bring a marriage licence, divorce decree or court name-change document if they do not.
- 4Plan to arrive at the test center at least 30 minutes before your appointment; after more than 30 minutes late you may forfeit the appointment and pay another exam fee.
- 5Rehearse a break plan inside the five-hour limit, remembering that breaks consume exam time and that you must repeat the security scanning protocol on re-entry.
- 6Stop new content. Reread rationales you have already worked rather than opening a new resource in the final week.
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Best Study Resources
2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan
Official blueprintThe authoritative content document, including the eight content areas with their percentage ranges, the administration rules, the three pass-fail scenarios, and Appendix A with detailed content examples for every category.
Free PDF from NCLEX.com
NCSBN Sample Pack and Exam Preview
Official practice itemsThe Sample Pack contains three RN case studies, two PN case studies and additional item examples. The Exam Preview shows how those item types sit within a complete exam.
Free downloads from NCLEX.com
2026 NCLEX Candidate Bulletin
Official policy guideCovers registration, the Authorization to Test process, acceptable identification, the NCLEX Candidate Rules, results processing and contact details for every nursing regulatory body.
Free PDF from NCLEX.com, also published in French
NCLEX Candidate Tutorial
Official software walkthroughThe Pearson exam software as you will meet it on test day. Working through this removes the interface as a variable, particularly for exhibit tabs and numeric entry.
Free from NCLEX.com, also available in French
NCLEX Candidate Performance Report
Official diagnostic feedbackA two-page report grading each test plan content area and clinical judgment as Below, Near or Above the Passing Standard. NCSBN advises concentrating first on Below areas, then Near areas.
Free, sent automatically to candidates who fail
2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics
Official statistical reportAnnual pass rates by candidate type, jurisdiction and degree type, plus summary statistics including average test length, decision consistency and the passing standard in logits.
Free PDF from NCSBN.org
NCLEX Pass Rates dashboard
Official data toolInteractive annual pass rates by education programme, candidate type and attempt status. Useful for setting expectations against your own programme's cohort rather than a national average.
Free on NCSBN.org
NCLEX Quick Results Service
Official unofficial resultUnofficial results two business days after the exam for candidates seeking licensure in participating US jurisdictions. It does not authorise practice; only the nursing regulatory body issues an official result.
$7.95, charged only if results are available
Your nursing regulatory body
Licensing authorityThe NRB sets eligibility, issues the Authorization to Test, may set a stricter retake interval than the NCSBN 45-day policy, and is the only source of official results.
Licensure fee varies by jurisdiction
Department of Veterans Affairs reimbursement, VA Form 22-0803
Fee reimbursementThe NCLEX-RN is on the VA's qualified list of non-federal licensure examinations, so eligible veterans and dependents can be reimbursed for the exam fee with no limit on the number of attempts. Not available for Canadian or Australian licensure.
Free to apply
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Reading exam length as a verdict
NCSBN states directly that the length of the exam is not an indication of a pass or fail result and that a candidate may pass or fail regardless of length. In 2025, 59.1 percent of first-time US-educated candidates stopped at the 85-item minimum, and that group contains both passes and fails.
Studying to the old test plan's seven areas
The 2026 plan lists eight content areas including Reduction of Risk Potential at 9 to 15 percent, and it renamed Safety and Infection Control to Safety and Infection Prevention and Control. Any resource missing Reduction of Risk Potential is out of date by roughly one eighth of the exam.
Spreading study time evenly across content areas
Management of Care targets 18 percent and Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 16 percent, while Health Promotion, Psychosocial Integrity and Basic Care and Comfort target 9 percent each. The top two areas are worth as much as the bottom three plus Reduction of Risk Potential.
Planning to flag items and come back
There is no flag or review function. Once you confirm an answer and press NEXT you can never return to that item, and the software will not advance until the current item is answered. Decide on the screen you are on.
Bringing a handheld calculator
Handheld calculators are named as prohibited aids in the NCLEX Candidate Rules, alongside conversion tables and dictionaries. Pearson provides an on-screen calculator and an erasable note board with a marker, and nothing else.
Losing calculation items to rounding and formatting
NCSBN instructs candidates to round only at the end of the calculation. If an item asks for one or two decimal places you must type the decimal point, and if it asks for a whole number you must not.
Skipping exhibit tabs in case study items
NCSBN confirms the candidate is not prompted to open all exhibit tabs. Each tab must be opened and reviewed before you answer, because the deciding cue is often in the tab you did not open.
Registering with a name that does not match your ID
The first and last names on your identification must match your Pearson registration exactly. A mismatch without a marriage licence, divorce decree or court name-change document means being turned away, reregistering and paying another exam fee.
Assuming Quick Results are the official outcome
Quick Results are unofficial, cost $7.95, arrive two business days after the exam and do not authorise you to practise. Only your nursing regulatory body issues an official result, within six weeks of the exam.
Treating a no-show or late cancellation as recoverable
NCSBN publishes a blanket no-refund policy. Failing to reschedule or cancel outside 24 business hours, failing to appear, or letting the Authorization to Test expire all forfeit the fee, and the international scheduling fee is never refunded for any reason.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Arrive at the Pearson Professional Center at least 30 minutes before your appointment. Arriving more than 30 minutes late may cost you the appointment and require a new registration and fee.
- 2
Bring one physical, non-expired, government-issued identification with your name in Roman characters, a recent photograph and a signature. If it has no signature, bring a signed secondary ID whose names match exactly.
- 3
For international test centers, including Puerto Rico, only a passport book or passport card is accepted. Domestic centers also accept a driver's licence, a provincial, territorial or state identification card, a permanent residence card or a military identification card.
- 4
Expect three biometric captures at check-in: signature, photograph and palm vein scan, plus a security scanning protocol you must repeat every time you re-enter the room after a break.
- 5
Power off every electronic device and seal it in the plastic bag Pearson provides. Refusing to do so, or being found with any unauthorised device at any point, ends the appointment and forfeits the fee.
- 6
Leave hats, scarves, gloves and outerwear including fleece jackets outside the testing room. Provision is made for religious and cultural dress.
- 7
You are given an on-screen calculator and an erasable note board with a marker. Handheld calculators, conversion tables and dictionaries are prohibited aids.
- 8
Pace against the maximum, not the average. Five hours divided by 150 items is two minutes per item, and that five hours includes every break you take.
- 9
Answer each item on its own screen. You may change your selection before pressing NEXT, but once you press it the item is closed permanently and you cannot skip ahead.
- 10
If a technical problem makes you wait more than 30 minutes past your appointment time, or a restart delay runs beyond 30 minutes, you may choose to reschedule without an additional fee.
- 11
The exam ends with a short survey, after which you raise your hand and wait to be dismissed. No score is shown at the test center under any circumstances.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Nurse anesthetist
About 53,800 jobs in 2024. Requires RN licensure through the NCLEX-RN first, then a graduate anesthesia programme and national certification. The highest-paid destination in the BLS nursing tables.
$223,210 median annual wage (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024)
Nurse practitioner
About 320,400 jobs in 2024. BLS projects the nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife and nurse practitioner group to grow 35 percent from 2024 to 2034, adding 134,000 positions. NCLEX-RN licensure precedes the master's degree.
$129,210 median annual wage (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024)
Registered nurse in government, excluding state and local education and hospitals
The highest-paying industry for registered nurses in the BLS tables, employing about 5 percent of all RNs. Includes federal facilities and public health agencies.
$106,480 median annual wage (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024)
Registered nurse in hospitals, state, local and private
The destination for 59 percent of all registered nurses, the largest single employment setting. The overall RN median across all settings was $93,600 in May 2024, across 3,391,000 jobs.
$97,260 median annual wage (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024)
Registered nurse in ambulatory healthcare services
About 19 percent of registered nurses work in this setting, which covers physician offices, outpatient centres and home health agencies.
$83,780 median annual wage (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024)
Registered nurse in nursing and residential care facilities
About 6 percent of registered nurses. The lowest-paying of the five industries BLS reports for RNs, ahead only of educational services at $74,360.
$81,820 median annual wage (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2024)
Prerequisites & Requirements
- Eligibility is set by your nursing regulatory body, not by NCSBN. NCSBN states plainly that it does not maintain a list of requirements for each NRB, so you must contact the body where you seek licensure.
- You must submit an application for licensure or registration to that nursing regulatory body and be declared eligible before Pearson can issue an Authorization to Test.
- You must register and pay separately with Pearson. Registration and licensure application are two distinct processes that both have to complete.
- An Authorization to Test email is required to schedule an appointment. Each ATT is valid for a period the NRB specifies, averaging 90 days, and NCSBN states these dates cannot be extended for any reason.
- Testing accommodations must be requested from the nursing regulatory body at the point of licensure application, not from Pearson or at the test center.
- Acceptable identification is required at the test center: physical rather than digital, non-expired, government-issued, name in Roman characters, recent photograph and a signature or a signed secondary ID.
- Candidates living in a country under US sanctions cannot take the NCLEX, a federal restriction imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Candidates using a passport from a sanctioned country must also present government-issued proof of residency in a non-sanctioned country.
- There is no degree type restriction in NCSBN policy. In 2025, first-time US-educated candidates entered from baccalaureate programmes (100,258 exams), associate degree programmes (89,549) and RN diploma programmes (2,671).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the NCLEX-RN cost?
Registration is $200 USD for candidates seeking US or Australian licensure and $360 CAD, excluding local taxes, for Canadian licensure or registration. Effective February 1, 2027 those rise to $350 USD and $570 CAD. NCSBN states the fee is set by the registration date rather than the exam date, so a registration completed before February 1, 2027 keeps the lower rate. The fee is based on where you seek licensure, not where you live.
What other fees can I be charged?
An additional international scheduling fee of $150 USD or $150 CAD applies when scheduling outside your licensure jurisdiction, plus value added tax where applicable. Changing your nursing regulatory body after registration costs $50 USD or $50 CAD, changing exam type between RN and PN costs $50 USD, and changing exam language between English and French costs $50 CAD. The licensure fee itself is set by your nursing regulatory body.
Can I get a refund?
No. NCSBN states there is no refund of registration fees for any reason, including duplicate registrations, failing to reschedule or cancel outside 24 business hours, and failing to appear for an appointment. The international scheduling fee is never refunded under any circumstances. Letting your Authorization to Test expire also forfeits the fee.
How soon can I retake if I fail?
The NCSBN retake policy permits a new attempt 45 days after the previous administration. Candidates registered with a participating nursing regulatory body may take the NCLEX up to eight times a year with 45 test-free days between each attempt. Some jurisdictions impose stricter annual limits or longer waits, and that will be reflected in the validity dates of your new Authorization to Test.
What are the steps to retake?
Contact your nursing regulatory body to say you intend to retake, learn what fees or materials they require to make you eligible again, reregister with Pearson and pay the full fee, wait for a new Authorization to Test, then schedule a new appointment. NCSBN confirms the same fee applies to retakes as to first attempts, based on the registration date.
What happens if I fail?
You receive a two-page NCLEX Candidate Performance Report showing whether your ability in each test plan content area and in clinical judgment was Below the Passing Standard, Near the Passing Standard or Above the Passing Standard. NCSBN advises working first on the Below areas and then the Near ones. If you did not answer the minimum number of items you get an abbreviated report that tells you only how many items you answered and how many were required, with no diagnostic detail.
How does the pass or fail decision actually work?
Three rules govern it. Under the 95 percent confidence interval rule, the most common outcome, the computer stops once it is 95 percent certain your ability is clearly above or clearly below the passing standard. Under the maximum-length rule, if you reach 150 items the computer waives the 95 percent requirement and judges only your final ability estimate. Under the run-out-of-time rule, you fail automatically if you did not reach 85 items, and otherwise your final ability estimate is judged against the standard.
How does the score scale work?
There is no score to report. Ability is measured in logits, short for log-odds-units, against a passing standard of 0.00 logits for the NCLEX-RN. NCSBN notes that logits have no inherent meaning in nursing content and an arbitrary zero point, but are practical because the probability of a correct response can be computed from the gap between candidate ability and item difficulty. The standard is criterion-referenced, so no preassigned percentage of candidates passes.
When do I get my results?
Official results come only from your nursing regulatory body, within six weeks of your exam appointment. Every exam is scored twice, once by the computer at the test center and again after the record reaches Pearson. Candidates seeking US licensure in a participating jurisdiction can buy unofficial Quick Results two business days after the exam for $7.95, charged only if a result is available. No score is released at the test center, and NCSBN asks candidates not to call NCSBN, Pearson or the test center for results.
Does a shorter exam mean I passed?
No. NCSBN states that length is not an indication of the result and that candidates may pass or fail regardless of exam length. In 2025, first-time US-educated candidates averaged 103 items, 59.1 percent stopped at the 85-item minimum and 20.5 percent reached 150 items. NCSBN also notes that at the end of an exam a candidate is usually receiving items they have roughly a 50 percent chance of answering completely correctly, so the exam feels hard to strong and weak candidates alike.
What identification is accepted?
One physical, non-expired, government-issued ID with your name in Roman characters, a recent photograph and a signature. At domestic test centers that means a passport book or card, driver's licence, provincial, territorial or state identification card, permanent residence card or military identification card. At international test centers, including Puerto Rico, only a passport book or card is accepted. If your ID lacks a signature you must bring a signed secondary ID whose names match exactly.
Can I take the NCLEX online at home?
No. The NCLEX is delivered only at Pearson Professional Centers, with in-person check-in that captures your signature, photograph and palm vein scan and requires you to complete a security scanning protocol. Candidates are monitored at all times and subject to audio and video recording. You may test at any Pearson Professional Center regardless of the jurisdiction where you are seeking licensure.
Can I use a calculator?
An on-screen calculator is provided, along with an erasable note board and marker. Handheld calculators are named as prohibited aids in the NCLEX Candidate Rules, together with conversion tables and dictionaries. Since the launch of Next Generation NCLEX, any item containing a numeric laboratory value also displays the corresponding normal reference range.
How do accommodations work?
Request them from your nursing regulatory body when you apply for licensure, not from Pearson and not at the test center. The NRB approves accommodations as part of granting eligibility. The candidate rules also note that a candidate may have a pre-approved exception to the security scanning protocol granted by the NRB, which is the route for candidates who cannot complete standard screening.
Can I skip a question or go back?
No to both. NCSBN states that every item must be answered and that the computer will not let you proceed with the current item unanswered. You may reconsider and change your selection before pressing NEXT, but once you press it you can never return to that item. If you are unsure, weigh all response options and give your best answer.
How many questions are unscored?
Exactly 15 pretest items appear on every NCLEX-RN, regardless of total exam length. They are used to calibrate difficulty for future use and do not count toward your ability estimate or the pass-fail decision. NCSBN states they share the style and format of operational items, so candidates cannot tell them apart during the exam.
Is there recertification or continuing education after the NCLEX?
The NCLEX itself is a one-time licensure exam with no expiry and no continuing education attached to it. Ongoing requirements belong to your nursing regulatory body, which sets licence renewal periods and any continuing education or competence requirements for its own jurisdiction. NCSBN directs candidates to their NRB for those rules rather than publishing a single national standard.
What are the real pass rates?
For US licensure in 2025, first-time US-educated candidates passed at 86.7 percent across 192,916 exams, repeat US-educated candidates at 52.7 percent across 42,513 exams, first-time internationally educated candidates at 47.3 percent across 52,827 exams and repeat internationally educated candidates at 30.5 percent. Across all 328,443 exams for US licensure, 69.1 percent passed. By degree type among first-time US-educated candidates, baccalaureate programmes reached 87.6 percent, associate degree programmes 86.1 percent and RN diploma programmes 83.3 percent.
How does the NCLEX-RN compare with the NCLEX-PN?
They are separate exams for separate licences with different passing standards. The NCLEX-RN passing standard is 0.00 logits while the NCLEX-PN standard is minus 0.18 logits, both retained in April 2026 for a further three years. In 2025 first-time US-educated PN candidates averaged 100 items and 2 hours 18 minutes against 103 items and 2 hours 14 minutes for RN candidates, and decision consistency was 0.91 for the PN and 0.90 for the RN. Readability is capped at 1,300 Lexiles for the RN exam and 1,200 for the PN. The NCLEX-PN is used for US licensure only, while the NCLEX-RN serves the United States, Canada and Australia. Changing between the two after registration costs $50 USD.
Does the NCLEX favour any nursing specialty?
No. NCSBN states that every exam adheres to the test plan content area percentages, that items fall across all difficulty levels and cover all areas of the test plan, and that entire exams are not focused on specific nurse specialties. Individual exams may vary from the target distribution by up to plus or minus 3 percent in each category to accommodate variable exam length.
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