What the NCLEX-RN is and how it's scored

What the NCLEX-RN is

This guide explains how the NCLEX-RN works, from the adaptive format to the pass or fail rules. It is a licensing exam that new registered nurses take in Canada and the United States, and passing it is one requirement among several for becoming a registered nurse.

The exam tests the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for safe and effective entry-level nursing practice. It is given on a computer only. There is no paper or oral version.

Your nursing regulatory body (NRB) is the provincial or territorial regulator in Canada, or your state board of nursing in the United States. Only the NRB can release your result to you. The test center and the test company cannot.

Adaptive testing

The NCLEX is a computerized adaptive test (CAT). After each answer, the computer re-estimates your ability. It then picks the next question from a large pool, aiming for one you have about a 50 percent chance of answering correctly. A strong run of answers pushes the difficulty up. Missed answers bring easier questions.

This means difficulty tells you very little about how you're doing. Hard questions don't automatically mean you're failing. The NCSBN candidate bulletin says it is incorrect to assume that a similar-looking question means you answered an earlier one wrong. Always pick the answer you believe is correct.

Some items are pretest items. They are not scored, and you can't tell which ones they are.

How long the exam is

The exam is between 85 and 150 questions. At the minimum length, 15 of the 85 are unscored pretest items. You have five hours in total. That time includes the introductory screen, all breaks and the exam itself.

How pass or fail is decided

There is no fixed percentage of candidates who pass, and you won't see a numeric score. The NCSBN sets a passing standard, which is the minimum ability needed for safe entry-level practice. Your result is measured against that standard. Here is how the decision works:

• The 95 percent rule. Once you have answered the minimum number of items, the exam stops as soon as the computer is 95 percent sure your ability is clearly above or clearly below the passing standard. This is the most common outcome.
• The maximum-length exam. If your ability is close to the standard, the exam continues to the maximum of 150 questions. The computer then ignores the 95 percent rule and uses your final ability estimate alone. At or above the standard passes. Below it fails.
• Running out of time. If time runs out before the maximum, you fail if you haven't answered the minimum number of items. If you have, your final ability estimate decides the result.

What to do with this

An early finish isn't a sign of pass or fail on its own. The exam can stop early for either result, so don't read anything into how many questions you were given.

Pace yourself. The NCSBN warns that rapid guessing can drastically lower your score on an adaptive test, because it sends you easier questions and lowers your ability estimate. Read each question carefully and answer it.