What percent of people pass NCLEX on first try?

First-time NCLEX pass rates hover around 87-90% for U.S.-educated candidates, but vary by year and quarter, with recent data showing fluctuations after the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) update, dipping in late 2024 but generally staying high for first attempts, around 87-88% overall in 2025 for U.S. grads, with specific quarters showing dips and surges. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) provides official data, showing trends for NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN.

How many people pass the NCLEX on the first try?

Archer Review Students First-Timers

NCSBN statistics from Q1 of 2024 state that the NCLEX passing rate for U.S. educated first-time attempts is 94.15%. Archer Review surveyed students meeting the same criteria who scored at least "high" on 4-consecutive readiness assessments had a passing rate of 98.98%.

What are the odds of failing the NCLEX?

According to the most recent data from 2024, the pass rate for first-time, U.S.-educated NCLEX-RN candidates is approximately 91%.

What percentage on NCLEX to pass?

Unlike most exams, the NCLEX does not provide a numerical score or percentage. It is a pass/fail exam determined by how consistently you demonstrate minimum competency compared to the passing standard.

How likely is it to fail NCLEX in 85 questions?

In other words, if after 85 questions there's a 95% chance you'll remain below the passing standard, you'll fail the exam. So yes, it's possible to have failed the NCLEX at 85 questions.

Top 3 Signs You Failed NCLEX!

What are good signs you passed NCLEX?

Here are four telltale signs that signify your triumphant passage of the NCLEX.

• Absence of a New Authorization to Test (ATT) ...
• "Nurse of the Future" Title on Your License. ...
• Termination of Test Attempts on Your Pearson VUE Account. ...
• Official Notification from Your State Nursing Board.

Is 50% enough to pass NCLEX?

If candidates answer questions right about half the time (50%), they will have a logit of 0.0. This is the NCLEX passing score; less than that is a fail, and a higher number is a stronger result, although the exam itself is pass/fail.

Is NCLEX-RN hard to pass?

According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), in 2021, the NCLEX first-time pass rate was seventy-nine percent. Proper preparation will help ensure you're in the NCLEX passing percentage.

What is the first-time pass rate for the NCLEX in 2025?

As of November 1, 2025, first-time U.S.-educated test-takers have an NCLEX-RN pass rate of 87.1%, compared to their counterparts who repeated the test and passed at a rate of only 53.1%.

Did I fail if I got 150 questions on NCLEX?

If you get all 150 questions and you're at or above the passing standard, you pass. If you're below the passing standard, you do not pass. The test ends after 5 hours. At that time, if you have not completed the minimum amount of items (85), then you do not pass.

Which state has the highest NCLEX pass rate?

New Hampshire leads the nation with a 96.5% NCLEX pass rate, followed by North Dakota, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Nationally, 91.2% of test-takers passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt.

Is NCLEX shutting off at 85 good reddit?

From my reddit searches, if your test shut off in 85, you most likely passed and if you felt like that was the weirdest exam ever and you were guessing the entire time, you passed.

Are quick results for NCLEX ever wrong?

The NCLEX early results service provides test-takers with an unofficial, but highly accurate way to check their pass/fail status before official results are released.

Which NCLEX Prep has the highest pass rate?

Aspiring nurses who complete the nursing.com curriculum have a 99.42% NCLEX pass rate. This prep course was designed by an experienced RN who was looking for an easy and concise way to deliver material.

What is the failure rate for RN?

As of halfway through 2025, pass rates are at 88.6% for RN and 85.9% for PN. The pass rates for all test-takers, including repeat test-takers and internationally educated test-takers, have also increased.

How to pass the NCLEX on the first try?

10 Tips to Pass the NCLEX in 2026

1. Tip #1: Know what is covered on the exam.
2. Tip #2: Understand the exam's format.
3. Tip #3: Build up your test endurance.
4. Tip #4: Create a study plan.
5. Tip #5: Assess yourself honestly during your studies.
6. Tip #6: Know what kind of learner you are.

Is it more likely to pass or fail NCLEX at 85?

When the NCLEX-RN shuts off at 85 questions, it means you either did very well or very poorly—enough so that the CAT model is 95% confident in your success or failure after only one-third of the possible 265 exam questions. Further, in an 85-question test only 70 questions are counted toward your passing score.

What state is the hardest to become a nurse?

Hardest States to Obtain an RN License

• California. Compact State: No. Challenges: Requires individual state licensure—no reciprocity or compact privileges. ...
• New York. Compact State: No. Challenges: ...
• Massachusetts. Compact State: No. Challenges: ...
• Hawaii. Compact State: No. Challenges: ...
• Nevada.

What is the trick for NCLEX?

The Pearson VUE NCLEX trick is an unofficial method to check your NCLEX results by attempting to re-register for the exam on the Pearson VUE website. If you get a message stating that you can't register because you have an open registration, it may indicate a passing result.

Is 2 weeks enough to study for NCLEX-RN?

There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but many students choose to study for at least one month before taking the NCLEX. Depending on your confidence level and schedule, you may study anywhere from 4 weeks to a few months to feel fully prepared.

What is the 0 1 scoring rule for NCLEX?

Candidates receive a point for correct responses and lose a point for incorrect responses. We call this +/- scoring. Candidates receive a point for correct responses but do not lose points for incorrect responses. We call this 0/1 scoring.

What's the lowest score you can get on the NCLEX?

The NCLEX uses a base logit score of 0.00 to determine whether you pass or not. You pass if you score above 0.00, meaning you answered enough questions correctly. If you score negative, you didn't answer enough questions correctly.

How do you know if you passed the NCLEX right away?

Candidates seeking licensure in the U.S. can receive their unofficial results two business days after the exam, if their NRB participates in the Quick Results Service.

Is 60% passing for NCLEX?

So, what exactly is the NCLEX passing score? The NCLEX-RN passing standard is -0.18 logits, and the NCLEX-PN passing standard is -0.26 logits (NCSBN, 2023). That number isn't a percentage—it's a measurement of your ability compared to the difficulty of questions you answer correctly.