Key Takeaways
- All recently graduated nursing students must take the NCLEX to assess their readiness to practice in the clinical setting, with separate versions for RNs and LPNs.
- The NCLEX uses computerized adaptive test (CAT), meaning the number of questions and difficulty level adjust based on your performance.
- Most first-time test-takers pass the NCLEX. Understanding the format, question types, and scoring will improve your chances of success.
The NCLEX.
It’s the all-important test for nurses.
Soon-to-be-graduates may be wondering, “How many times can you take the NCLEX?” – fearing failure because of stories from classmates.
But 86.7 percent of people who took the NCLEX for the first time in 2025 passed it, and so can you.
What is the NCLEX?
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) determines whether recently graduated nursing students possess the skills and knowledge needed to practice.
You must pass the standardized test to obtain your nursing license and start your career.
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) administers it.
NCLEX-RN vs. NCLEX-PN
Depending on your education and the role you want, you will sit for one of the following exams:
- NCLEX-PN: For a licensed practice nurse (LPN), the most entry-level role in the profession. LPNs undergo a certificate program, which can be finished in 12 to 18 months.
- NCLEX-RN: To become a registered nurse (RN). You hold a bachelor’s degree and provide more complex patient care than practical nurses.
No matter which test you take, you need to graduate beforehand.
Portage Learning, an accredited institution, offers many of the prerequisite courses needed for acceptance into nursing programs, including:
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab
- Biology I with Lab
- Developmental Psychology
- Introduction to Statistics
- Nutrition
The online, self-directed format gives you a flexible, affordable option, perfect for those who may be:
- Transitioning careers
- On a tight timeline to begin a program
- Wanting to get a jumpstart on their undergraduate degree
Credits earned transfer to more than 2,800 colleges and universities.
“I loved Portage Learning,” Madison Noonan, a former student, wrote. “I was nervous about being prepared for my nursing program since I did my prerequisites online, but I felt even more equipped than some of my peers.”
April George, who took Human Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab, echoes Noonan.
“The online labs were engaging, and the content prepared me well for the fast-paced nature of nursing school,” she said.
When Do You Take the NCLEX?
Most people sit for the NCLEX one to two months after they earn their degree or certificate.
It lets you focus entirely on studying while keeping the information you learned in school fresh.
Some nurse residency programs require you to pass the exam before you begin the cohort, which could also dictate your timeline.
The NCSBN offers the NCLEX exclusively at Pearson VUE testing centers, so you can take it year-round, excluding major holidays.
Is the NCLEX Hard?
The NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN challenge even the most prepared students.
Some of the factors behind the perceived complexity include:
- Computerized format and adaptive testing: The exam uses Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT), meaning it continuously adjusts to your performance. When you answer a question correctly, the algorithm then gives you a more difficult one, or vice versa if you get the problem wrong.
- Time constraint: You must finish the NCLEX in five hours, including breaks, which can be stressful for some test-takers.
- Diverse content: The exam measures your critical thinking and clinical judgment across a range of healthcare scenarios. You need to understand an array of topics, beyond memorization. Questions will ask you to assess situations and make decisions about patient care under pressure.
But challenging doesn’t mean out of reach – and if you know the NCLEX structure, what to expect, and how to effectively study, you will do well.
How Many Questions are on the NCLEX?
The number of questions on the test depends on your performance.
Its CAT format decides whether you pass or fail the exam using one of three rules:
- 95 percent confidence interval: The computer will stop asking questions when 95 percent certainty exists that your knowledge falls clearly above or below the passing mark.
- Maximum-length exam: Your score may be too close to the passing mark to establish certainty. When that happens, the NCLEX continues to give you questions until you hit the maximum number allowed. It then looks at your final score based on all answers, passing you if you meet the mark.
- Run out of time: If you run out of time before reaching the maximum number of questions, and the exam does not determine with 95 percent certainty whether you passed or failed, it will decide based on the following criteria:
- You fail if you do not answer the minimum number of questions required.
- If you do meet the minimum number of questions, your passing will depend on all answers given before time ran out.
In general, you can expect to answer at least 85 and up to 150 questions.
Types of Questions for the NCLEX
The NCLEX includes a variety of question formats, including:
- Multiple choice: Select the best answer from a set of options
- Bowtie: Identify a potential condition, two nursing actions, and two monitoring parameters
- Extended multiple responses: Select all answers that apply to the question
- Cloze: Pick an option from a drop-down menu
It covers four broad categories:
- Safe and effective care environment
- Health promotion and maintenance
- Psychosocial integrity
- Physiological integrity
The emphasis placed on each section depends on the test you take.
For example, the NCLEX-RN contains questions assessing ethical and legal knowledge and more complex scenarios, while the NCLEX-PN asks about central venous access devices, IV therapy, and blood transfusion.
How Many Times Can You Take the NCLEX?
The NCSBN allows you to retake the NCLEX 45 days after your original exam date, but it can also hinge on where you live.
Some states give you three attempts to pass the exam within two to three years of graduation before requiring additional conditions, such as completing extra coursework. Others allow you to sit as many times as needed, as long as it follows NCSBN rules. These states include:
- Arizona
- California
- Massachusetts
- New York
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
The Next Generation NCLEX
In 2023, the NCSBN released the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN).
It uses a new framework called the clinical judgment model (CJM) to evaluate your ability to formulate sound decisions while providing patient care.
The NCSBN cited increased regulation and litigation, evolving patient needs, and rapidly advancing technology as key drivers behind the change, all of which require nurses to make increasingly complex choices.
Based on this, the NCSBN approved new types of questions to measure an entry-level nurse’s judgment, including the ones listed earlier in this blog, and revised the scoring system.
The NCLEX now awards partial credit for correct responses on questions with more than one right answer, using one of the following scoring methods:
- +/-: You receive one point for correct responses and lose a point for wrong answers. The final score will be a zero if it results in a negative number.
- 0/1: You earn one point for correct responses but don’t lose any for wrong answers.
- Rationale: You get credit when you answer both the action and the reason correctly.
NCLEX Exam Preparation
You should study for the exam full time after graduation, but you can begin preparing during your nursing program. Some tips for success include:
- Participating in study groups
- Joining NCLEX preparation groups on social media
- Listening to recorded lectures or podcasts
- Completing practice exams
- Working through an NCLEX review course
Set aside a few hours each day that work best for you to study. Research shows cramming for an exam can:
- Limit your retention and short-term memory
- Increase stress and fatigue, hurting your test performance
- Prevent true understanding of the material
How to Register for the NCLEX
Once you feel prepared to take the NCLEX, follow these five steps:
- Apply for licensure and registration: Submit an application for licensure and registration to the nursing regulatory body (NRB) where you want to practice.
- Register with Pearson VUE: Sign up for the exam through Pearson VUE.
- Pay the NCLEX fee: It costs $200 to sit for the NCLEX. There may be additional fees to make changes to the registration.
- Authorization to test: You will receive an email after your NRB declares you eligible to take the exam and confirms your registration through Pearson.
- Schedule your test: Find a Pearson testing center closest to you and a time to sit for the exam. Appointments can be made online or via telephone.
Your Next Steps for the NCLEX
For new graduate nurses, the NCLEX represents a major moment in your career.
But rather than fear it – prepare.
The majority of first-time test-takers pass the exam, and you can be one of them too.
It just requires proper planning and the right mindset to reinforce what you worked so hard to become: a capable, knowledgeable nurse ready to step into the profession.
(Set yourself up for NCLEX success. Take your nursing school prerequisites with Portage Learning to build the foundation you need to pass on your first try.)
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