05/10/2022
National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)
The NCLEX is a nationally recognized examination required to become either a registered nurse (NCLEX-RN) or a licensed practical nurse (NCLEX-PN). The examinations are developed and maintained by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). State boards of nursing, which ultimately will issue or deny a candidate’s nursing license, consider the results of the NCLEX when deciding whether or not to issue a nursing license.
According to NCLEX’s fact sheet, from January through June 2021, 82.74% of RN candidates for the NCLEX-RN and 79.06% of practical nurse candidates for the NCLEX-PN were taking their respective exams for the first time. First-time international educated candidates came from the Philippines, India, Puerto Rico, Kenya, Nepal and other countries.
NCLEX Pass Rates
The NCLEX pass rates for all RN candidates in the first six months of 2021 was 72.94%, with the highest pass rate for RNs with bachelor’s degrees. The practical nurse pass rate for the NCLEX was 66.3% with the highest pass rate for first-time examinees educated in the United States at 79.33%. Some universities boast high pass rates as a possible indication of the value of their program.
NCLEX Application and Registration
To take your NCLEX, you must submit an application for licensure/registration to the nursing regulatory board in the state of your practice, register for the NCLEX and pay the applicable fee. NCLEX needs to receive notice of eligibility from your nursing regulatory board within 365 days to proceed with examination. You may register for the NCLEX online or by phone.
NCLEX Fees and Payments
When registering for the NCLEX, you will also submit a registration fee of $200 for U.S. licensure, $360 CAD for Canadian licensure or $200 for Australian licensure.
There are additional fees for international scheduling, changing your nurse regulatory board after registration, changing examination type (RN/PN) after registration, changing exam language and your state’s nursing regulatory board fees.
Taking the NCLEX
The NCLEX is offered at test centers domestically and internationally. You must schedule an appointment online or by phone through Pearson VUE, after you’ve received an authorization to test (ATT).
NCLEX-RN
The NCLEX-RN is composed of questions (PDF, 688KB) on:
Physiological Adaptation
Management of Care
Safety and Infection Control
Health Promotion and Maintenance
Phychosocial Integrity
Basic Care and Comfort
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
Reduction of Risk Potential
The NCLEX-RN questions can range from 75 to 265 items. Fifteen of these are pretest items that are not scored. Total time allotment for the NCLEX-RN is six hours, which includes the tutorial, sample items and optional breaks.
NCLEX-PN
The NCLEX-PN is composed of questions (PDF, 590KB) on:
Physiological Adaptation
Coordinated Care
Safety and Infection Control
Health Promotion and Maintenance
Psychosocial Integrity
Basic Care and Comfort
Pharmacological Therapies
Reduction of Risk Potential
NCLEX-PN candidates must answer a minimum of 85 items out of 205 within the allotted five hours. The time includes tutorial, sample questions and all breaks.
How to Prepare for the Nclex
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