How Hard Is It To Pass the NCLEX-RN?

The NCLEX stands for the National Council Licensure Examination. The NCLEX-RN enables students who pass to become registered nurses (RN).

There are actually two versions of the NCLEX exam. The NCLEX-RN grants licensure as an RN while the NCLEX-PN leads to a licensed practical nurse (LPN) qualification. Here, we discuss only the NCLEX-RN.

The quality of care provided by nurses can have a direct impact on the health, safety, and well-being of patients. The licensing process for nurses ensures that a standard of care is met.

So while the exam is not easy, most would agree that it serves a crucial purpose. Nurse education has been shown to have a significant impact on critical outcomes such as patient mortality.

How Hard Is the NCLEX-RN Exam?

Statistically, 87% of individuals pass the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt. The pass rate for second attempts drops to 45%, so the exam can be quite difficult for many students.

Candidates holding a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) passed at 90% compared to 84% for those with an associate degree in nursing (ADN).

Differences in educational systems can also make the test difficult for students who have received training outside of the United States. Internationally educated test takers pass at a rate of 40% on the first attempt.

The nature of the exam format can also create difficulty for non-native English speakers in some cases.

Unlike some standardized tests which are exclusively multiple choice questions, the NCLEX includes a range of different question formats.

How Is the NCLEX-RN Exam Formatted?

According to the NCLEX website, the exam uses realistic case studies to assess a nurse's critical thinking and decision-making ability in clinical healthcare scenarios.

The NCLEX is also a computerized adaptive test (CAT) which means that the difficulty of the questions displayed adjusts as the test progresses.

All test takers will answer between 75 and 145 questions. Fifteen questions are exploratory and do not count toward the final score.

Several question types are included on the test, although students can expect a majority of the questions to be multiple choice. Some question formats include:

• multiple choice
• multimedia such as graphs and charts
• hot spot questions
• fill in the blank
• ordered response

The questions on the exam are designed to assess complex reasoning processes that nurses will use to make decisions in real-world settings.

Some questions that involve multiple answers may allow individuals to receive partial credit for answers.

The adaptive format ensures that test takers are using realistic decision-making criteria rather than guessing. The test attempts to show students questions that they have an approximately 50% chance of answering correctly.

The test concludes in three instances: the 95% confidence interval for pass or fail is exceeded, the allotted time runs out, or the maximum number of questions is reached.

What Content Is Covered on the NCLEX-RN?

The four main areas that the test concentrates on are:

• physiological integrity
• health promotion and maintenance
• psychosocial integrity
• providing a safe and effective care environment

These four areas are further broken down into subcategories covering topics such as risk reduction, physiological adaptation, basic care and comfort, parenteral therapies, and infection control.

It is important to note that the test is not focused on any particular nursing specialty and includes a range of questions from different areas of nursing.

The exam is based on thorough research of current industry standards and will reflect updates in best practices.

How To Prepare for the NCLEX-RN

A key learning outcome of any approved nursing program awarding an ADN or BSN is readiness for the NCLEX. Many programs offer dedicated test preparation near the completion of the degree.

One of the most important steps students can take is to utilize the sample exams made freely available by NCLEX. Students can focus their study efforts on problem areas revealed in the practice test.

NCLEX also makes a test plan packet available at no cost on its website.

The plan helps students understand key issues such as terminology conventions, standardized definitions of client needs and clinical judgment, and additional sample questions.

Other resources available from NCLEX include a complete tutorial, information on computerized adaptive testing, a candidate bulletin, and an exam preview.

In many cases, the educational institution will be in possession of these resources and work together with students to help them prepare.

Students can also find these resources themselves if they would like additional information.

Some individuals may also benefit from attempting to re-create the conditions of the actual test as closely as possible to increase familiarity and reduce stress on test day.

Get Prepared to Pass the NCLEX-RN

While the NCLEX-RN exam is not easy, well-prepared test takers have a good chance of succeeding. Passing the NCLEX-RN exam grants individuals a valuable nursing professional qualification that typically leads to employment.

Finding the right education can help you pass the NCLEX-RN and become a successful registered nurse.