NCLEX-RN Passing Standard: How the Test Decides, Retakes

NCSBN calls the line the passing standard. For the NCLEX-RN it is 0.00 logits. A logit is simply a unit used to compare a candidate's ability with how hard each item is. In December 2022 the NCSBN Board of Directors voted to keep 0.00 logits through March 31, 2029. The Board looks at the standard again every three years, when the test plan is reviewed.

Three facts follow from this:

• There is no fixed share of candidates who pass or fail. Everyone who is at or above the line passes.
• The exam is not graded in sections. Your overall performance decides the result, so one weak area does not fail you by itself.
• A "percent correct" from any practice tool, including the 70% practice goal on this site, is only a training target. It is not the NCLEX scale.

After every answer, the computer re-estimates your ability from all your answers so far and the difficulty of those items. It then picks the next item from the right test plan area, at a level you are expected to find challenging. Easy items tell the computer little about a strong candidate, so they get few of them.

That is why a run of hard questions is normal and is not a sign that you are failing. Two more points from the test plan help on the day:

• If an item looks very similar to an earlier one, do not assume you missed the first. It may cover a different step of care, or it may be an unscored pretest item.
• You can change an answer until you press Next. After that you cannot go back, and you must answer every item to move on. When unsure, read every option and choose your best answer.

Every RN candidate answers at least 85 items and no more than 150. At the minimum length, 52 items come from the eight content areas, 18 items form three clinical judgment case studies of six items each, and 15 are unscored pretest items. You cannot tell which items are pretest.

The computer stops by one of three rules:

1. 95% confidence rule (the most common). After the minimum is reached, the test stops once the computer is 95% certain your ability is clearly above or clearly below the passing standard.
2. Maximum-length rule. If your ability stays very close to the line, items continue up to 150. Then only the final ability estimate counts: at or above the standard passes, below fails.
3. Run-out-of-time rule. If time ends before a decision, the result depends on how far you got. Fewer than the minimum number of items is an automatic fail. If you answered at least the minimum, your final ability estimate is compared with the standard.

NCSBN states plainly that the length of your exam is not a sign of a pass or a fail. A candidate can pass or fail at any length between 85 and 150.

You have five hours in total, and breaks come out of that time. You also go through the security scan again when you return from a break. There is no time limit on any single item.

The run-out-of-time rule makes one number matter most: 85. Simple arithmetic shows the room you have. At 2 minutes per item, 85 items take about 2 hours 50 minutes, and 150 items take the full 5 hours with no breaks at all. So a steady pace well under 2 minutes per item keeps both the minimum and the maximum within reach. These figures are only an example of the math, not an official pace.

The test center gives you an on-screen calculator and an erasable note board with a marker. Practice dosage math with a basic calculator so the on-screen one feels familiar.

The 2026 RN Test Plan (effective April 2026) sets a range for each content area. The two biggest are Management of Care at 15–21% and Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies at 13–19%, followed by Physiological Adaptation at 11–17% and Safety and Infection Prevention and Control at 10–16%. Clinical judgment is measured on top of these, through the case studies and about 10% stand-alone items.

Here is a sample plan using this site, not an official schedule. This site has roughly 129 practice questions in 10 chapters, with the most in Management of Care (about 22), Pharmacological Therapies (about 20) and Physiological Adaptation (about 19). At 10 questions a day you finish one full pass in about two weeks. On the second pass, go to the large chapters first and redo every question you missed.

The practice questions here are four-option multiple choice only. For case studies and formats such as multiple response, use the sample items NCSBN posts on NCLEX.com.

Candidates who do not pass get a Candidate Performance Report (CPR), a two-page report. It rates each test plan area and clinical judgment as Below, Near or Above the Passing Standard. NCSBN advises studying the "Below" areas first, then the "Near" areas, while still reviewing the rest. If you did not answer the minimum number of items, you get a short version that shows only how many items you answered and how many were needed.

Retake rules from NCSBN:

• You can retest 45 days after your exam.
• You can take the NCLEX up to eight times a year, with 45 test-free days between attempts.
• Some boards of nursing set a longer wait or fewer attempts. Your new Authorization to Test (ATT) dates will show this.

The steps are: tell your board you plan to retake, pay any board fees, reregister with Pearson VUE and pay the fee, wait for the new ATT, then schedule. A repeat candidate will not see the same item again in the current item pool.

1. Fee. On October 31, 2026 the NCLEX registration fee for U.S. licensure is $200. NCSBN has announced it becomes $350 on February 1, 2027. Registration fees are not refunded for any reason, so register once, when you are ready.
2. Results. Official results come only from your nursing regulatory body, within six weeks. If your board takes part in Quick Results, unofficial results are available two business days after the exam for $7.95, charged only if results are available. Quick Results do not let you work as a nurse.
3. Exam day. Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Arriving more than 30 minutes late can cost you the appointment and the fee.
4. Today's study step. Take one 10-question set from Management of Care or Pharmacological Therapies on this site and read every explanation, including for the questions you got right.