NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination - Registered Nurse)

NCLEX stands for National Council Licensure Examination.

NCLEX is a nationwide examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States of America as well as in Canada and Australia.

After graduation from a school of nursing, one takes the NCLEX exam to receive a nursing license. A nursing license gives an individual the permission to practice nursing, granted by the state where they met the requirements.

There are 2 types of NCLEX exams, the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN. Today, in this article, we will learn about both of them in detail.

At Nurse Career Promotion, we prepare students for NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN, and make them job ready. We also prepare students for OET (Occupational English Text), which you can read in detail by clicking here.

Let’s learn more about NCLEX, shall we?

NCLEX examinations are developed and organized by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, INC (NCSBN). The NCSBN administers these examinations on behalf of its member boards. NCLEX examinations are designed to test the knowledge, skills and abilities essential for the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry level.

To ensure public protection, each board of nursing requires a candidate for licensure to pass the appropriate NCLEX examination: NCLEX-RN for registered nurses and the NCLEX-PN for vocational or practical nurses.

NCLEX registration varies from state to state. In order to register for the NCLEX, candidates must first apply for the proper nursing credential from their state boards of licensure and registration.

Since each state sets its own licensure requirements, you should check with your state regulatory board before applying.

How the NCLEX exam works?

The NCLEX exam is a computerized selective test in which questions are asked based on how you answered the previous question. These questions are based on the difficulty of the previous questions, NOT on how many questions you answer correctly.

For instance, there are a total of 3,000 test bank questions; however, you may be given 75 questions minimum to a 265 maximum.

Why such a discrepancy?

Again, the NCLEX is testing your competence level related to the difficulty level of the questions. The NCLEX test will stop at the point when you can answer half of the questions correctly.
For example, let’s assume you have reached the minimum of 75 questions; two things can happen. The test will end indicating that either you are above the passing standard (pass), or the test will end indicating that you are below the passing standard (fail).

However, if your competence level is close enough to the passing standard, the computer continues to ask you questions. At some point (depending on your level of questions) the computer will determine if your level is above the passing standard. If it is, you pass; if not, you fail.

The NCLEX exam is divided into four main areas of focus. Two of the four categories are divided into subcategories as shown below:

1. Safe and Effective Care Environment

Management of Care - 17% to 23%

Safety and Infection Control - 9% to 15%

2. Health Promotion and Maintenance - 6% to 12%

3. Psychosocial Integrity - 6% to 12%

4. Physiological Integrity

Basic Care and Comfort - 6% to 12%

Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies - 12% to 18%

Reduction of Risk Potential - 9% to 15%

Physiological Adaptation - 11% to 17%

NCLEX-RN

NCLEX-RN stands for National Council Licensure Examination – Registered Nurse. All boards of nursing in states and territories of the United States require candidates to pass this exam for licensure as a registered nurse (RN).

The NCLEX-RN uses the five-step nursing process. Each of the questions will fall into one of the five steps: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation.

According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc., all those who wish to take the NCLEX-RN Examination must:

1. Apply for their registered professional nursing license with the state board of nursing where the person wants their initial license.

For example, if you went to school in Pennsylvania and you want to get your registered nursing license in Pennsylvania, you would apply for your registered professional nursing license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.

On the other hand, if you went to school in Pennsylvania and you want to get your registered professional nursing license in California you would apply for your registered professional nursing license with the California state board of nursing.

If at a later date you decide to work in another state after you get your initial registered professional nursing license, you can apply to that state for your registered professional nursing license without retaking the NCLEX-RN Examination because all states in our nation will give your registered professional nursing license with a process called reciprocity.

2. You must meet all of the state's eligibility requirements to take the NCLEX-RN Examination.

3. You then register for the NCLEX-RN Examination with Pearson VUE which is the official testing company. Your nursing school will give you this information and the necessary registration forms.

4. You will then receive your NCLEX Registration Acknowledgement by email from Pearson VUE after the state board of nursing validates that you are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN Examination.

5. The final step for registering for the NCLEX-RN Examination is scheduling the date and time of your examination with Pearson VUE and paying the fees for it.

If you have to change your testing appointment time for the NCLEX-RN Examination, you must change it by using the Pearson VUE website or by calling Pearson VUE but this must be done at least 24 hours before your scheduled test date and time.

For example, you must change your test time appointment by Friday at least 24 hours in advance of your appointment time, the local standard time when your examination is scheduled on a Saturday.

You can register for the NCLEX-RN Examination using a major credit card, such as VISA, MasterCard or American Express, by either registering at the Pearson VUE website or by contacting Pearson VUE by telephone.

You MUST have an email address when you register regardless of whether you are registering by telephone or registering for the test at their website.

The NCLEX-RN Examination Fees

The basic registration fee for the NCLEX-RN Examination is $200.00. Additional fees are required if you change the state board of nursing that you want to apply to after you have registered or if you change the language that you choose to use for the examination.

There are NO refunds of these fees for any reason.

Rules and Regulations of the NCLEX-RN Examination

You must be 100% aware of and compliant with all the rules and regulations relating to taking your NCLEX-RN Examination. A failure to comply with any rule is grounds for dismissal from the examination.

You may NOT:

Attempt to or take the NCLEX-RN Examination for someone else.

Tamper with your assigned computer in any way.

Jot down or write on anything except the erasable note board which was given to you by the test administrator at the testing site when you arrived.

Get any personal items from your locker during the entire time of the examination and during your breaks.

Talk about test questions with anyone.

Attempt to mentally recall any test questions using your memory.

Cheat, ask for the help of another or give help to another test taker.

Use your computer for anything other than your NCLEX-RN Examination.

Other rules and regulations for the examination state that you MUST:

Raise your hand to ask the test administrator for a clean note board if you need it.

Raise your hand to ask the test administrator for a break and then only take the break when you have been given permission by the test administrator to do so.

A palm vein scan will be taken when you leave the room for a break and, again, when you re-enter the testing room.

Raise your hand to ask the test administrator for another computer when there is a problem with your assigned computer.

Return the note board when you leave the testing room.

Use the earphones that were given to you by the testing administrator. You may not use your own.

Use the earplugs provided by the test administrator when you have requested them.

Raise your hand to tell the test administrator that you are done with your examination.

NCLEX-RN Pass Rates (2021)

How the Questions Will Appear on the NCLEX-RN Exam

You will get only one question at a time on your computer screen. You can read the question and think about it as long as you like but the question must be answered before you can go on to the next examination question. You must, therefore, answer the question even when you are not certain and not sure that your answer is correct or the test will not proceed to the next question.

Do not waste time on a question; give it your best try. Wild guessing is NOT advised. Select the answer that you believe is the best choice and then move on to your next question.

So, read the question carefully, think about it and then answer it with your best possible response even when you are not sure. Do not get stuck on it. Remember, you only have 6 hours to finish the entire test. Keep up a reasonable and consistent pace as you go through the NCLEX-RN Examination towards its completion.