The exam
The NCLEX-PN, and what the numbers say about passing it
One exam stands between a vocational nursing program and a licence. It costs $200, runs for five hours including breaks, and is computer-adaptive, so no two candidates see the same questions or the same number of them.
$200
Registration fee
Non-refundable, US licensure
5 hours
Appointment length
Breaks included
86.59%
National pass rate, 2025
First-time candidates
91.89%
Texas pass rate, 2025
4,180 candidates
What is on it
The April 2026 test plan
NCSBN rewrites the blueprint every three years, and the current one took effect in April 2026. Everything on the exam falls into eight categories, each with a published weight. Clinical judgement is measured separately, through 18 case-study items in three sets plus roughly 10 per cent stand-alone items.
| Category | Share of items |
|---|---|
| Coordinated care | 18-24% |
| Safety and infection prevention and control | 10-16% |
| Health promotion and maintenance | 6-12% |
| Psychosocial integrity | 9-15% |
| Basic care and comfort | 7-13% |
| Pharmacological therapies | 10-16% |
| Reduction of risk potential | 9-15% |
| Physiological adaptation | 7-13% |
Source: NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan. The passing standard is -0.18 logits, which the NCSBN board upheld through 31 March 2029. It is an ability threshold, not a percentage: there is no number of questions you have to get right.
Where you studied matters
The single biggest predictor is your program
Nationally 86.59 per cent of first-time candidates passed in 2025. But that average hides an enormous spread. In Texas, 26 programs passed every candidate they sent, while 8 fell below 80 per cent and now owe the board a self-study report. In California, public programs passed 91.8% of their candidates and private schools 82.8%.
This is the argument for checking a program’s published record before you enrol rather than after you fail. Both boards publish it, and every program on this site has its own page with the figures.
Preparing
What helps
Two things separate candidates who pass from candidates who repeat: doing a very large number of practice questions, and reading the rationale for every one you got wrong, including the ones you guessed right. Reading notes again is the least effective use of the time you have.
You do not need much. A current review book, a second question bank written by different people, and a way to drill pharmacology in dead time will cover most of it.
The main NCLEX-PN review book
Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN® Examination
The book most programs build their exit review around. Buy the current edition: the test plan changed in April 2026 and an older edition is drilling a retired blueprint.
Check price on AmazonA second question bank
NCLEX-PN Prep Plus: 2 Practice Tests + Proven Strategies + Online + Video...
Worth having a second source of questions written by a different team. Doing 2,000 questions from one book teaches you that book's habits.
Check price on AmazonFlash cards for dead time
Saunders Q&A Review Cards for the NCLEX-PN Examination
The only study format that survives a 20-minute bus ride. Lab values and pharmacology are the two decks that repay the effort.
Check price on AmazonPharmacology, separately
My Nurse Notes Pharmacology Flashcards for NCLEX - 99 Color-Coded Study Cards...
Pharmacological therapies is 10 to 16 per cent of the exam and it is the section students most often underestimate.
Check price on AmazonLab values on a card
Lab Value Reference Card: Quick Clinical Guide, Fits Horizontal & Vertical...
Normal ranges come up in questions that look like they are about something else. A badge card is the version you will actually consult on shift.
Check price on Amazon
Affiliate links. The rest of the kit list covers clinical and uniform.
Question banks and courses
Where the practice questions come from
A review book gives you a few thousand questions. A question bank gives you more, with timed adaptive tests that feel like the real thing and a written rationale for every answer. These are the main ones NCLEX-PN candidates use. Prices change often, so check each provider’s own page.
Preparing for the NCLEX-PN
- UWorld →NCLEX-PN question bank
Large question bank with a written rationale for every answer, including the wrong ones.
- Archer Review →NCLEX-PN question bank
Lower-cost question bank with readiness assessments and Next Generation NCLEX case studies.
- Kaplan →NCLEX-PN prep course
Structured course with a question bank and a decision-tree method for multiple-choice items.
- SimpleNursing →Video lessons and NCLEX-PN questions
Short video lessons on pharmacology, labs and fundamentals, plus practice questions.
- Mometrix →NCLEX-PN study guide and flashcards
Study guide and flashcards; a cheap second source of questions written by a different team.
In no particular order. No provider pays to be listed or to be first. Disclosure.
If you do not pass
You may retake it. NCSBN’s retake policy sets a minimum wait between attempts and your board sets how many attempts you get, so check both with your own board rather than a forum. Your candidate performance report shows how you did in each content area against the passing standard, and it is the single most useful document you will get: it tells you exactly what to work on.
Registration is non-refundable, including if you do not turn up, so rebook only when you have actually done the work.