Quick answer: The NCLEX is scored pass/fail, not with a percentage. Computerized adaptive testing re-estimates your ability after every item and compares it with the passing standard, which is 0.00 logits for the RN exam. Once you have answered at least 85 items, the exam ends when it is 95% certain you are clearly above or below that line; otherwise it decides at 150 items or when time runs out.
The NCLEX does not give you a score. It gives you a pass or fail. There is no 75%, no percentile rank, no numerical grade. The exam measures whether you are above or below the minimum competency standard for safe entry-level nursing practice. Here is how that determination actually works.
Pass/Fail — Not a Score
The NCLEX uses Item Response Theory (IRT) and a logit scale to estimate your ability. Your “ability estimate” is a number on a continuum, and the passing standard is a fixed point on that same scale. If your ability estimate is above the passing standard with sufficient statistical confidence, you pass. Below it, you fail.
You will never see your ability estimate. You will never know how close you were to the line. The result is binary: pass or fail.
The Passing Standard
The NCSBN Board of Directors reevaluates the passing standard every three years, when the test plan is reviewed. It weighs a criterion-referenced standard-setting exercise by a panel of nurse judges, historical candidate performance data, and surveys of employers and educators. The passing standard is not curved — it does not depend on how other candidates perform. It is an absolute benchmark.
The current RN passing standard is 0.00 logits, effective through March 31, 2029. It was not raised for the Next Generation NCLEX: in December 2022 the NCSBN Board of Directors voted to uphold the existing 0.00-logit standard, which was already in place before NGN launched in April 2023.
How the CAT Makes the Decision
| Decision Rule | How It Works |
|---|---|
| 95% Confidence Interval Rule | After each question, the algorithm calculates your ability estimate and a confidence interval. Once you have answered at least the 85-item minimum, the exam stops as soon as the entire confidence interval is above or below the passing standard (95% certainty). |
| Maximum Question Rule | At 150 questions, if the confidence interval still overlaps the passing standard, the algorithm makes a final determination based on whether your last ability estimate is above or below the line. |
| Time Limit Rule | At 5 hours, if you have answered at least 85 questions, the algorithm bases the decision on all your answered items. If you have not answered the 85-item minimum, the result is an automatic fail. |
Your Candidate Performance Report (CPR)
Only candidates who fail receive a CPR (candidates who pass do not). It rates your performance in the 8 NCLEX client needs categories and in clinical judgment (including the six NCJMM steps) relative to the passing standard.
| Category | % of Exam (RN) |
|---|---|
| Management of Care | 15-21% |
| Safety and Infection Prevention and Control | 10-16% |
| Health Promotion and Maintenance | 6-12% |
| Psychosocial Integrity | 6-12% |
| Basic Care and Comfort | 6-12% |
| Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies | 13-19% |
| Reduction of Risk Potential | 9-15% |
| Physiological Adaptation | 11-17% |
Each category is rated as Above the Passing Standard, Near the Passing Standard, or Below the Passing Standard. If you did not pass, your CPR is your study roadmap — focus on “Below” categories first.
NGN Scoring — Partial Credit
Starting in April 2023, the NCLEX includes Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) items that use partial credit scoring. This is a significant change from the old all-or-nothing model.
| Question Type | Scoring Method |
|---|---|
| Multiple Choice | Dichotomous — correct or incorrect. No partial credit. |
| SATA (Select All That Apply) | Partial credit. +1 for each correct selection, -1 for each incorrect selection, floor of 0. Selecting 3 of 4 correct answers earns partial credit. |
| Matrix / Multiple Response Grouping | Matrix multiple choice: 0/1 per row, no penalty. Matrix multiple response and MR grouping: +/- within each column or row, each floored at 0. |
| Highlight | Commonly taught as +/- partial credit (each correct highlight earns a point, each incorrect one subtracts a point, floor of 0); NCSBN's scoring FAQ does not assign highlight items a specific scoring model. |
| Drop-Down (Cloze / Table) | 0/1 per drop-down. Each correct choice earns 1 point; no penalty for a wrong one. |
| Bowtie | 0/1 partial credit, maximum 5 points: 1 potential condition, 2 actions to take, 2 parameters to monitor. No penalty for a wrong choice. |
| Trend | Scored by the rule of the response format it uses (0/1 for drop-down or matrix multiple choice, +/- for select-all-that-apply or matrix multiple response). |
What this means for you: On 0/1 items (drop-down, matrix multiple choice, bowtie) a wrong pick costs nothing, so answer every part. On +/- items (SATA, matrix multiple response) each wrong pick subtracts a point, so select every option you believe is correct and leave out the ones you believe are wrong.
Quick Results vs Official Results
| Feature | Quick Results (Pearson VUE) | Official Results (State Board) |
|---|---|---|
| Available | About 2 business days post-exam | Up to 6 weeks (varies by board) |
| Cost | $7.95 fee (only if your board participates) | Free |
| Includes CPR | No | Yes |
| Legally official | No (unofficial) | Yes |
| Reliability | Highly accurate but not guaranteed | Definitive |
The “Pearson VUE Trick”
Many candidates try to determine their result by re-registering for the NCLEX on the Pearson VUE website shortly after their exam. The theory: if the system lets you register and pay, you failed. If you get the “good pop-up” (a message that you recently scheduled an exam and cannot register), the theory says you passed (because you cannot register for an exam you already passed).
This trick is not officially endorsed by Pearson VUE or the NCSBN. It has been anecdotally accurate for many candidates, but it is not a guarantee. If you want certainty, wait for quick results or official results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a passing score on the NCLEX?
No. The NCLEX does not give you a score, a percentage, or a percentile — the result is binary: pass or fail. The exam uses Item Response Theory to place your ability estimate on a logit scale, and if that estimate sits above the fixed passing standard with sufficient statistical confidence, you pass. You will never see your ability estimate or know how close you were to the line.
How does the NCLEX decide when to shut off?
Three rules end your exam. First, the 95% confidence interval rule: once you have answered at least 85 questions, the exam stops as soon as the algorithm is 95% certain your ability is clearly above or below the passing standard. Second, at 150 questions it makes a final call based on your last ability estimate. Third, at the 5-hour limit it makes its determination from your final ability estimate, based on all of your scored responses — but only if you answered at least 85 questions; fewer than 85 means an incomplete, which is a fail.
Do you lose points for wrong answers on SATA questions?
SATA items use partial credit: you earn +1 for each correct selection and -1 for each incorrect one, with a floor of 0. Selecting 3 of 4 correct answers still earns partial credit. The practical takeaway: yes, each wrong selection costs a point within that item (never below 0), so select every option you believe is correct and leave out the ones you believe are wrong.
Is the NCLEX curved based on how other test-takers do?
No. The passing standard is criterion-referenced, not curved — it does not depend on how other candidates perform. The NCSBN Board of Directors reevaluates it every three years, drawing on a criterion-referenced exercise by a panel of nurse judges plus employer and educator surveys. The current RN standard is 0.00 logits; the Board voted to uphold it, and it applies through March 31, 2029.
Does the Pearson VUE Trick really tell you if you passed?
The trick — re-registering shortly after your exam and reading the “good pop-up” that blocks registration as a pass — is not officially endorsed by Pearson VUE or the NCSBN. It has been anecdotally accurate for many candidates, but it is not a guarantee. Your two real options are Quick Results, which you can purchase through your Pearson VUE account about two business days after your exam, and your official result from your state board of nursing. Note that Quick Results is classified as unofficial — accurate in practice, but the only definitive result is the one your board of nursing issues.
What is the Candidate Performance Report and who gets one?
Candidates who do not pass receive a CPR; candidates who pass do not. It rates your performance in the 8 NCLEX client needs categories and in clinical judgment (including the six NCJMM steps) as Above, Near, or Below the Passing Standard. It arrives with your official results from your state board, not with paid quick results. If you did not pass, treat your CPR as your study roadmap and focus on the “Below” categories first.
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- NCLEX.com (NCSBN) — Passing Standard — RN passing standard is 0.00 logits, upheld (not raised), effective through March 31, 2029
- NCLEX.com (NCSBN) — Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) — Three pass/fail rules: 95% confidence interval, maximum length, and run-out-of-time
- NCSBN — 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan — 85-150 items; 95% rule applies only after the minimum; 2026 client needs weights
- NCLEX.com (NCSBN) — Candidate Performance Report — CPR goes only to failing candidates; covers content areas plus clinical judgment
- NCLEX.com (NCSBN) — Quick Results — Quick Results are unofficial, about two business days, $7.95; official results in 6 weeks
- NCSBN Help Center — What are the current scoring models? — SATA +/- floored at 0; matrix MC, drop-down and bowtie (max 5 points) scored 0/1
Sources checked September 2026.