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Before you start practicing as a nurse, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), a standardized test covering care management, infection control, pharmacological therapies and other relevant topics. If you’ve already taken the NCLEX without passing, you’re not alone. In 2022, only 79.9% of first-time test takers received passing scores. Fortunately, there are several resources available to help you pass on your next attempt.
How many times can the NCLEX be taken?
Candidates may take the NCLEX exam up to eight times per year, but there must be 45 days between each attempt. For example, if you fail an exam taken on November 1, you can’t attempt it again until at least December 16.
How to know if you passed the NCLEX
You’ll receive your official NCLEX exam results approximately 6 weeks after your test date. These results are issued by the board of nursing in your state, not by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, NCLEX Candidate Services or Pearson VUE. If you do not pass the exam, you’ll get a Candidate Performance Report that shows how you performed on each of the content areas.
How to pass the NCLEX exam
If you didn’t pass on the first try, there are several things you can do to improve your score on the next attempt. First, give yourself plenty of time to study. Cramming a few days before the NCLEX exam is stressful, and it’s not as effective as studying daily for several weeks or months. Use your Candidate Performance Report to create a study plan.
It’s also important to make sure you understand how the test is structured. Pearson VUE uses dynamic testing, which means that the test adapts to your performance. As a result, it may have up to 265 questions of varying levels of difficulty. When you’re ready to start taking practice exams, make sure you take both longer and shorter exams to ensure you feel comfortable with both types.
You should take each practice exam in a quiet room that’s free of distractions from family members, friends and pets. It is also helpful to time yourself so that you get used to answering as many questions as possible within the 5-hour time limit.
What are the unofficial NCLEX test results?
If your state board of nursing uses the Quick Results Service, you’ll be able to access your unofficial test results 2 business days after you take the NCLEX exam. If you’re worried about whether you passed, getting unofficial test results can help ease your mind and eliminate the stress of waiting for 6 weeks to get your official scores. Since they’re unofficial, however, you can’t use them to practice nursing.
To improve your chances of passing the NCLEX exam, enroll in one of the nursing programs at the FVI School of Nursing & Technology. Our students have a 90.9% first-time NCLEX pass rate, the highest among all accredited AD-RN programs in Miami-Dade County and Broward County.
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