75 Questions on NCLEX, pass or fail?

I swore I failed. It shut of at 75 questions and I was begging for more. I truly thought there is no way i am that smart to get 75 questions and pass so I had to have failed. I felt like i guessed on every question. I looked at this site and it made me feel a little better because it appeared that more people passed at 75 then failed. and sure enought I found out today that I PASSED@! The shock has not yet worn off! hope it hits me soon!

At question 74 I was saying...come on, just one more question, pleeeeze, just one more, and click. It was over.

I had 120 questions, took me 1hr...thought for sure I had failed...nope...thank goodness I had passed!! whoo!

ZASHAGALKA said:

It means you really really passed, or you really really failed. I think the test is designed to give you more leeway if you aren't doing well; to give you an opportunity to work off your test anxiety, etc.

So I think that it is MORE likely to give you more questions if you aren't doing well and LESS likely to if you prove yourself.

Most people that stop at 75 pass is my understanding.

I'm just glad I took the paper test.

~faith,

Timothy.

This is how I always understood it be too. So, when I was taking the boards (yr 2000) and mine didn't shut off at 75, I began to panic and I was a wreck the rest of the test. I ended up running out of time before even reaching the 275 or whatever it is. Well, of course I left in tears thinking i failed. But, I actually passed. So, if this happens to you, DON'T PANIC like I did.

LPN - had the min. 85 and passed

Passed with 75??.

I took my boards last Wednesday (8/2) and found out Friday(8/4) that I passed with 75 questions. But boy, I really thought I failed. The questions started to get so hard-there was one I swear was in Chinese! I went straight in the ladies room and puked....I would not want to relive those 2 days of waiting for anything.

My understanding is that the questions are mid level on a given topic and if you miss the mid level it goes down to an easy question on that concept and work back up but not necessarily sequentially. The questions are dispersed in the remainder of the test. If you answer the mid level question the harder questions come like another member said. When I went into the test I figured it would take 125 questions so I wouldn't get too anxious, but it turned off at 76 in 55 min. I have had friends fail with 75 and pass with 265 or out of time. Congrats to all the grads who have recently passed their exams!!

PDX RN said:

75 questions-turned off...I thought I was going to vomit. I truly felt like I had to guess on each question.

The rest of the day was ridden with anxiety and fear.

I passed!

This is me. I took the test yesterday and it clicked off. There were only 4 of us and I was the first one done. I don't live in a state where the quick check is available and I am going crazy.

Jennifer D.

I had that conversation with a GN who had just taken the NCLEX and we both agreed that you would have to have had done really bad to fail in 75 questions so don't worry about it. She failed and now I feel stupid. Foot in mouth, again!

I'd like to know what percentage of people only get 75 questions. It seems like a majority of the people who take the NCLEX do stop there. Or is it just that those who do want to gloat about it so you hear more from them?

BlueEyedRN said:

I'd like to know what percentage of people only get 75 questions. It seems like a majority of the people who take the NCLEX do stop there. Or is it just that those who do want to gloat about it so you here more from them?

Getting 75 questions only has to do with how quickly the algorithm establishes a statistical degree of accuracy and NOT at what level it determines that accuracy.

As such, the odds of a first time test taker that stops at 75 of passing is about 87% - the SAME odds as if the test stopped at 76 questions. or 90. Or 150. Or 265. . .

~faith,

Timothy.