How The NCLEX Works (Part I): Computerized Adaptive Testing

The NCLEX is of the utmost importance to your future in the nursing profession. After all, you will not be issued a nursing license anywhere in the United States if you have not taken and passed the NCLEX. And if you do not possess a nursing license, you cannot legally obtain employment as a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN).

In other words, your career as a licensed nurse will be placed on hold until you pass the NCLEX. Therefore, it is important to find out as much as possible about this exam before you walk into the testing center. Preparation is the key to conquering the NCLEX.

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) is the manner in which the NCLEX is currently administered. Computerized adaptive testing adapts to each test-taker's unique ability level by coming up with the next test question based how you have performed on preceding questions. Therefore, no two NCLEX exams are exactly alike since we all arrive at the testing center with very different knowledge bases.

For instance, the test-taker who does well on a group of low-level questions will start receiving medium-level test questions. If the test-taker performs well on the medium-level questions, the computer will adapt to the person's ability level and start administering high level questions. On the other hand, if the test-taker answers too many of the medium-level questions incorrectly, the computer adapts by administering some low-level questions.

The computerized adaptive test is continuously trying to discover the true ability level of the test-taker. In a nutshell, the computer is continually adapting to the individual test-taker by analyzing how he/she is answering previous test questions. The computer stops the test once the performance at a certain level is demonstrated to be the test-taker's highest ability level.

Therefore, if you keep receiving test questions after you have already answered 200 questions, it is because the computerized adaptive test has not yet determined your ability level. If the test ends after you have answered less than 100 questions, it is because the computerized adaptive test quickly determined your ability level. People who take the NCLEX-RN may receive anywhere from 75 to 265 questions, and those who take the NCLEX-PN may answer anywhere from 85 to 205 questions.

People can and do pass NCLEX after having received 200+ questions. These test-takers were given so many questions because the computer took longer to establish a passing standard. In addition, people can and do fail NCLEX after having received less than 100 questions because the computerized adaptive test swiftly determined that way too many medium-level and high-level questions were being answered incorrectly during that testing session.

Think of computerized adaptive testing as a virtual balancing beam. If you answer too many questions incorrectly in a brief time period, the beam will tilt to the left and you will fail. If you correctly answer many questions in a short period of time, the beam will tilt to the right and you will pass. If you answer some questions correctly and then proceed to answer some questions incorrectly, the beam will basically stay in the same spot throughout the exam, which means that you could be answering 200+ questions before the computerized adaptive test shuts off.