Has Anyone Failed Nclex With 75 Questions???

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Hi Everyone! It seems like everyone is convinced that the number of questions you answer in your NCLEX is irrelevant. I have seen many postings that states they failed with 365 questions and passed with 365 questions. However, I have yet to see one that states FAILED with 75 questions. How do we explain this? Does anyone know anybody that failed with 75 questions? Thanks!!! ?

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Specializes in Critical Care.
doratheexplorer said:
Hi Everyone! It seems like everyone is convinced that the number of questions you answer in your NCLEX is irrelevant. I have seen many postings that states they failed with 365 questions and passed with 365 questions. However, I have yet to see one that states FAILED with 75 questions. How do we explain this? Does anyone know anybody that failed with 75 questions? Thanks!!!:wink2:

The number of questions IS irrelevant. Whether you get 265 questions or 75, the odds of a first time test taker passing is 87%. So, you are going to see more "I passed!" then, "I failed".

Also, because of the prevailing belief, which you express, that failing at 75 means total failure (not any more true for 75 then any other number), far few people will admit in public to failing at 75. But, they are there, in equal composition to those that fail at 265.

I HAVE seen those that failed at 75 on this site. But you are correct that few admit to it. That does NOT mean that few have experienced it, compared with 265. Most don't experience failure at 75, just as most don't experience failure at any number.

~faith,

Timothy.

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I do know of someone who failed with just 75 questions. They retook the exam after the 45 day waiting period and passed with 209 questions answered

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

A new grad I work with just failed with 75.

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ZASHAGALKA said:

Also, because of the prevailing belief, which you express, that failing at 75 means total failure (not any more true for 75 then any other number), far few people will admit in public to failing at 75.

The prevailing belief mentioned above is somewhat supported by information from the NCSBN, the agency that creates the NCLEX.

It says that, 'Candidates with very high or very low abilities tend to receive minimum length tests.' While you're right that 'total failure' would not be a good characterization of anyone's exam just based on the number of questions, we do know that the computer had much less trouble making a pass/fail decision if an exam cut off at 75 as opposed to 265.

We often (correctly) say here that the number of questions is irrelevant to predicting a pass/fail result, but at the same time we can't say that it's arbitrary and unrelated to performance.

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Specializes in Clinical exp in OB, psy, med-surg, peds.

The number of questions means nothing, wishing you the very best.

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i stopped at 75 and failed. :( it's been 6 days now and i feel terrible. but my fate doesn't have to yours too. it's not over until it's over. hope for the best.

i'm trying to gain as much strength to move on and try again. i feel like crying now.

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hey tweety,

what state did you get your license from, and the new grad you are talking about. just curious. thanks!

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Specializes in Critical Care.
EricEnfermero said:

The prevailing belief mentioned above is somewhat supported by information from the NCSBN, the agency that creates the NCLEX.

It says that, 'Candidates with very high or very low abilities tend to receive minimum length tests.' While you're right that 'total failure' would not be a good characterization of anyone's exam just based on the number of questions, we do know that the computer had much less trouble making a pass/fail decision if an exam cut off at 75 as opposed to 265.

We often (correctly) say here that the number of questions is irrelevant to predicting a pass/fail result, but at the same time we can't say that it's arbitrary and unrelated to performance.

While I agree with this, it also has something to do with consistency, which is also another indication of being highly identified, either way, by ability.

Even if answering questions at a very high level or low level, if your answers are erratic, the test will keep going. It doesn't just measure your ability but the 95% confidence that it can predict that the NEXT question it would ask, at that level, would result in a 50/50 chance of you answering correctly.

For example, if the bar is say, 50%, even though you are answering in a range of 90%, if your 'range' of variability is wide, say 85-95%, the test will keep going until it narrows it to a defined point. It would not matter that the whole range of questions is sufficiently above passing.

This is evident from the fact that almost half of examinees pass if they don't finish the test. In order to do THAT, for each of the last 60 questions, the difficulty level must remain above the passing standard (which doesn't mean you have to answer every question correctly). It does mean that the entire range of the last 60 questions was above the passing standard.

A rasch model (of which, the NCLEX is one) establishes the predictability of a particular point. Until it accurately measures that point in an individual, it doesn't presume that the range of variability is set.

Only if 265 questions are answered (or time expires) does the computer stop looking for statistical accuracy and actually look only at the level of difficulty of the examinee.

So, yes, a high or low level of ability would tend to decrease the variability of an individual's answers and narrow to the defined point of that individual's performance in a minimal length of questions. That creates a 'tendency' of high and low performers to have a minimal number of questions. But, that is not an absolute.

Just because the test DOESN'T stop at 75 is no real indication of your level of performance. It doesn't do test takers any good to 'freak' because at question 76, they must be 'close to failing', or borderline. In fact, because the test is looking for statistical accuracy, the number of questions is UNRELATED to the general level of difficulty at any given question.

In other words, the test doesn't 'keep going' because you are borderline in your scoring. It keeps going only until it achieves a 95% statistical probability that it knows your level. At that point, your level is determined and the test stops.

As such, the number of questions really IS unrelated to how you are doing on the test.

Does that make sense?

~faith,

Timothy.

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Hi, best of luck to you. If you read the back through some of the topics under the nclex discussion forum link, you will see some including myself that failed with 75. The number means nothing. Check out the previous posts. I did retake it and passed with all 265 questions.

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i_seek_this said:
i stopped at 75 and failed. :( it's been 6 days now and i feel terrible. but my fate doesn't have to yours too. it's not over until it's over. hope for the best.

i'm trying to gain as much strength to move on and try again. i feel like crying now.

So sorry for you ... I hope that the zillions of posts on this site, from people who took the test a second time and passed, provide inspiration and encouragement for you!

As for the 75 question thing, I'm just intellectually curious why it seems that more & more people are only getting 75 questions...either there are more & more 'higher achievers' out there (since the odds still support that only 10-15% fail at 75 questions) or the test is getting better and better at picking the questions that determine the statistical accuracy?

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I'm just writing to say that I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!! I had 75 questions, and felt uneasy during most of the exam. When I left the testing center I told the receptioist that I'd be back....she said, "Oh, you all say that....I'm sure you did just fine!!!".

My adice to anyone preparing to take the NCLEX exam is to spend alot of time practicing on questions similar to what you'll be seeing when you take the exam "for real". If I hadn't done that, I can say with relative certainty that I wouldn't have made it. You have to learn how to take questions apart and rephrase them in order to choose the correct answer.......your general knowledge base will NOT be enough to carry you through. Good luck to all of you who are preparing to take the exam.

Helpful hints for test day:

1. Make sure you have some food on board!! Your brain can't function without fuel! Avoid sugar and extra caffeine.

2. Make sure that you are adequately hydrated (see above).

3. If possible, arrive at the testing site at least 30 minutes early....'gives you time to take a bathroom break, etc.

4.Take the time before the test begins to adjust your chair...it's hard to concentrate when you aren't comfortable.

5. Some testing centers have people in other disciplines who are testing at the same time. Some of these people will be writing essays or doing lots of calculations...if the noise might disturb you, use earplugs to help your concentration.

6.Apply yourself to the best of your ability to EVERY question....you never know when that computer is going to shut off or which question is going to "put you over the top" to a pass or fail result.

7. Take deep breaths, and SMILE....it has been suggested that smiling helps relax the muscles!

Hope this helps.

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