How are students doing at your school since the NCLEX passing standards were raised?

Published

From what I understand, the NCLEX passing standards were raised in April of this year. Prior to this, students at my school have had a 90% pass rate for the past several years. Our school graduates nurses each semester. There are still 10 people left to take the NCLEX from the class that graduated in May. If all of those pass, our school's pass rate will only be 81% for that semester. Our class is set to graduate in 2 weeks, and this has made everyone a little nervous including our instructors. I was wondering if other schools are seeing a similar drop in pass rates since the changes have taken place.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I would like to see more responses to this, myself. I took it last year and passed, but it was hard for me, THEN...I can only empathsize with those walking into it, now.

My class graduated in May. So far, 6 people have taken the NCLEX and have passed. Of those 6, 4 only had 75 questions. I took mine today and had 88 questions, so am hopeful. I guess I have to wait until Saturday to find out.

Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Our school's pass rate is high 90's right now.......but keep in mind that you are not allowed to sit for boards until you pass the dreaded HESI. Last class only half passed with the required score and the others are still waiting. The current pass rate is based on the ones that were allowed to sit for NCLEX.

I get pinned in a month and am just terrified to say the least :uhoh3:

Specializes in Adult Acute Care Medicine.

Adding to Calhoun220's question....does anyone know just how much the standard was raised?...I seem to remember a prof stating it was a very slight raise, like 0.1%, but I never inquired further...

The passing standard was raised by 0.07 logits, whatever that is. You can read more about the decision to raise it here: https://www.ncsbn.org/1090.htm.

The effect nationally for BSN and diploma students is that one additional student in a hundred fails, its within a percentage point from Q1 to Q2 (when the new standard kicked in). Look at the 2007 pdf here: https://www.ncsbn.org/1237.htm. It's hard to say how many more students are failing, since the numbers are so close, but probably more are unless schools suddenly improved their test-taking-skills-teaching in preparation (unlikely).

Greg

Exactly, the increase was a very small amount. The way that the exam is graded or scored has not really changed. A nurse still gets 50% correct and 50% incorrect. What is at issue is that the level that is required for passing has gotten a hair harder, nothing more than that.

This is a computerized exam, and questions are given out based on how you answered the previous question and nothing more than that. It will also focus on what are your weakpoints, if you have any.

+ Join the Discussion