NCLEX pass rates down from 2012 to 2013

[Hailbop16]

I was looking at my state's NCLEX pass rates per school for the past 5 years. And I found it really interesting that from 2012 to 2013 - 82 of 97 schools had a decrease in pass rates. And I'm talking about more than just 1-2%. Did the test get harder? Are schools getting more lenient with their admissions? Just asking. I'm waiting to get accepted in to school.

[Compassion_x]

I believe they may have changed the NCLEX recently, that might have something to do with it. Sometimes it takes a bit for schools to catch up.

[ellaballet]

The test is scored harder now.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

From my understanding, last spring they raised the minimum passing score/standard so the NCLEX is more difficult than it was.

[ruralnurse84]

Our instructors told us that because they changed the format of the test and the passing standards, the passing rate went down across the nation. They told us this happens whenever the NCLEX changes which is every few years but then the pass rate will go back up again each year until it is changed again.

[nking54580]

The NCLEX did indeed get harder. There are much more multiple multiple answer, which is the reason for the decline in pass rate.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

NCLEX passing standard did increase slightly, but not enough to account for the increased failure rates. This is happening across the US. NCSBN is focused on figuring out what is going on. In my part of the world, there are NCLEX problems with all the new commercial schools that have popped up, but many other 'traditional' programs are having the same issue.

However, there are quite a few programs that continue to have consistently stellar NCLEX results that did not change at all - so this raises the issue... what are those schools doing differently? In my state, these 'high flyers' are the most competitive programs so they continue to attract the most qualified applicants.

[RunBabyRN]

Yes, the 2013 NCLEX standards (and I'm guessing some questions) changed, so pass rates in most schools did go down. The ATI books have been updated accordingly, but last year's grads were hit hard with these changes.

[RunBabyRN]

NCLEX passing standard did increase slightly, but not enough to account for the increased failure rates. This is happening across the US. NCSBN is focused on figuring out what is going on. In my part of the world, there are NCLEX problems with all the new commercial schools that have popped up, but many other 'traditional' programs are having the same issue.

However, there are quite a few programs that continue to have consistently stellar NCLEX results that did not change at all - so this raises the issue... what are those schools doing differently? In my state, these 'high flyers' are the most competitive programs so they continue to attract the most qualified applicants.

I'm grateful to be graduating from one of these programs. It seems they are few and far between.

[VivaLaVespaGirl, BSN, MSN]

I saw the same thing for the school that I was accepted to as well. I checked their NCLEX results from last year just a few days ago, and in all previous years they averaged around 96-98%. Last year they dropped dramatically to 82%. I realize that I need to look at all the years in aggregate, but it definitely does concern me that perhaps my school's curriculum has not kept pace with changing standards.