NCLEX passing percentages

[danigirl58]

hi out there, i posted this question on the mn forum but i'm not sure it will get answered there.

my question is, does any one know what the mn passing percentage is for the nclex exam. i'm trying to find out what the mn bon chose as its percentage (not how many people pass the test but how many questions on the test that you got right). i called and asked but was just told that i had to pass the test... :) i know that but i just wanted to know if it was somewhere near 80%

i hope that this question makes sense and that someone out there can help answer this question for me, i just got off a stretch of night shifts so my brain isn't working all that well

thanks

dani

[Leda]

Hi Dani:

The NCLEX is a national exam. This means that all states have the exact same passing standard. It is not the number or percentage of questions that you answer correctly, it is the level of difficulty of the questions answered correctly for each of the Categories of Client Need on the NCLEX that determines whether or not a candidate is successful on the exam.

The following is from the sticky at the top of this forum, Number of NCLEX Questions- All Students Please Read. It should answer your question.

"The NCLEX adapts to your skill level. The first questions that are presented to you are determining your ability level. Once your ability level is determined, the questions are presented in increasing level of difficulty/decreasing difficulty until you have answered enough questions for the computer to determine (with 95% statistical certainty) that you have met the passing standard.

The minimum number of questions you will have is 75 (60 questions plus 15 pilot items). You will not be able to distinguish pilot items from "real" items. SO, if you get 265 items, that means the computer has not yet determined that you have met the passing standard at the 95% confidence level. There is no random number of candidates that get the exam with 265- that is a myth.

The test is now 6 hours long, and you should take your time. Rushing through the questions will most likely lead to failure, because each one you get wrong due to guessing means the next question is easier, and then on and on, until you fail because you are guessing at them all. Take your time to think each question through and choose the best answer.

If you visit http://wwww.ncsbn.org you will find the explanation of CAT and scoring.

NCLEX is given throughout the US and its territoiries, so the same format is used and the same question bank is used across the US."

[traumahawk99]

the above post is entirely accurate. as i've just done, i'd suggest investing in mosby's CAT for 40 bucks. that will give you a very good idea of where you stand, and what you need to work on.

amazing how much you forget, and how quickly! grrrr!!!