NCLEX passing standards differ from state to state?

devshop · Mar 13, 2007

im not sure. but i heard all NCLEX are the same since Pearson vue is the one adminstering the exam whichever state you are applying licensure for.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Mar 13, 2007

No. The standard and test are both NATIONAL in nature. In order for the State Boards of Nursing to use the exam, they have to agree to turn the whole process over to NCSBN, of which, they (the State Boards) are all members.

Every State uses the NCSBN's NCLEX exam, and the standards are national, or, international considering that the NCLEX is also given at various places outside the U.S.

Forum shopping won't help you on NCLEX.

To be specific, the NATIONAL standard for passing, as of Apr 1 of this year, will be -0.21 logits. Here's a link that discusses it in detail:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f197/new-nclex-passing-standard-april-1-2007-a-195066.html

~faith,

Timothy.

DolphinRN84, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Mar 13, 2007

The other posters are right. The NCLEX is a NATIONAL exam, so there is no exam harder than the next. Every state has the same exam.

great_jaspah · Mar 14, 2007

Thank you for all your posts! I thought the idea was ridiculous but since many people around me are saying otherwise, i decided I have to inquire about it.

morte, LPN, LVN · Mar 14, 2007

it isnt that the exam would be different, but that the passing grade would be different....and i am under the understanding that it is NOW uniform, though at one time it was not....and something i ddnt know until recently, employers would use the "number" score obtain as one criteria for consideration for hire...

great_jaspah · Mar 14, 2007

oh, i see.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Mar 14, 2007

it isnt that the exam would be different, but that the passing grade would be different....and i am under the understanding that it is NOW uniform, though at one time it was not....and something i ddnt know until recently, employers would use the "number" score obtain as one criteria for consideration for hire...

Employers do not have access to those 'numbers'; neither do individual test takers. The test is scored simply pass/fail.

This WAS the case in the old days, that the 'score' could affect employment and this is probably WHY such scores are no longer recorded.

~faith,

Timothy.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 16, 2007

it isnt that the exam would be different, but that the passing grade would be different....and i am under the understanding that it is NOW uniform, though at one time it was not....and something i ddnt know until recently, employers would use the "number" score obtain as one criteria for consideration for hire...

In the past, before there was the NCLEX exam, each state had their own exam that they adminstered. And yes, when they did have that, CA was harder than some.

But, since the NCLEX exam has come into place, it is for all 50 states as well as US territories. The result from that can be used in every state, you only take the exam one time and when you pass, that is it. (Provided that you do use the license.)

NCLEX also does not have a numerical score, so when you hear that someone got 65%, someone else got 75%, there is no such thing. All nurses that take that exam get 50% correct and 50% incorrect. What they are looking at is the level that the nurse is getting the questions answered correctly.

Aquarian · Mar 16, 2007

Another ridiculous rumor that a colleague (and she's already working in NY) told me was that applicants from CA and NY get the most difficult qxs in the nclex. Just imagine the confusion of the computers :uhoh3: adapting for different states! Or maybe the proctors put state-specific invisible marks on the applicant's foreheads upon picture-taking then let the computers scan the toxic faces which state it belongs to?:roll

morte, LPN, LVN · Mar 16, 2007

when was nclex put into place? i know that is what i took in '85....it was twice yearly and not computorized and over two days....at some point i had heard that HA. was one of the states to req. a higher pass score.....

areafl · Mar 16, 2007

Ok while we are talking about this... I heard that in the state of California you do not have to go to nursing school simply go in and take the NCLEX...(Don't know if that is true or not). I also think that I read somewhere that the NCLEX questions are rated according to level of difficulty. So you can actually get more wrong then you get right and still pass?? (Not that we the test taker would ever know that).