NCLEX ran out of time...please tell me !!

kayern · Apr 30, 2011

Did you get a passing grade? Don't they tell you immediately?

Wait and see what your result is. Here in NY some nurses pass after taking only 75 questions. I also know nurses who took over 200 and still passed.

Keeping my fingers crossed for you

AKA_Glamour_Pearl · Apr 30, 2011

Don't you have 6 hours to take the NCLEX? I was told that at 75 questions the computer will determine if you're passing or failing. Stopping at 75 questions means that you've done extremely well and you've passed or that you've done extremely poorly and you've failed. The next determination will be made at 135 questions (I think). Same thing, if you're well above the mark, you've passed. If you're well below the mark, then you've failed. You only keep getting questions if you're in the gray area. I guess at 186, the computer made it's decision if it shut off before 6 hours or before you took the entire test. Anyway, it was my understanding that if time ran out, the computer will look at the last questions (about 15) and if you're above the passing line, then you've passed, and if you're below it at that time, then you've failed. That was my understanding. I don't take the NCLEX until next month and the representative from Kaplan explained that to my class. Maybe you can try the Pearson Vue trick that everyone talks about. Everyone seems to say that it works. Good Luck, though.

erik187 · Apr 30, 2011

hey thanks for the quick reply i hope i passed i did the kaplan qbank and everything (almost) was on the test so if i passed study that lol

Mrs. SnowStormRN, RN · Apr 30, 2011

See post below.....

P_RN, ADN, RN · Apr 30, 2011

Best wishes. You will have your answer in a few days. Just imagine the olden days 5 tests of 350 questions over 2 day period and you had to wait2-3 months for the results. And it was only offered twice a year. I hope you do well.

erik187 · Apr 30, 2011

Wao that was horrible thank you for the best wishes I just don't understand what happens now how do they calculate that I have researched and I still don't get it

AKA_Glamour_Pearl · Apr 30, 2011

From another post that I read, I believe there is some confusion. So, did the computer shut off or did you run out of time? The NCLEX-RN is a 6 hour exam, so how did you run out of time in 5 hours? You would have still had an hour left to complete the exam, so I'm thinking the computer "shut down" the examination after it determined that you had passed or failed. If you had a Kaplan representative come to your campus then you probably remember the picture from the presentation of how the determiniation is made. Remember the line. Below the line failing. Above the line passing. It doesn't sound like you ran out of time with 5hours....Good luck, though.

Sparrowhawk · Apr 30, 2011

Mine stopped at 107 and it took I think 3-4 hours..or it FELT like 4 hours... I passed..first try. *hugs*

Mrs. SnowStormRN, RN · Apr 30, 2011

from another post that i read, i believe there is some confusion. so, did the computer shut off or did you run out of time? the nclex-rn is a 6 hour exam, so how did you run out of time in 5 hours? you would have still had an hour left to complete the exam, so i'm thinking the computer "shut down" the examination after it determined that you had passed or failed. if you had a kaplan representative come to your campus then you probably remember the picture from the presentation of how the determiniation is made. remember the line. below the line failing. above the line passing. it doesn't sound like you ran out of time with 5hours....good luck, though.

the nclex-pn is 5 hours maximum, minimum 75q's and max is 205. quick results available after 48hrs - but i found some information from the pearsonvue website that answers your question (see scenerio 3):

nclex pass or fail decision rules

the decision as to whether a candidate passes or fails the nclex-rn and nclex-pn examination is governed by three different scenarios:

scenario # 1: the 95% confidence interval rule

this scenario is the most common for nclex examination candidates. the computer will stop administering items when it is 95% certain

that the candidate’s ability is either clearly above or clearly below the passing standard.

scenario #2: maximum-length exam

some candidate’s ability levels will be very close to the passing standard. when this is the case, the computer continues to administer

questions until the maximum number of items is reached. at this point, the computer disregards the 95% confidence rule and considers

only the final ability estimate:

• if the final ability estimate is above the passing standard, the candidate passes.

• if the final ability estimate is at or below the passing standard, the candidate fails.

scenario #3: run-out-of-time rule (r.o.o.t.)

if a candidate runs out of time before reaching the maximum number of items and the computer has not determined with 95% certainty

whether the candidate has passed or failed, an alternate criteria is used.

• if the candidate has not answered the minimum number of required items, the candidate automatically fails.

• if at least the minimum number of required items were answered, the computer looks at the last 60 ability estimates:

n

if the last 60 ability estimates were consistently above the passing standard, the candidate passes.

n

if the candidate’s ability estimate drops below the passing standard even once over the last 60 items, the examinee fails.

this does not mean that the candidate must answer the last 60 items correctly. each ability estimate is based upon all previous items

answered.

AKA_Glamour_Pearl · Apr 30, 2011

Oh, you're taking the PN exam. I missed that.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Apr 30, 2011

The OP stated it was PN. maybe PN has a 5 hr cut off??

Based on the many students/grads I know that sat for NCLEX, running out if time is not usually a good thing. The computer tries to give you enough q's to reach a passing level. If you were up to 185 and were doing well enough, it likely would have turned off then. You get the logic?

Worst case scenario: you take it again. It happens to many people. You'll study, you'll pass and you'll go on with your nursing career :)