NCLEX test stopping at 85

augigi, CNS · Sep 29, 2006

Please read some of the other "NCLEX" threads. The number of questions you received has no bearing on your chances of passing. In fact, if you're US-trained, based on history you have an 87% chance of passing. Everyone leaves the exam having got 50% wrong, so everyone feels terrible!

Try checking out the "things to do while waiting for NCLEX results" threads, and enjoy having that hurdle out of the way!!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2006

If your NCLEX stopped exactly at 85 questions, it either means that you passed it with flying colors or you failed horribly. The computer came to a pass/fail decision relatively quickly if it stopped at 85.

I received 85 questions when I first took NCLEX-PN 10 months ago and passed.

Jules A, MSN · Sep 29, 2006

augigi said:
Everyone leaves the exam having got 50% wrong, so everyone feels terrible!

Mine also stopped at 85 (I passed) but would disagree that I got 50% of the questions wrong. What I have heard is that you only have to pass about 50% of them but its so darn complicated I can't say for sure if thats correct either. :rolleyes:

Commuter hit the nail on the head, imo. Either you did beautifully or um, totally got off on the wrong foot. From what I've read here it seems that a large majority of people that get the minimum number of questions do pass so try and relax, I would take this as a good sign!

beethoven1117 · Sep 29, 2006

i took my test and it stopped at 85 questions. when that happens it either means you did really well or really bad. still i was very nervous too. i just got my results today and i passed. i also read somwhere that 85% of the people who take their board for the first time pass so im sure you passed because 85 questions is a good sign. good luck to you.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Sep 30, 2006

Jules A said:
Mine also stopped at 85 (I passed) but would disagree that I got 50% of the questions wrong. What I have heard is that you only have to pass about 50% of them but its so darn complicated I can't say for sure if thats correct either.

The exam is designed so that both passers and failers tend to score around 50%. If you start doing better than that, then the questions get harder until you more closely approximate 50%. I'm sure some people are so well prepared that the computer can't find hard enough questions for them though.

Jules A, MSN · Sep 30, 2006

EricEnfermero said:
The exam is designed so that both passers and failers tend to score around 50%. If you start doing better than that, then the questions get harder until you more closely approximate 50%. I'm sure some people are so well prepared that the computer can't find hard enough questions for them though.

Now I'm not saying I'm that smart, just that as long as the questions stayed within the scope of knowledge for LPNs I feel certain that I scored higher than 50%. Of course we won't ever know for sure, I might have just barely scraped by with my 85 either way its all good!

:wink2:

pagandeva2000, LPN · Sep 30, 2006

Jules A said:
Now I'm not saying I'm that smart, just that as long as the questions stayed within the scope of knowledge for LPNs I feel certain that I scored higher than 50%. Of course we won't ever know for sure, I might have just barely scraped by with my 85 either way its all good!
:wink2:

I hear you...I stopped at 85 as well, and while I do strongly believe that I got more right than wrong, it really didn't matter to me, except that I passed and did not have to experience that nightmare ever again. Yes, if it shut down at 85, it means that the computer was able to determine that you either had it or you didn't. I was VERY afraid when it shut down at 85, because somehow, I envisioned in my head that I would at least get 100 questions. Plus, when I practiced questions, I would do 100 at a time and take breaks. I found that I would get about 15 or 20 incorrect when I did 100 questions of various subjects. I just 'knew' that if I had that magic 100 questions, then it would be a sure thing that I passed, but, did NOT know how to handle the computer shutting down at 85 (that wasn't in my "master plan"...how presumptive I was...)

Pancitang, hopefully, you will receive your passing results shortly, and can put this behind you. And, I wish you the very best!

charebec65 · Sep 30, 2006

Quite a few people I graduated with, including myself, passed with 85 questions. Good luck!

Jules A, MSN · Sep 30, 2006

pagandeva2000 said:
I was VERY afraid when it shut down at 85, because somehow, I envisioned in my head that I would at least get 100 questions.

I was the opposite, if it hadn't shut down at 85 I probably would have dropped dead on the spot. As it was the whole time I kept trying to figure out if the questions were getting harder, LOL. I was done in 50 minutes and while I can't say that I was certain I passed, I was sure hopeful.

Best wishes to everyone going through this!

pancitang · Oct 1, 2006

I am stll waiting for my result. It stopped at 85. The worst part now is . . . I live here in CA and it takes 2 wks to a month to recieve the result. I am so anxious, I can't even sleep. I am US educated and it makes me feel good to hear that 87 or 85% pass the NCLEX ........ I am still hoping.

Miss SubQ · Oct 1, 2006

Good luck to you pacintang!!

I also just took my test on sept. 26th. I live in CA and am also waiting for my results. I ended at 85 also. I have 6 classmates that have taken the test between the span of august to september all ended at 85 that have passed...and all working already!! I'm just hopeing for good news. I dont want to get my hopes up because 85 is definitely either you passed or you failed no if ands or buts about it. The wait is really killing me!! I don't know what to think. The test was hard/easy. I'm feeling 50/50 about my test. I know it wont happen but i really wish we were part of the quick results!!

Pacintang thank you for opening up this thread it really helped me to relax a bit from seeing the precentages and stuff. I hope the best for you and me and everyone else awaiting for their results.

Miss SubQ :mad: