Need info about state boards

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in med-surg, home health, dialysis, NICU-MB.

Hi everyone,

I'm an RN from S. FL and I recently coached my sister-in-law through nursing school. I'm proud to say that she made it through school with flying colors and she took her FL state boards this morning. :yeah:

She's frantic because the computer shut her down after just 75 questions. I think this is a good sign, but she's worried that she failed.

It's been quite a while since I sat for my boards and it was a lot different back then. Is there any way to gauge your success in passing the test by the number of questions you're given? Thanks for your help. Robyn

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

Sorry, but there is no way to predict based on numbers, amount of certain questions, or anything..

Its just a wait and see kind of test..

However, kudos to you for helping her through nursing school!!!

I hope she passes!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

All she can do is wait, Definitely not a test yu an predict. Good luck to her

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Specializes in med-surg, home health, dialysis, NICU-MB.

Just as a follow-up,,I decided to search the web for more info on this and here's some info I got about the length of the NCLEX exam from allnursingschools.com :

The NCLEX examination is a multiple choice exam which uses an interactive system called Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) to gauge your level of competence. RN candidates will answer a minimum of 75 questions, LPN candidates a minimum of 85 questions. After you have answered the minimum number of questions, the computer will attempt to access your level of competence.

If you are clearly above the passing standard at this time, you will pass; likewise, if you are clearly below the standard you will fail. If you are too close to the standard to allow a definitive result to be determined, you will continue to answer questions until a final assessment can be made. RN candidates may take a maximum of 265 questions, LPN candidates a maximum of 205.

So, it appears that if the computer shuts you down after just 75 questions you fall on either extreme. Either you did very well or you did very poorly.

I'm remaining optimistic that the former is the case in regards to my sister-in-law!. Thanks, Robyn

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Specializes in Government.

The wait isn't very long anymore is it? Deep in the fossil record where I reside, it was, what? 2 months? I remember being a GN forever. Now I know people who get results in 48 hours.

Best wishes to you and your SIL!

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In my opinion I would say that finishing with 75 questions is a good sign. The pass rate for first time test takers is around 87% according to NCSBN https://www.ncsbn.org/06_02_05_NCLEX_RN_Fact.pdf . I would really like to know what the pass rate is for students finishing at 75 questions. I would bet money that it is even higher. I know that my class had over 100 students and nobody that finished with 75 questions failed the NCLEX.

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Specializes in Case Manager, LTC,Staff Dev/NAT Instr.

75 is a very good indicator of passing at least for me it was I didn't stall over the questions either even at 75 when it shut off I knew I had passed~

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In my opinion I would say that finishing with 75 questions is a good sign. The pass rate for first time test takers is around 87% according to NCSBN https://www.ncsbn.org/06_02_05_NCLEX_RN_Fact.pdf . I would really like to know what the pass rate is for students finishing at 75 questions. I would bet money that it is even higher. I know that my class had over 100 students and nobody that finished with 75 questions failed the NCLEX.

Hopefully there's more current information than that, as the test was changed again in 2007.

I'd be curious as to what the pass rate is now for first time takers, I'd imagine that it has dropped.

I too have heard that it cutting off at 75 is a good sign a majority of the time. And if you do fail at 75, you have cause for concern. It is better to fall short around 265 than it is to fall short around 75.

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75 questions usually indicates that you did very well. (I have seen information about passing rates saying 87% pass with 75 questions.)

Have her check her state BON website tomorrow morning. It may very well show her results at that time. (Don't waste money paying pearsonvue for the early results. States post it free.)

Keep us posted.

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Specializes in ED/trauma.
In my opinion I would say that finishing with 75 questions is a good sign. The pass rate for first time test takers is around 87% according to NCSBN https://www.ncsbn.org/06_02_05_NCLEX_RN_Fact.pdf . I would really like to know what the pass rate is for students finishing at 75 questions. I would bet money that it is even higher. I know that my class had over 100 students and nobody that finished with 75 questions failed the NCLEX.

Same with mine. There were about 6 of us (including me) who finished with 75, and we all passed. I, too, freaked out though (as did my classmates!), knowing that I either did GREAT or HORRIBLE! 48 hrs seems like nothing, but it was the longest wait in my life!

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considering she got through ns with "flying colors", i'd be willing to bet she passed w/flying colors.

tell her to hang in there.

i'm sure she did just fine.:balloons:

leslie

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Almost everyone I know freaks out after that exam, no matter how many questions (check the NCLEX forum and you'll see what I mean). NCLEX-PN minimum questions is 85. Mine shut down at 85 questions in 40 minutes, and I also thought that I failed. It was just the opposite, but it was a torturous weekend for me, for sure. I wish your SIL the very best!

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