New NCLEX Passing Standard: April 1, 2007

Published

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) voted at its Dec. 5-7, 2006 meeting to raise the passing standard for the NCLEX-RN examination (the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses). The new passing standard is -0.2100 logits on the NCLEX-RN logistic scale, 0.070 logits higher than the previous standard of -0.2800. The new passing standard will take effect on April 1, 2007, in conjunction with the 2007 NCLEX-RN Test Plan.

After consideration of all available information, the NCSBN Board of Directors determined that safe and effective entry-level RN practice requires a greater level of knowledge, skills, and abilities than was required in 2004, when NCSBN established the current standard. The passing standard was increased in response to changes in U.S. health care delivery and nursing practice that have resulted in the greater acuity of clients seen by entry-level RNs.

https://www.ncsbn.org/1090.htm

I guess I had better take better notes in the RN program, to prepare for the NCLEX-RN. I have already installed 2 of the disks from the study guides, and plan to use them when I start the RN program in Jan.

Dabuggy

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thanks for the info! ;)

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oh my.. i hope i can take the nclex soon! just passed cgfns last nov2006 and im still waiting for my toefl results... hopefully i can have my cgfns certificate so i can take the nclex.

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hi. study guides? where'd you get these?

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If you want to own them go to websites like half.com and type in NCLEX. if your going for the PN don't get the RN. You can also type in NCLEX made easy. They sell books for everything. I bought Patho made easy for my patho class. It helped me. But my school library is linked to all the libraries in my state. I can order the book and use it that way. It may even come with a CD that I can downlowd and keep on my comp.

Dabuggy

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Let me repeat this, because I clarified it:

By the way, a 'logit' simply refers to a common reference point or interval within a model. As a unit of measure, it is only relevant to the model it references. In other words, it's validity for comparison purposes is only within the context of other 'logits', or positions, within the same scale. Imagine a number line, with these values placeholders along the line. In order to pass, your final 'score' (after April) must be to the right of -0.21 logits on this number line. (Currently, the number is at -0.28 logits)

Keep in mind that there are over 10,000 questions to NCLEX (even if you get 265 questions, that only represents a small fraction of the total question pool). Each question occupies a place of difficulty along this 'line'; each question is assigned a placekeeping position; a logit. The computer is not determining how many questions you get right or wrong, but it is predicting at WHICH point in difficulty of question you are equally likely to get a right or wrong answer. Once it determines that with sufficient accuracy, the 'logit' number of that question becomes your 'score'. IF it is greater than -0.21 logits, you pass. If not, you fail. UNDERSTAND that at issue isn't how many questions you get right or wrong, but the DIFFICULTY of the question at which the computer determines you are equally likely to get a right or wrong answer. As such, you will answer about half the questions right; and half wrong: by design. The test gets more difficult until this is exactly the case. It is that increasing level of difficulty that the test is measuring and NOT your number of right or wrong answers.

~faith,

Timothy.

Every correct question you answer increases the difficulty of the NEXT question. Every incorrect answer reduces the difficulty of the next question. This continues until the gap between the difficulty of right or wrong answers narrows to a single point. At THAT point, the test measures your 'score', expressed as a logit value of that single point or question.

If your 'score' is greater than -0.28 logits (-0.21 logits in April of next year), you pass.

NCLEX is considered a difficult exam because, unlike every other test you have ever taken, you aren't being measured against your peers. You are, in fact, being measured against yourself.

~faith,

Timothy.

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so that o.21 logits thing...(i dont really understand) doesnt really make a difference then like suzanne said..?? u just have to prepare for it..coz its with the difficulty of the questions rather than how many u really get right..but if u get a lot right but they're easy questions..that doesnt matter..did i understand this right...coz that 0.21 watever decimal thing is such a small number..if u think about it ...it's not even "1"...

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Specializes in Critical Care.
so that o.21 logits thing...(i dont really understand) doesnt really make a difference then like suzanne said..?? u just have to prepare for it..coz its with the difficulty of the questions rather than how many u really get right..but if u get a lot right but they're easy questions..that doesnt matter..did i understand this right...coz that 0.21 watever decimal thing is such a small number..if u think about it ...it's not even "1"...

It's actually a negative number, -0.21 logits. Just think of it as a place on a number line (a number line composed of 10,000 'positions', or 'logits'). A logit is NOT arbitrary to the test, but it IS an arbitrary number for you.

And you won't just keep getting questions 'easy' for you. The POINT of the test to get increasingly more difficult until YOU answer about half the questions right, and half wrong. And you WILL answer about half right and half wrong. It isn't about getting a certain number of questions right; it's about the difficulty level at which you are equally likely to get a question right OR wrong.

As a result, the test is difficult for everybody. Unlike other tests, that measure you against a body of your peers, you cannot predict the outcome based upon how difficult the test was for you, by comparison. The NCLEX measures YOU against YOU.

Don't focus on the number of right or wrong answers. That's NOT how this test works. Also, don't presume that you will get a steady stream of 'easy' questions. There are 10,000 NCLEX test questions. They are each progressively more difficult, and you WILL get progressively more difficult questions UNTIL the test is not 'easy' for you. THAT's the point of the test because THAT is what the test is measuring, not right or wrong answers.

~faith,

Timothy.

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oh great. that is not good. i will be taking my test in two years. I really hope they don't have any more of the Nclex test stuff. lol

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So they changed things:smackingf .....nobody likes change, but I will tell you what....

In nursing you have to always be ready for change. We learn to adapt and overcome! :loveya:

I KNOW you can still do it! Just study hard, take well needed rest breaks and get ready for that "I passed" ticket to happiness!!~:cheers:

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