taking CA NCLEX, is it harder?

JStollRN · Oct 5, 2010

Nope. The NCLEX is the same no matter which state you take it in. As in finding out your results, go under the student tab, then the NCLEX heading and there will be the PEARSONVUE TRICK. It works. You will have to wait longer to receive your official results (which varies by state) but at least the trick will give you some peace of mind until then.

MisterSimba, BSN · Oct 5, 2010

I heard that the NCLEX is different in every state, and that the one in CA is supposed to be one of the most difficult versions. I took it at the end of August and finished with 75 questions. I felt awful afterwards, and went home and did the Pearson Vue trick, according to which, I passed. I oficially found out two days later that I did pass and was an RN!

Basically, do the Pearson Vue trick after the test for peace of mind, and check the BRN website two or three days later. Just type your name in under "License Verification." It does take longer to get your official results in CA, as we don't have the "Quick Results" option that most other states have.

pers · Oct 5, 2010

I heard that the NCLEX is different in every state, and that the one in CA is supposed to be one of the most difficult versions.

The NCLEX is the same regardless of where you take it. Every state has different rules regarding licensure but there is only one NCLEX (which is required by every state) and it is the same regardless of which state you are testing for or which state (or country) you actually take it in.

jlr820 · Oct 5, 2010

I'm not sure how this rumor about NCLEX difficulty varying by state got started, but it's totally incorrect. The NCLEX is a national examination, and there are no differences in difficulty by state. What IS true, however, is that the test is done by computer wherein questions are pulled from a huge test bank. The test is "computer adaptive," meaning that the computer will give you questions that get harder or easier depending on HOW you are doing on the test. So, while the NCLEX is the NCLEX no matter what state you are in, your particular exam might have harder or easier questions and it may be anywhere from 75 to 265 questions. It depends on how YOU, the individual test taker, are answering your questions. No two people will take the same test because everyone is different in thier level of preparation, knowledge, etc. As for "feeling awful afterwards," that describes how nearly everyone feels. It's a difficult, nerve-wracking exam regardless of where you take it.

MisterSimba, BSN · Oct 5, 2010

I do wonder why it's set up the way it is. I finished with 75 questions, and the entire exam took me a little over an hour. Almost every college final I took, I spent two to three hours. Why don't they just have everyone take the full 265 question test and give the same questions on every test? The way it's set up just makes it seem way too easy. I heard that the exam used to take two days to administer...how did we get to 75 questions?

pers · Oct 5, 2010

Prior to the current NCLEX, each state did have their own exam and some were more difficult than others. The rumors about which states are more/less difficult remained even after the old exams were replaced.

The idea behind the CAT (computer adaptive testing) is that it tailors the questions to each person making it more accurate in determining the minimum level of competency than traditional testing methods without requiring two days of exams and a thousand questions. Unlike the exams most of us are more familiar with, the NCLEX isn't designed to test your content knowledge. It's designed to ask questions that require you to know content and understand how that information applies to a given situation and what that means for you as a nurse in terms of what you'll do about it.

Regardless of how many questions you answered or if you passed or failed, you scored right around 50% on the NCLEX. If you got a question right, the computer asked a more difficult question and continued doing so until you got a question wrong. If you got a question wrong, the computer asked an easier question and continued doing so until you got a question right. The computer is evaluating your competency by finding the point where you will get any question that is more difficult wrong and any easier question right. That magic point is then compared to the passing standard, when the computer is 95% certain that your knowledge level is above the passing standard the computer shuts off and you pass, when the computer is 95% certain that your knowledge level is below the passing standard, the computer shuts off and you fail. There are a few special rules that come into play for people who don't finish the exam in 6 hours and those who reach 265 questions without the computer establishing 95% competency but the way I described is how it works for most test takers.

wsuRN09 · Oct 5, 2010

NCLEX =National Council Licensure EXamination... so it's the same test no matter where you take it. You may have different questions than someone else, but everybody's questions come from the same "bank" of questions.

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 5, 2010

I do wonder why it's set up the way it is. I finished with 75 questions, and the entire exam took me a little over an hour. Almost every college final I took, I spent two to three hours. Why don't they just have everyone take the full 265 question test and give the same questions on every test? The way it's set up just makes it seem way too easy. I heard that the exam used to take two days to administer...how did we get to 75 questions?

Not everyone just has 75 questions. 75 is the LEAST number of questions they asked. If you answered the questions really well, or really poorly, it will shut off at 75, because the computer is certain, after that minimum number, of your entry level competency (or lack thereof, as the case may be). For others, more questions are needed to ascertain your basic level of competency.

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 5, 2010

Regardless of how many questions you answered or if you passed or failed, you scored right around 50% on the NCLEX. If you got a question right, the computer asked a more difficult question and continued doing so until you got a question wrong. If you got a question wrong, the computer asked an easier question and continued doing so until you got a question right. The computer is evaluating your competency by finding the point where you will get any question that is more difficult wrong and any easier question right. That magic point is then compared to the passing standard, when the computer is 95% certain that your knowledge level is above the passing standard the computer shuts off and you pass, when the computer is 95% certain that your knowledge level is below the passing standard, the computer shuts off and you fail. There are a few special rules that come into play for people who don't finish the exam in 6 hours and those who reach 265 questions without the computer establishing 95% competency but the way I described is how it works for most test takers.

I don't think such a magic point really exists though, because we all have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. So, if my weakness is in Pharm, I might be getting some easy questions wrong, but I'm strong in cardio, so I get even the hardest questions right over there. The computer is just trying to track a trend, of which level questions you can generally answer right, but there's no set point that you'll get ALL questions above that level wrong and ALL questions below that level right.

pers · Oct 5, 2010

I don't think such a magic point really exists though, because we all have strengths and weaknesses in different areas. So, if my weakness is in Pharm, I might be getting some easy questions wrong, but I'm strong in cardio, so I get even the hardest questions right over there.

Absolutely, which is the flaw in any test regardless of type or duration. If you are tested on things you know, you'll do better than if you are tested on things you don't know. The idea behind CAT is that easy questions aren't going to tell you much (if anything) about a high performer's ability while difficult questions are wasted on someone with low ability because they'll simply guess.

The computer is just trying to track a trend, of which level questions you can generally answer right, but there's no set point that you'll get ALL questions above that level wrong and ALL questions below that level right.

You are correct that it's looking at trends rather than one specific point with regards to passing and failing. The magic point I was referring to would have been better defined as the test takers ability. When determining what question to ask next, it's based on the computers estimate that you have a 50/50 shot of getting the question right or wrong based on your answers to previous questions and their level of difficulty. With every question you answer, the computer reevaluates your ability and compares it to the passing standard. Once the computer is 95% certain your ability is above or below the passing standard it shuts off and you pass or fail accordingly. Provided you have answered the minimum number of questions of course!

The PV website explains it much better than I do. https://www.ncsbn.org/1216.htm has a pass and a fail example that show how the computer determines ability as compared to the passing standard.