Taking the NCLEX multiple times

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So I wanted to write a post about those perspective nurses that can not seem to pass the NCLEX after multiple tries and multiple refresher courses. I recently made a post about the PVT trick and after 70 comments and turned to a weird topic of conversation about not wanting nurses to become nurses if they can't pass the NCLEX the FIRST time, which I believe is complete ********. Me personally I have worked with a bunch of nurses who have passed the first time and failed once and failed multiple times. I know nurses that passed the first time with 75 questions and shouldn't be allowed to empty a foley bag or take a blood pressure and I know nurses that passed it after the sixth attempt who I would allow to be a first assist in a cardiac surgery (just a metaphor). Bottom line is the NCLEX is just a test that measures competency at the time of the exam and does not predict whether a nurse will be good at their job or horrible. What is everyone's personal opinion on the unlimited amount of tries at the NCLEX. Do you agree with the refresher course requirement after the third attempt or do you feel it should be done after each attempt. I personally passed the NCLEX on my second attempt so I believe that the NCLEX doesn't represent a good or poor nurse and I also believe that a good nurse would encourage those who have difficulty passing the NCLEX and give them advice that helped them through it. Please don't put people down in the post that is not my objective but you are entitled to your own opinion so be honest at the same time.

To answer the OP's initial post, initial set of questions, I agree that the NCLEX isn't designed to figure out what kind of nurse the candidate may one day become. It IS, however, designed to figure out if the candidate is competent to enter practice at the most minimal level; someone who cannot pass that exam is NOT competent to begin entry as a new nurse NOW. And that is really all that matters. Not whether they will one day pull it together and become great. The intention of studying for the NCLEX is that the candidate pull it together NOW, and demonstrate that ability on the test. It isn't a crystal ball that recognizes "what might be one day".

People are fond of using extreme examples as if they were the norm; "I have seen nurses who took 6 tries to pass the competency exam who are AMAZING nurses and nurses who passed on the first try who are IDIOTS". Ok. But I bet you have ALSO seen nurses who took 6 tries to pass the exam who you wouldn't want given the responsibility of foley-emptying and nurses who passed on the first attempt who are simply wonderful. I know *I* sure have! Why do people not mention those....who are MORE likely to be the norm than the exceptions always cited?

What is my opinion on multiple attempts....well, I think if someone fails twice, a remediation course is in order. CERTAINLY if the candidate has failed three times. No doubt in my mind that something is seriously off-kilter if one cannot pass a minimum competency after three attempts. MY OPINION, folks, and I stick to it ;)

There is an increasing number of States that are putting stricter limits on testing: fewer attempts before remediation....fewer attempts before requiring a complete return to nursing school....fewer years in which to complete the maximum number of attempts. I like the trend.

For those States that have no problem issuing ATTs for a single candidate until the dawn of the next millennium, all I can say is the revenue is incredible. Those States figure, I suppose, that if someone is willing to keep paying the fees (and likely keep failing), they'll take the risk that ONE DAY the Infinite Monkey Theory will come true and the candidate will miraculously pass. Not a good system, to be sure, but it exists.

With each passing year, with each attempt at NCLEX, one's chances at passing go further and further down. At some point, the candidate has a better chance of being Knighted than of passing the exam. In particular, people who do the SAME THING each time....use self-study as a method (regardless of how MANY preparatory programs they use)....these people should expect to continue to fail. Repeat the same system....repeat the same failure.

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I think some people just suck at taking written tests...but on the floor, they ROCK!

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I rather have a legit candidate have to take the NCLEX 8 times and pass, versus someone who has fake diploma and can pass the NCLEX

You're bifurcating :whistling: How about one who knows their stuff the first time?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I don't even know anyone who used a fake diploma to get into a nursing program. Whereas take the NCLEX 3+ times, yes.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I think that everyone who is posting about how the BON should limit the times of taking the Nclex should just care about their own business. There are good nurses on the field who took the Nclex over 3 times but doesn't make them bad nurses. Some People are good on clinical skills, but not good on test taking, so what ? I am happy for those who passed their Nclex on the first try but I am more than 100% sure that before you passed you were scared and nervous as the one who couldn't make it on the first try. You cannot be giving opinions on what a BON should or shouldn't do with the ones who fail their exam that is not your job! 😑. We are nurses and our job is to provide a better care none of us was born a RN so be humble and instead of criticizing or caring about how many times someone took their Nclex plan on work as a team. I hope I never have the opportunity to work with anyone who posted negative comments and opinions and who cares more about people's business than caring about your patients. Work on how to make a difference on your patients' life or work on doing something positive/ improvements for nursing. I know doctors who didn't pass their boards on their first try and some of them passed on their 5th try and they are excellent surgeons! 😎

It is shameful that nurses attack each other 😢. For everyone's record I passed my exam with 93 questions on my second attempt and I am proud and I am not ashamed to admit it. For those who haven't pass the Nclex don't get discourage and don't listen or read negative comments. It will do better to you if you block negative people from your life while you are studying for your exam. ☺️

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I also believe that nursing is like learning a new language and things become more difficult when you never got a good grasp of english. That has been my observation anyway. On topic, I was nervous both times that I took NCLEX (PN & RN) because it was high stakes for me NOT because I wasn't prepared. I expected to pass the first time and I did.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I don't even know anyone who used a fake diploma to get into a nursing program. Whereas take the NCLEX 3+ times, yes.

Most are internationally educated nurses but also a few US "nurses" that snuck through before electronic and interstate verification systems. Check out CABRN press releases as they catch the fraudsters

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

For some reason the quote button is not working but this is from MrCAPR

"You cannot be giving opinions on what a BON should or shouldn't do with the ones who fail their exam that is not your job! ��. We are nurses and our job is to provide a better care none of us was born a RN so be humble and instead of criticizing or caring about how many times someone took their Nclex plan on work as a team. I hope I never have the opportunity to work with anyone who posted negative comments and opinions and who cares more about people's business than caring about your patients. Work on how to make a difference on your patients' life or work on doing something positive/ improvements for nursing."

Nobody is talking about a person who tests twice. We are talking about the 5,6,7,8 time test taker who cannot demonstrate the bare minimum of nursing knowledge. The bare minimum! If you can't see how this relates to caring about our patients or furthering nursing then I don't know what to say to you. When someone gets to this point I don't believe for a minute it's test anxiety. They took tests in nursing school and passed didn't they? I firmly believe that if a candidate can't pass the NCLEX in 4 tries then there is a significant issue of insufficient knowledge and remediation should be required. I'm not calling them stupid. I'm not saying they won't be a good nurse. All I'm saying is that there's something lacking that needs to be addressed. For the sake of our patients and for our profession.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I think that everyone who is posting about how the BON should limit the times of taking the Nclex should just care about their own business. There are good nurses on the field who took the Nclex over 3 times but doesn't make them bad nurses. Some People are good on clinical skills, but not good on test taking, so what ? I am happy for those who passed their Nclex on the first try but I am more than 100% sure that before you passed you were scared and nervous as the one who couldn't make it on the first try. You cannot be giving opinions on what a BON should or shouldn't do with the ones who fail their exam that is not your job! 😑. We are nurses and our job is to provide a better care none of us was born a RN so be humble and instead of criticizing or caring about how many times someone took their Nclex plan on work as a team. I hope I never have the opportunity to work with anyone who posted negative comments and opinions and who cares more about people's business than caring about your patients. Work on how to make a difference on your patients' life or work on doing something positive/ improvements for nursing. I know doctors who didn't pass their boards on their first try and some of them passed on their 5th try and they are excellent surgeons! 😎

It is shameful that nurses attack each other 😢. For everyone's record I passed my exam with 93 questions on my second attempt and I am proud and I am not ashamed to admit it. For those who haven't pass the Nclex don't get discourage and don't listen or read negative comments. It will do better to you if you block negative people from your life while you are studying for your exam. ☺️

Paragraphs are your friend.

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by MrCAPR: I think that everyone who is posting about how the BON should limit the times of taking the Nclex should just care about their own business

Well, MrCAPR, the OP started a thread because HE WANTED to discuss it. The point of the thread is laid out right there in the title, and the original post is easy to read.

If YOU did not want to contribute you could have passed it by. But as you DID contribute a lengthy post, I fail to see why you feel ONLY YOU should comment on the OP's debate/discussion topic? Mighty nervy, I'd say.

And then you go on to lecture people about why they should not even have an OPINION on the topic, as "it's not their job"? Really? YOU are rather free with YOUR opinions. You cannot, however, afford anyone else that same opportunity?

I hope I never have the opportunity to work with anyone who posted negative comments and opinions and who cares more about people's business than caring about your patients.

It seems to me you have been very negative in YOUR post, directing annoyance and self-righteousness at those whose opinion differs from yours. And what on earth does everyone's opinions concerning maximum testing attempts have to do with how they care about their patients?? Weird leap to an unfounded conclusion.

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How did they pass nursing school?

And if they're going to choke in high-stress situations, is nursing really the right career for them?

I would go so far as to say that people who have "test anxiety" maybe aren't cut out to be nurses. There's a lot more to nursing than just having the knowledge. So much of it is being able to compartmentalize your stress, think on the fly, and work well under extreme pressure.

I'm not talking about nursing school. I was responding specifically to the Tosh quote equating test anxiety with stupidity.

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I can agree in some perspective. I also believe that you should be given two initial attempts to pass because the first attempt your going in blind and don't know what to expect, the second time you know what to expect and can adjust your studies accordingly to help you have a fair shot at passing.

Fallacy here. If more than 80% of first-time takers pass their licensure for beginning, entry-into-practice competency (which they do), "going in blind" doesn't seem to be an issue. Besides, is there any nursing program in the country that hasn't been using NCLEX-style questions for every single midterm and semester exam since the first semester? "Blind"?? "There are none so blind as those who will not see."

You shouldn't be "adjusting your studies (whatever that means) to have a fair shot at passing." You should know enough to pass the damn thing in the first place. And even if you say, "Oh, ohKAY, some people are poor test-takers / need a trial run / have anxiety issues," then failing two, three, four, five times uses up all those excuses in my book. Second-time takers' fail rate is a higher, and third-time takers' fail rate is a lot higher. There's a reason for that.

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