Understanding the NCLEX pass/fail method

Nursing Students NCLEX

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I have two friends that took the NCLEX-RN. One of my friends took the test after taking the HURST Review. She had a lot of SATA and the test shut off at 75. She later found out that she'd failed the test.

I have another friend who took the test in a different state and she had very few priority questions and few SATA. She said that her test consisted mainly of maternity and medications. Her test shut off at 75 questions. It's likely she did not pass because she is getting to the CC page.

Ok, my question is how is it possible that you can determined if someone is competent to work as a nurse with only 75 questions? I understand someone passing with that amount, but I don't know why the test would not give a person at least half of the 265 questions and then make that determiniation.

Both of the ladies are devistated and they are women who I know would make GREAT nurses.

Can someone PLEASE explain this concept to me? I have seen all of the graphs of the "new changes" but I would like one of the administrators of this site to include their input in this concept.

Thanks!!!!

If they only got 75 questions and failed, then they were consistently below the "line" for over 60% of the questions. I got the full 265 questions yesterday, when in school, I always had high B's. I don't necessarily agree with the way they grade it, but it is what it is, I guess. =/

If your test shuts off at 75 questions, it can mean you either did really really well OR very poorly. If you take all 265 questions and PASS, it means you did pretty well, but barely. If you take all 265 and FAIL, it still means you did pretty well, but just not well enough to pass. You will understand how your friends failed by understanding how the NCLEX works, it being a CAT (computer adaptive test), and how it grades.

Actually, here... Kaplan explains it really well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvKsdLilVbw

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