Priority Questions Level of Difficulty is the Passing Mark? (2024)

FAQs

Are priority questions passing on NCLEX? ›

If you were able to get priority questions, then you are near the passing mark. If you were given TRIAGE or more difficult questions towards the end of the exam, then you might have surpassed the passing level.

Currently, to pass the NCLEX-RN, the standard is 0.00 logits–or answer questions correctly at least 50% of the time. The NCLEX-PN standard is -0.18 logits. Logits are measurements used to determine the differences between your nursing ability and question difficulty.

Failing the test can result in not answering the minimum amount of 70 questions within the allotted time. You can answer the first 69 questions correctly, but you will automatically fail the exam if you don't reach number 70.

To pass the NCLEX RN or PN, test takers must correctly answer at least 85 questions (the minimum amount). Unfortunately, that means you can also fail the exam within those 85 questions or items.

Answering more than 75 questions can also be one of the good signs you passed the NCLEX-RN. The computer adaptive testing format used on the NCLEX estimates your ability to test on more complicated questions based on previous answers and the level of difficulty of the earlier questions you answered.

Upon completion of your NCLEX, if your nursing regulatory body participates in the Quick Results Service, you can access unofficial results two business days after the exam. Official results will be sent to you by your nursing regulatory body approximately six weeks after your NCLEX exam date.

Run-Out-Of-Time Rule

A test-taker must have answered the minimum number of required test questions to be eligible to pass. For examinees taking the NCLEX-RN, at least 75 questions must be answered. A minimum of 85 questions must be completed on the NCLEX-PN exam.

This means that you have to answer difficult questions correctly for at least 50% of the time in order to pass.

There are three pass/fail rules for the NCLEX examinations: the Run-Out-Of-Time rule, the Maximum-Length Exam Rule and the 95-Percent Confidence Interval Rule.

The first fifteen questions are pretest items and are not used to score the exam and determine if a test-taker has passed the NCLEX-RN. Not all candidates will answer the maximum number of questions. However, everyone who takes the exam must complete a minimum of 75 questions.

Can you get 145 questions on NCLEX and pass? ›

Does 145 questions on NCLEX mean you failed? No, if you answer all 145 questions on the NCLEX, that does not mean you fail. In fact, if you answered 145 questions and each question was progressively more challenging, then that is a good sign that you passed.

If the last question is below the level of difficulty needed to pass, the candidate fails. If the last question is above the level of difficulty needed to pass, the candidate passes.

You may get around 10-25 SATA questions in total, but that will depend on how you're answering your NCLEX questions.

The test will turn off as soon as it determines that you have either passed or failed with at least 95% accuracy. For some students, CAT may determine within 75 questions that the individual has passed or failed. For others, it could take 85, 100, or even the full 145 questions.

You can successfully answer the first 59 questions, but if you don't get to question 60, you will automatically fail the exam. Another method to fail the exam is to not answer enough questions properly within the allocated time or to not answer enough questions correctly out of the maximum of 145 or 265 questions.

If the last question on the NCLEX was easy, it means you got a question that was easy or a topic you knew very well. While that could be a sign you passed, you won't know for sure until the official results are available.

Easy questions on the NCLEX are questions that are lower on Bloom's taxonomy level. These are memorization style questions that do not require any critical thinking or application.

Typically, the passing score is between 85-95%. If you answer less than 75 questions correctly, you will likely fail the NCLEX. The specific number of questions asked is determined by the computer algorithm.

The NCLEX is designed to test your critical thought process. The questions start out relatively easy and get progressively harder with each correct answer in order to determine your highest level of knowledge.

Which state has the hardest NCLEX exam? ›

None. There is no “easy” state to take the NCLEX. The NCLEX is a national exam administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Because it's national, the NCLEX will be the same regardless of what state you choose to take it in.

Depending on the time of year tested and the year, the NCLEX pass rates for first- time, US-educated test takers are usually between 80-90% +/1. So ATI says they predict that 59.9% of students will pass the NCLEX (with a 90-100% probability) when usually around 90% pass.

The National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, is a critical exam that every nursing student must take to become a licensed nurse. Passing the NCLEX is essential to begin your nursing career, but it is also one of the most challenging exams you will ever take.

3. Can You Get the Pearson Vue Good Pop Up and Still Fail? Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure if you have passed the NCLEX is to wait for your official results. Although it does not always happen, the Pearson Vue trick can give you a good pop-up even if you failed the NCLEX exam.

If the computer shuts off before the maximum number of questions with a failing score it has determined that the test taker would not get enough questions correct to pass even if the the maximum number of questions were answered. The maximum is 145 though.

How many questions are on the NCLEX? A test-taker will see a minimum of 60 questions and a maximum of 145 questions on the NCLEX-RN and PN. Each of the tests will also include 15 experimental questions that do not count in scoring.

NCLEX Quick Results are not available immediately. After you take the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN, you must wait at least two business days before attempting to obtain your Quick Results.

A: “Near the Passing Standard” means a particular candidate's ability estimate is not clearly above or clearly below the passing standard in a content area.

Answering all 145 questions on the NCLEX-RN alone does not mean you failed the exam. However, with each correct answer you provide, the test should give you a question that becomes increasingly more difficult than the previous one.

If a student got all 265 questions, that would mean they are really straddling the competency line. The NCLEX algorithm is complicated, but it's a very smart, adaptive test. After you get past 75 questions, once it determines whether you're above passing or below passing, it will shut off.

What is the hardest part of the NCLEX? ›

Unlike your math exams where everyone had to answer the same questions, the NCLEX is dynamic. It's a test that watches you, reacts to you, and tailors itself to you, which means it's very unlikely any two test takers will have the same NCLEX experience.

Never choose an answer that contains the following words: always, never, all, and only. These words do not allow for the possibility of an exception, and therefore the answers that contain these words can be automatically eliminated. Never choose an answer that describes the nurse's actions as "vigorous."

Fact #3: SATA Questions Can Have One or ALL Correct Answers

Since you don't know how many answer choices you need to choose to get the correct sequence – this is why so many people fear SATA questions, and why so many people struggle with getting them correct.

A candidate that asks, how many questions do you need to pass NCLEX, will not receive a definite answer. Candidates must answer at least 75 questions in the five available hours or fail the test. The maximum number of questions in both exams is 145. Therefore, test-takers typically answer between 75 and 145.

According to the latest NCSBN meeting, you can receive partial credit for “select all that apply” (SATA) questions which will have a minimum of 5 answer choices and a maximum of 10. Also, there are six questions per case study.

Finishing the NCLEX as 75 questions means that the Computerized Adaptive Testing was confident in assessing your knowledge and critical thinking abilities. 75 NCLEX questions is not a direct indication of pass or fail. It means you were either doing really well or really poorly.

The NCLEX trick is not 100% accurate. Some students have reported getting “a bad pop-up” when they passed and getting “the good pop-up” when they failed.

After failing three times, though, they'll need to complete a board-approved remediation program before the next retake. test-takers have six attempts to pass in total.

If you were able to get priority questions, then you are near the passing mark. If you were given TRIAGE or more difficult questions towards the end of the exam, then you might have surpassed the passing level.

What are considered higher level questions on NCLEX? ›

Each category of questions requires an increasing level of critical thinking skills. Analysis, synthesis and evaluation questions would be considered higher-level NCLEX questions. Synthesis questions are based on creating or proposing solutions, such as a plan of care.

Failing the test can result in not answering the minimum amount of 70 questions within the allotted time. You can answer the first 69 questions correctly, but you will automatically fail the exam if you don't reach number 70.

What are NCLEX Priority Questions? Priority questions are designed to test your conceptual comprehension. They are generally written at the analysis level, meaning you'll need to analyze the choices and apply your knowledge in order to answer the question correctly.

If the last question is below the level of difficulty needed to pass, the candidate fails. If the last question is above the level of difficulty needed to pass, the candidate passes.

Find out the reasons and what you can do as a student or nurse educator. For first-time test-takers, the pass rate fell to 79.9% and for all test-takers to 63.4%.

Use the ABCs: Remember the ABCs of patient care – Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. These are the top priorities in any patient situation, so always address these needs first. Identify the most urgent needs: Look for cues in the question that indicate a patient is in distress or immediate danger.

Does 145 questions on NCLEX mean you failed? No, if you answer all 145 questions on the NCLEX, that does not mean you fail. In fact, if you answered 145 questions and each question was progressively more challenging, then that is a good sign that you passed.

While you can fail the NCLEX PN or NCLEX RN exam in 145 questions, it's unlikely. Most students are more prepared than they think, hence why most students pass the NCLEX exams.

When the NCLEX-RN shuts off at 75 questions, it means you either did very well or very poorly—enough so that the CAT model is 95% confident in your success or failure after only one-third of the possible 265 exam questions. Further, in a 75-question test only 60 questions are counted toward your passing score.

A test-taker must have answered the minimum number of required test questions to be eligible to pass. For examinees taking the NCLEX-RN, at least 75 questions must be answered. A minimum of 85 questions must be completed on the NCLEX-PN exam.