Help! I Failed My NCLEX

You graduated from nursing school. The only hurdle between you and your new professional career was passing the National Clinical Licensure Examination (NCLEX). NCLEX has only one purpose: to evaluate the ability of new graduate nurses—both RN and PN—are capable of providing safe care to patients.

The NCLEX is not an easy examination. It covers the entire range of your nursing education. Questions—called test items—are randomly presented, so there is no way to know what you will be asked. Therefore, you must be prepared for anything. Anything!

But what happens if you don’t pass?

How will you know if you fail NCLEX?

First of all, you are not alone. Every year, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), the organization that oversees NCLEX, publishes the passing rates for the examination.

In 2021, passing rates were slightly lower than previous years, probably due to remote studies and fewer clinical rotations during the COVID-19 pandemic:

Source: NCSBN

If your state participates in the Quick Results Service, you can sign up to receive “unofficial” results two business days after the exam. Currently, 47 states, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands offer this service for $7.95. (Official results are sent within six weeks after the exam from your state’s nursing regulatory body.)

If you do not pass your NCLEX, you’ll be notified in writing. You will also receive a Candidate Performance Report (CPR) with important information:

• Individualized, two-page document
• How many total test items you answered
• For each content area, an evaluation of your ability
• See this sample CPR for NCLEX-RN.
• See this sample CPR for NCLEX-PN.

How to read your Candidate Performance Report (CPR)

Your CPR contains important information about the results of your NCLEX. Consider it a guide for the next time you sit for the licensure exam

The front side of the CPR tells you how many questions you answered. The number gives an estimate of how close you were to the passing standard:

• If you didn’t answer at least 60 test items (for both NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN), the CPR will only provide the number of test items you answered. There isn’t enough information to indicate how well you did in each category.
• If you were close to the passing standard, you were given 130 test items (for both NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN) as the Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) tried to calculate your performance.
• If you were far from the passing standard, CAT gave you fewer test items, because it could calculate that you would not pass. The test shut down as soon as it was confident of a pass or fail decision.

The back side of the CPR gives specific details about how well you did in each of the eight NCLEX Test Plan categories. For each category, you will see the quality of your ability:

• Above the Passing Standard
• Near the Passing Standard
• Below the Passing Standard

By looking at where you did well compared to where you need to improve, you now have a personalized study guide. NCLEX is not graded by category, but by your overall performance. But now you know where to focus for your studies, along with the areas included in the category.

Here is what “Below the Passing Standard” looks like for the NCLEX-RN category of Management of Care:

• Providing and directing nursing care that enhances the care delivery setting to protect clients and health care personnel.
• Related content includes but is not limited to: Advance Directives, Advocacy, Assignment, Delegation and Supervision, Case Management, Client Rights, Collaboration with Interdisciplinary Team, Concepts of Management, Confidentiality/Information Security, Continuity of Care, Establishing Priorities, Ethical Practice, Informed Consent, Information Technology, Legal Rights and Responsibilities, Performance Improvement (Quality Improvement), Referrals.

Here is what “Below the Passing Standard” looks like for the NCLEX-PN category of Coordinated Care:

• Collaborates with health care team members to facilitate effective client care.
• Related content includes but is not limited to: Advance Directives; Advocacy; Client Care Assignments; Client Rights; Collaboration with Interdisciplinary Team; Concepts of Management and Supervision; Confidentiality/Information Security; Continuity of Care; Establishing Priorities; Ethical Practice; Information Technology; Informed Consent; Legal Responsibilities; Performance Improvement (Quality Improvement); Referral Process; Resource Management.

Preparing to retake your NCLEX

Failing the NCLEX is disappointing and stressful. But don’t be discouraged! Now that you’ve been through it, you’re familiar with the process and how the exam works—no need to be nervous about the actual Test Day this time around.

Think about what factors could have influenced your first NCLEX:

• Were you really ready? Did you take the exam too soon?
• Did you rush through studying or not use good study habits?
• Did you do enough practice questions and learn from your mistakes?
• Were you able to answer practice questions within 60-90 seconds?
• What study materials did you use?
• Did you have personal issues on your mind on Test Day?
• Were you running late or not prepared for the day?
• Did you have a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast?
• Were you hoping just to do well enough to pass?

Sometimes, just identifying distractions or reasons that prevented you from passing can help you do better this time.

7 tips to get ready for your retake

You also know your strengths and weaknesses and you can create a specific study plan. Give yourself enough time to really learn the categories that you didn’t pass. Read the Nurse Plus NCLEX Study Guide.

Here are 7 tips to help you succeed:

1. 1

   Download the NCLEX Test Plan. There’s one for RN and PN. Each category and sub-category is covered; there are lists of topics that can be included on the exam and a few practice questions for each one. Nurse Plus follows these Test Plans carefully when creating practice test items.

2. 2

   Now that you’ve already taken the NCLEX, you’ve seen that most questions ask you to analyze and apply information. There aren’t many memorization questions beyond vital signs, lab values, and some assessment items like the Glasgow Coma Scale.

3. 3

   Start with the categories on your CPR that were “below the passing standard.” Using the Test Plan as your guide, make sure you’re familiar with all the listed topics. Go back to your nursing texts and notes, look up items you’re not sure about, take as many practice tests as possible.

4. 4

   Learn the types of NCLEX questions and how they are written. Become comfortable with the style and wording of an NCLEX question. Soon, you’ll know how to “speak NCLEX” so you can focus on what the test item is asking and how to select the BEST response.

5. 5

   After you’ve studied the categories that were most troublesome, move on to the “near the passing standard” categories. Here, you did fairly well, but didn’t quite answer enough test items correctly. Use the same technique as before; by now, you’ll be able to pinpoint those items on the Test Plan that you know were incorrect.

6. 6

   Finally, include the categories that were “above the passing standard.” You did well on these, but don’t neglect them. They will need some review, too. Continue to take practice tests, noting the test items you miss, so you can go back and review them.

7. 7

   Consider adding another component to your study plan. If you studied alone last time, perhaps joining a study group might be useful. If you only used online sources, maybe a printed review guide and workbook might make a difference. Making flash cards for the practice questions that you miss can increase retention.

The NCSBN Retake Policy: What to Know and Do

NOTE: On 3/22/22, the NCLEX Retake Policy was updated. “Candidates who need to retake the NCLEX can start their re-registration process after receiving their result.” You can retake the NCLEX 45 days after the date of your previous examination, up to eight times in a year. Before you reapply, you must notify your state’s Nursing Review Board (NRB) to inform them that you intend to retake the NCLEX, complete any NRB requirements, and find out if there are different timeframes or limits for annual testing attempts.

You can retake the NCLEX 45 days after the date of your previous examination, up to eight times in a year. Before you reapply, check with your state’s Nursing Review Board (NRB) to find out if there are different timeframes or limits for annual testing attempts.

Follow these steps when you’re ready to sit for your NCLEX again:

1. Contact your state’s NRB and let them know you want to retake the NCLEX.
2. Ask if any fees or documents are required to be eligible to retake the exam.
3. Reregister with Pearson VUE and pay the examination fee.
4. Wait to receive a new Authorization to Test (ATT).
5. Schedule a new NCLEX appointment.

Keep a positive attitude!

You’re going to be so much better prepared this time! The CPR told you exactly where to focus your studies this time. You know what to expect and what you can do better. Remember that you passed hundreds of exams in nursing school and have your degree. You’re only one more test away from your new career. Keep calm and retest!

About the Author

Winona Suzanne Ball

Nursing Adviser, RN | MHS, Governors State University, IL
Full member of the American Nurses Association. Learn more