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The NCLEX® is designed to test knowledge, skills, and abilities essential to the safe and effective practice of entry level nursing. The NCLEX-RN is a mandatory licensing exam administered on a state or province level in the United States and Canada. It is required for initial recognition as a registered nurse in North America. The NCLEX-RN may be taken only by graduates of a nursing program resulting in either an Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). The registration fee for the NCLEX-RN is currently $200 USD or $360 CAD, with additional fees applicable for state registration or international exams.
The NCLEX-RN focuses on testing comprehension of a fundamental body of knowledge regarding competency levels required for safe, efficient, and effective nursing care at the entry level immediately after graduation. The majority of the test covers risk reduction, recognition of emergent situations, knowledge of the current evidence-based standards of care, and selecting scenario-appropriate nursing actions.
NCLEX-RN includes test items in the following content areas:
The NCLEX-RN is a computer-based adaptive exam that uses an algorithm to ensure that candidates have been tested on all areas of the NCLEX-RN National Council of State Boards of Nursing blueprint to become a registered nurse. All tests contain a minimum of 75 questions, after which the test may end at any point when the algorithm determines the candidate has met, or failed to meet, a statistical degree of certainty regarding clinical competency. If a candidate has borderline performance for the majority of the examination, the test will automatically end at 6 hours or 265 questions, whichever comes first.
Type of Questions
The NCLEX® item selection algorithm is designed for maximum efficiency. Items are chosen based on an estimate of the candidate’s ability, so candidates have about a 50% chance of answering each item correctly. Therefore, candidates should not take the NCLEX® with the expectation that they will be able to answer every item correctly. When candidates see an item they do not know, they should consider the item carefully and answer the best they can. The computer will not allow a candidate to proceed to the next item without answering the previous one.
Currently, the NCLEX® uses a 95% confidence interval to make pass/fail decisions. To achieve a confidence interval greater than 95%, the exam would be substantially longer and more costly for candidates. The more precise the estimate (ie, wider confidence interval), the more items that will have to be answered to achieve this result. Weighing the costs and benefits, NCSBN made the policy decision that NCLEX® will be scored using the 95% confidence interval.
As a candidate takes the exam, items are selected based on the candidate's response to previous items. The exam ends when it can be determined that a candidate's performance is either above or below the passing standard, regardless of the number of items answered or the amount of testing time elapsed.
The difficulty of an item is the highest level of thinking that is required on the part of the candidate to answer that item correctly. The cognitive level does not change whether the candidate answers the item correctly or incorrectly.
There is no set p-value (percentage of candidates correctly answering the item) that governs whether an item will be accepted into the item pool. Because the NCLEX® is an adaptive exam, items in different difficulty levels are required to build the item pool for candidates with a wide range of nursing ability.
Given the amount of study that goes into preparing for the NCLEX® exam, many can get overwhelmed and feel that they are not fully prepared. There are many study materials on the market with differing points of view, leading to uncertainty and a delay in finding the right tools.
Many test takers dread test day. Test taking anxiety can cause anyone to worry about performance, especially for such an important test. A student can study a great deal, but without knowing how the test will look and feel, it can be difficult to feel comfortable when it comes to actually taking the test.
Everyone studies and learns differently; one study method of may not work for everyone. When looking for study materials, students may feel pressured to choose the same option as everyone else instead of one that fits their own personal needs.
With a variety of UWorld NCLEX-RN Qbank subscription durations, users may start their preparation at any time, helping all be ready on exam day.
When you have spent months preparing for a test, it can be difficult to know when to take it. Given life stresses and feelings of anxiety and unpreparedness, it can be easy to keep delaying the test date.
The UWorld NCLEX-RN Qbank will not schedule your test date, but will prepare you to select a testing date with confidence.