After the NCLEX: what's official and what isn't

Your score is not given at the test center

Official results come only from your board of nursing, within six weeks of the exam. NCSBN, Pearson and the test center do not give results.

Quick Results (unofficial)

If your board takes part, you can see unofficial results two business days after the exam for $7.95. They don't authorize you to practice: only the board's official result does.

The number of questions doesn't tell you the result

The exam has between 85 and 150 items in five hours, including breaks. NCSBN says the number of items alone does not reveal pass or fail, and that because the exam is adaptive, both strong and weak candidates feel the last questions are hard.

The 'Pearson VUE trick'

There is no official guidance from NCSBN or Pearson about it, and it is not a reliable indicator. One official rule is related: if you register again while a registration is still open, the second registration is denied and its fee is not refunded.

If you didn't pass

You can retake 45 days after your exam, up to eight times a year; some boards are stricter. Contact your board first, then register again with Pearson. The same fee applies to retakes, based on the date you register.

You'll receive a Candidate Performance Report showing each test plan area as below, near or above the passing standard. NCSBN recommends starting with the areas below the passing standard. Our free retake plan builds a study plan from those areas.