NCLEX-RN
Offered by NCSBN
The NCLEX-RN is the national licensure examination that graduates must pass to practice as a registered nurse in the United States and Canada...
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NCLEX-RN exam at a glance
Format
Variable-length CAT: 85–150 items (including clinical-judgment case studies and 15 unscored pretest items)
Duration
Up to 5 hours (includes tutorial and all breaks)
Delivery
Pearson VUE test center
Passing score
Pass/fail, determined by the CAT algorithm against the passing standard
Exam cost
$200 USD registration fee
Validity
Licensure is maintained per your state/provincial nursing board's renewal rules
Prerequisites
Graduation from an approved nursing program and authorization to test from a nursing regulatory body
About the NCLEX-RN certification
The NCLEX-RN is the national licensure examination that graduates must pass to practice as a registered nurse in the United States and Canada. Administered by the NCSBN, it uses Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT): the exam adjusts question difficulty based on your answers and ends once it can determine, with confidence, whether you're above the passing standard.
The 2026 test plan incorporates Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) clinical-judgment case studies that assess real-world nursing decision-making.
Who it’s for: Nursing-program graduates seeking RN licensure.
Official exam page· Details verified 2026-08
What the NCLEX-RN exam covers
- Safe and Effective Care Environment
- Health Promotion and Maintenance
- Psychosocial Integrity
- Physiological Integrity
How to study for the NCLEX-RN
- 1Review the current NCLEX-RN Test Plan and its four Client Needs categories.
- 2Practice Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) clinical-judgment case studies.
- 3Focus on prioritization, delegation, and safety — high-yield across the exam.
- 4Do large volumes of practice questions and review rationales, not just answers.
- 5Simulate the CAT experience and pacing under timed conditions.
NCLEX-RN — frequently asked questions
How many questions will I get?
Between 85 and 150. The number doesn't predict pass/fail — the adaptive algorithm simply stops once it's confident about your ability relative to the passing standard.
How long is the exam?
Up to five hours, which includes the tutorial and all optional breaks.