The Next Generation NCLEX launched on April 1, 2023, when the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) rebuilt its licensure exam to better measure clinical judgment. A new 2026 RN Test Plan took effect April 1, 2026, and stays in force through March 31, 2029. Test plans are updated every three years, so students starting a four-year degree now will likely test under a newer plan.
What is the NCLEX exam? It is the National Council Licensure Examination, a computerized adaptive exam developed by NCSBN. Nursing graduates take the NCLEX-RN to become registered nurses or the NCLEX-PN to become licensed practical or vocational nurses. You must pass it before a state board of nursing will license you to practice.
A pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) prepares you for the NCLEX-RN through four years of coursework, simulation and clinical rotations.
What Does NCLEX Stand For?
NCLEX stands for National Council Licensure Examination. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET certification record lists the full RN title as the “National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN)” and names the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. as the certifying organization.
The “National Council” in the name is NCSBN, which the NCLEX site describes as dedicated to developing “psychometrically sound and legally defensible nurse licensure” exams. State nursing regulatory bodies decide who may sit for the exam and who receives a license.
NCLEX at a Glance
The figures below describe the NCLEX-RN under the 2026 test plan.
| Detail | NCLEX-RN (2026 Test Plan) | Source |
| Format | Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) | nclex.com |
| Number of items | 85 minimum, 150 maximum | 2026 RN Test Plan |
| Time limit | 5 hours, including all breaks | 2026 RN Test Plan |
| Case studies | 3 clinical judgment case studies (18 items) | 2026 RN Test Plan |
| Unscored items | 15 pretest items on every exam | 2026 RN Test Plan |
| Test plan dates | April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2029 | NCLEX test plans |
| U.S. registration fee | $200 now; $350 starting Feb. 1, 2027 | NCLEX fees |
| Unofficial results | Quick Results, two business days, $7.95 | Quick Results page |
| Retake wait | 45 days, up to eight times a year | NCLEX results page |
How Many Questions Are on the NCLEX?
Between 85 and 150. The 2026 RN Test Plan states that “All RN candidates must answer a minimum of 85 items,” and that 150 is the maximum during the allotted five-hour period. Eighteen of those items make up three clinical judgment case studies. Every exam also includes 15 unscored pretest items.
The NCLEX uses computerized adaptive testing, so two candidates can finish with very different item counts, and the count alone does not tell you your result.
NCLEX’s CAT page lists three rules that decide when an exam ends:
- 95% Confidence Interval Rule. NCSBN calls this “the most common for NCLEX candidates.”
- Maximum-Length Exam Rule.
- Run-out-of-time (R.O.O.T.) Rule. “If the candidate has not answered the minimum number of required items, the candidate automatically fails.”
How Long Is the NCLEX?
The RN exam allows five hours. The test plan specifies that “the five-hour limit to complete the examination includes all breaks,” so any time you spend away from the workstation comes out of the same clock. Plan your breaks, and use the official NCLEX Candidate Tutorial beforehand so the Pearson exam software feels familiar on test day.
The Next Generation NCLEX and Clinical Judgment
The next generation NCLEX, often shortened to NGN, launched on April 1, 2023, “to better measure nursing candidates’ clinical judgment and decision making abilities.” The change grew out of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM), which NCSBN researchers built as a framework for measuring clinical judgment on a standardized, high-stakes exam.
The NCJMM breaks clinical judgment into six steps. The 2026 RN Test Plan names them as:
- Recognize cues
- Analyze cues
- Prioritize hypotheses
- Generate solutions
- Take action
- Evaluate outcomes
Each of the three case studies groups several items around one clinical situation, so you apply those steps in sequence rather than answering isolated questions. NCSBN also describes the NGN as using “innovative item types.” The official tutorial shows the current formats.
What the NCLEX Test Plan Covers
The NCLEX test plan is the official blueprint for the exam. NCSBN updates it every three years, and the current test plans for both RN and PN candidates run from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2029. The 2023 plan no longer applies.
The RN plan groups content into four Client Needs categories, two with subcategories, for eight areas:
- Management of Care
- Safety and Infection Prevention and Control
- Health Promotion and Maintenance
- Psychosocial Integrity
- Basic Care and Comfort
- Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
- Reduction of Risk Potential
- Physiological Adaptation
The free 2026 RN Test Plan PDF lists the percentage range for each area.
NCLEX PN vs RN
The NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN are separate exams for separate licenses. The RN exam leads to licensure as a registered nurse. The PN exam serves licensed practical/vocational nurse (LPN/VN) candidates and follows its own 2026 PN Test Plan.
The two exams also hold candidates to different passing standards. The NCLEX passing standard page sets the NCLEX-RN standard at 0.00 logits and the NCLEX-PN standard at -0.18 logits, both effective through March 31, 2029.
A pre-licensure BSN prepares you for the NCLEX-RN, and the item counts and time limits above refer to the RN exam.
NCLEX Registration, Step by Step
NCLEX registration involves two parties: your state’s nursing regulatory body (NRB) and Pearson VUE, which delivers the exam. The NCLEX registration page outlines the Pearson side. The process generally follows five steps:
- Complete an approved nursing program. For Missouri graduates, the approving body is the Missouri State Board of Nursing.
- Apply for licensure with your NRB. Missouri graduates apply through the Missouri State Board of Nursing. Confirm the board’s current application requirements directly with the board.
- Register with Pearson VUE. You provide your program code and an email address and pay the fee. Registrations “stay open 365 days waiting for candidate eligibility from the NRB.”
- Receive your Authorization to Test (ATT). Once the board makes you eligible, Pearson emails your ATT.
- Schedule and sit for the exam. You “must test within the validity dates” on your ATT.
If you need testing accommodations, request them with your NRB before you register with Pearson.
How Much Does the NCLEX Cost?
Right now the U.S. registration fee is $200. That changes soon: “Effective Feb. 1, 2027, the NCLEX registration fee will be $350 in the United States and Australia,” per the NCLEX fees page. If you register on or after that date, budget for $350.
NCSBN states there “will be no refund of registration fees for any reason,” so register once your eligibility timeline is clear. State licensure application fees are separate and set by your board.
NCLEX Results and Quick Results
Your state board issues official NCLEX results. The NRB “will send official results to candidates within six weeks after the exam,” per the Quick Results page.
NCLEX Quick Results lets candidates “access unofficial test results two business days after taking their exam” for $7.95, and Missouri is a participating board. Quick Results are unofficial; your board issues the official result and, if you pass, your license.
If you do not pass, you will receive an NCLEX Candidate Performance Report (CPR). The NCSBN retake policy allows a retake 45 days after your exam, up to eight times a year, though “some jurisdictions have stricter limits.”
How Hard Is the NCLEX?
The exam asks you to apply knowledge to patient situations and choose the safest next action, so preparation works best when it starts well before graduation.
The test plan, the clinical judgment model and the tutorial are all public, so you can see what the exam measures before you sit for it. That makes it practical to work through the NCJMM steps across your coursework rather than in a final month of review.
How to Study for NCLEX Success
Study for NCLEX in a way that matches what the exam measures:
- Start with the test plan. Use the client needs categories as a checklist and track which areas feel weak.
- Practice the six NCJMM steps. For any case, ask which cues matter, what they mean, what comes first, what you would do and how you would know it worked.
- Review the rationales. Knowing why each option is right or wrong builds the reasoning the case studies test.
- Take the official tutorial. It previews the item formats and the Pearson interface.
- Rehearse the clock. Five hours includes every break, so practice full-length sessions.
How a Pre-Licensure BSN Prepares You to Pass
Learning how to pass the NCLEX starts with your program. A pre-licensure BSN prepares you for the exam across four years of coursework and clinical training. The main parts of a BSN line up with the test plan this way:
| BSN Component | What It Builds | Test Plan Connection |
| Nursing coursework | Pharmacology, pathophysiology and care across the lifespan | Client needs categories |
| Simulation labs | Practice responding to deteriorating patients in a safe setting | NGN case studies and clinical judgment |
| Clinical rotations | Supervised care of real patients in healthcare settings | Prioritization, safety and management of care |
| Clinical judgment framework | A repeatable way to reason through patient problems | The six NCJMM steps |
Coursework supplies the content each category draws on. Simulation lets you rehearse the cue recognition and prioritization the case studies demand. Clinical rotations apply that reasoning to real patients under supervision.
Lindenwood’s BS in Nursing Traditional Track
Lindenwood University’s BS in Nursing Traditional Track is offered in an on-campus format. The program page states: “The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Traditional Track is a pre-licensure program that prepares students to become registered nurses.”
Lindenwood’s approval and accreditation page states: “The prelicensure program has received initial approval by the Missouri State Board of Nursing which ensures that graduates of the pre-licensure track of the bachelor’s program are eligible to apply to take the registered nurse licensure examination (NCLEX-RN). Completion of the nursing program does not guarantee eligibility to take the licensure examination, per section 335.066 RSMo of the Missouri Nursing Practice Act.”
The same page notes that the baccalaureate degree in nursing at Lindenwood “is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education,” and that “Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.”
The four-year degree starts with two years of pre-nursing courses, followed by two years of nursing courses that pair classroom instruction with clinical experience. The program page describes “hands-on training in state-of-the-art simulation laboratories and real-world clinical settings,” and its program learning outcomes, built on the AACN Essentials, name clinical judgment directly. The first outcome asks students to “integrate foundational knowledge from nursing and related disciplines to support clinical judgment and professional nursing practice when providing patient care.”
Lindenwood admits a cohort of 48 students into the nursing program each fall. Review the GPA and prerequisite requirements on the nursing admissions page.
Life After the NCLEX
Passing the NCLEX-RN and earning a license qualifies you to practice as a registered nurse. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median RN salary of $97,550 per year as of May 2025. BLS projects RN employment to grow 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 180,800 openings each year on average over the decade.
To weigh that outlook against the time and cost of school, read whether nursing school is worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does the NCLEX Cost?
The U.S. NCLEX registration fee is $200, paid to Pearson VUE when you register. NCSBN has announced that the fee rises to $350 in the United States effective Feb. 1, 2027. Fees are not refunded for any reason. Your state board of nursing charges a separate licensure application fee, so check that amount with your board as well.
Will the NCLEX Shut Off at 85 If You Fail?
The NCLEX-RN can end at 85 items, the minimum every candidate must answer, but the item count alone does not tell you the result. The exam uses computerized adaptive testing and ends under one of three rules: the 95% Confidence Interval Rule, the Maximum-Length Exam Rule or the Run-out-of-time Rule. Under the time rule, a candidate who has not answered the minimum number of items automatically fails.
How Many Questions Do I Need to Get Right on the NCLEX to Pass?
NCSBN expresses the NCLEX passing standard in logits rather than as a count of correct answers. The standard is 0.00 logits for the NCLEX-RN and -0.18 logits for the NCLEX-PN, both effective through March 31, 2029. Because the exam is adaptive, three stop rules decide when it ends, anywhere from 85 to 150 items on the RN exam.
How Soon Will I Know If I Passed the NCLEX?
If your state board participates in NCLEX Quick Results, you can see unofficial results two business days after your exam for $7.95. Missouri participates. Official results come from your nursing regulatory body within six weeks of the exam. Quick Results are unofficial; only your board issues your license.
How Many Times Can You Take the NCLEX?
Under the NCSBN retake policy, you can retake the NCLEX 45 days after your previous attempt, up to eight times a year. Some states set stricter annual limits, so confirm the rule with your board. Candidates who do not pass receive an NCLEX Candidate Performance Report.
Start Your Path to the NCLEX-RN
If you are planning a nursing career and want a pre-licensure program whose learning outcomes name clinical judgment directly, explore Lindenwood’s BS in Nursing Traditional Track. Applications for the Fall 2027 cohort open in late Fall 2026, so review the requirements now and connect with the nursing program to plan your prerequisites.