NCLEX Pass Rates: What You Need to Know

To become a registered nurse, all nurses must pass an exam known as the NCLEX. But what is the NCLEX? What is the national NCLEX pass rate? How do you know what a good pass rate is? Find out all about the NCLEX in this helpful article.

What is the NCLEX?

The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is the exam that nursing school graduates must pass to apply for licensure with their state boards of nursing. Passing the NCLEX-RN, which is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), is one of the final steps to becoming a registered nurse.

Each year, the NCSBN publishes the national NCLEX pass rate statistics, broken down by educational degree level, whether the candidate was U.S. educated or internationally educated, and if the candidate passed on the first time or was a repeat test taker.

What is the historic NCLEX pass rate?

The 2023 NCLEX pass rate for U.S.-educated, first-time test takers overall was 88.56% for the RN exam. The NCSBN further breaks out this pass rate by education level. Those with an associate degree had a pass rate of 87.75%, while 90.17% of those with a bachelor’s degree passed the NCLEX-RN in 2023.1 The NCLEX pass rates for U.S.-educated test takers over the past few years are listed in the chart below.

What is the NCLEX pass rate for first-timers?

This chart shows the overall NCLEX pass rate by first-time, U.S.-educated test takers, by year.

NCLEX pass rate by school

When selecting a nursing program to enroll in, there are many important factors to consider. These factors include the school’s overall philosophy of education, the clinical experience it provides, its accreditation, and the NCLEX pass rate of its students.

The NCLEX pass rate can be an indication of how well a nursing school prepares its students for the exam. Passing this difficult test is an important part of becoming a registered nurse, and many nursing students will carefully review the NCLEX pass rate by school when choosing where to apply and ultimately attend.

What is a good NCLEX pass rate?

The higher a nursing school’s NCLEX pass rate, the better. The national NCLEX pass rate provides a good benchmark as you evaluate your options — ideally, you would select a school with an average to above-average pass rate.

How can I find a school’s NCLEX pass rate?

It’s important to find accurate information about a school’s NCLEX pass rate if you’re considering attending. There are two ways that future nurses can easily find out the NCLEX pass rate of the schools they are considering. One is simply to call the admission office and ask. A nursing school’s admission office will know the school’s NCLEX pass rate and should share it with you.

The second way to find NCLEX pass rates by school is to look for an official record of it. Many (but not all) states will provide a record of the NCLEX pass rates for each nursing school. If your potential school’s state makes this publicly available, it may provide a fast and easy way for you to compare nursing schools.

NCLEX study plan support

In addition to asking about your prospective nursing school’s NCLEX pass rate, also be sure to ask how the school prepares students to pass the NCLEX.

While any nursing school should teach you the information that you need to pass the NCLEX, a good nursing school will also teach you how to apply this information. The best nursing schools will start teaching you how to pass the NCLEX from your first day, providing tests in formats that are similar to the NCLEX and providing guidance on how to study for the NCLEX.

There are several important ways that nursing schools can prepare their students to be successful when they finally take the NCLEX. Ways that nursing schools teach their students how to study for the NCLEX include:

• Using NCLEX-style questions in classroom tests
• Providing in-class instruction on NCLEX question strategies
• Including an NCLEX preparation course in the final year of study
• Working with students to develop individualized NCLEX study plans

At Chamberlain, we offer a 3-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); we don’t offer a diploma or an associate program. By enrolling in a nursing program that is dedicated to supporting you throughout your journey to the NCLEX exam, you will be well positioned for a successful start to your nursing career.

Chamberlain University offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral and certificate programs in nursing and healthcare professions. With a growing network of campuses and robust online programs, Chamberlain continues to build on more than 135 years of excellence in preparing extraordinary healthcare professionals.

Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post graduate APRN certificate programs at Chamberlain University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, (https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE).

¹Source: www.ncsbn.org/public-files/NCLEX_Stats_2023_Q4_PassRates.pdf
²Source: www.ncsbn.org/public-files/NCLEX_Stats_2022-Q4-PassRates.pdf
³Source: www.ncsbn.org/public-files/Table_of_Pass_Rates_2021_Q4.pdf
⁴Source: www.ncsbn.org/public-files/Table_of_Pass_Rates_2020_Q4.pdf 
⁵Source: www.ncsbn.org/public-files/Table_of_Pass_Rates_2019_Q4.pdf

By Chamberlain University