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What is the NCLEX Pass Rate for 2020?

May 06, 2021 by Chamberlain University

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.

The 2020 NCLEX pass rate for U.S. educated, first-time test takers overall was 86.57% for the RN exam for all levels including diploma, associate, and bachelor’s degree. The NCSBN further breaks out this pass rate by education level. Those with an associate degree had a pass rate of 82.8%, while 90.29% of those who earned a bachelor’s degree passed the NCLEX-RN in 2020.

At Chamberlain, we don’t offer a diploma or an associate level program. We’re proud of how our 3-Year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students perform on the NCLEX-RN. Chamberlain’s 2020 national average NCLEX first-time pass rate for the BSN program was 90.71%, which is above the NCSBN national average.

NCLEX Pass Rate by School

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

The NCLEX pass rate can be an indication of how well a nursing school prepares its students for the exam. As passing this difficult test is such an important part of becoming a registered nurse, 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 can select a school with an average to above-average pass rate.

How can I find a School’s NCLEX Pass Rate?

Being able to find accurate information about a school’s NCLEX pass rate is important 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 admissions offices and ask. A nursing school’s admissions office will know their 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 them how they prepare their 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

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.