NCLEX Passing Score 2026: 0.00 Logits, Explained

What is the passing score for the NCLEX-RN?

0.00 logits. NCSBN's Board of Directors reviews the standard every three years with the test plan; the December 2022 decision kept the RN standard at 0.00 and the PN standard at −0.18, and NCSBN's passing standard page now shows both in force through 31 March 2029.

NCLEX passing standards as NCSBN publishes them
Exam	Passing standard	In force
NCLEX-RN	0.00 logits	Through 31 March 2029 (NCSBN passing standard page)
NCLEX-PN	−0.18 logits	Through 31 March 2029 (NCSBN passing standard page)

Why the confusion online? Three reasons. Some sites quote the PN figure as if it applied to RNs. Some older pages, including a state board notice and a mirror of NCSBN's page from the December 2022 decision, show the earlier end date of 31 March 2026, which made it look as if the standard was about to change. And NCSBN's own exam update for the 2026 test plans described a new standard-setting cycle, with the Board approving the 2026 standards; the published result is that the RN standard stayed at 0.00 logits.

So, plainly: for an RN candidate testing in 2026, 2027 or 2028, the line is 0.00 logits. If NCSBN changes it, it will say so on its passing standard page, and we will update this page.

What is a logit on the NCLEX?

A logit (log-odds unit) is the scale NCSBN uses to place both item difficulty and candidate ability on one line. A candidate whose ability equals an item's difficulty has a 50% chance of answering it right.

Every NCLEX item has a difficulty measured in logits from pretesting. After each of your answers, the computer re-estimates your ability on the same scale and picks the next item near that estimate. Answer right, and the next item tends to be harder; answer wrong, and it tends to be easier.

The passing standard is a point on that scale: 0.00 logits is the ability NCSBN's expert panels judged to be the minimum for safe, entry-level RN practice. Your result depends on where your ability sits, not on how many items you got right.

This is why "percent correct" means little on the real exam. Because the items keep matching your level, most candidates answer around half of their items right, whether they pass or fail. Two candidates can both answer about 50% correctly; the one who did it on harder items has the higher ability estimate.

How does the NCLEX decide pass or fail?

With one of three rules: the 95% confidence interval rule, the maximum-length rule, or the run-out-of-time rule.

The NCLEX stopping rules, from NCSBN
Rule	When it applies	How the result is decided
95% confidence interval	Most exams	Once your ability estimate is 95% certain to be clearly above or below 0.00 logits, the exam stops: pass if above, fail if below
Maximum length	You reach 150 items without that certainty	The confidence rule is set aside and only your final ability estimate counts: pass if it is above the standard
Run out of time	The 5 hours end before either rule applies	If you have not answered the minimum 85 items, you fail. If you have, alternate criteria based on your ability estimate apply

The practical rules that follow: there is no item number that means pass or fail, so ignore the count while you test; never rush to "make" an item count; and keep enough time that you cannot run out before the minimum. Two minutes per item is a safe pace, since 150 items in 5 hours is exactly 2 minutes each, breaks included.

Check your weakest area before the exam does

An adaptive test keeps coming back to what you do not know. Three full mocks and four drills per Client Needs area find it first.

The NCLEX-RN Pass Pack gives you 3 full mocks on the real clock, 32 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The NCLEX-RN Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the NCLEX-RN Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

3
timed mocks: 32
topic drills: 1
score predictor

Does the NCLEX give partial credit?

Yes, on Next Generation items with more than one correct key. NCSBN uses plus/minus, zero/one and rationale scoring, depending on the item type.

Plus/minus (+/-): a point for each correct option chosen, a point taken away for each incorrect one, with zero as the floor. Used for many select-all-that-apply items, so random extra picks cost you.
Zero/one (0/1): a point for each correct response, with nothing taken away for wrong ones. Used for items such as matrix grids.
Rationale: a point only when both linked parts of a pair are right, such as "the client is at risk for X as shown by Y".

Partial credit feeds into the same ability estimate. It does not change the passing standard or the stopping rules.

What practice test score means I am ready for the NCLEX?

No percent on a fixed practice test converts to a pass, and anyone who says otherwise is guessing. Use practice scores to find weak areas, and to check that your accuracy holds across new questions.

Our practice bands on our fixed 85-question mock (LifeScore labels, not NCSBN scores)
Band	Percent correct	Right answers out of 85
Early practice	Under 55%	Under 47
Building	55% or more	47 or more
Solid	65% or more	56 or more
Strong	75% or more	64 or more
Top practice band	85% or more	73 or more

Our working rule is a Solid band or better on two different mocks, with no Client Needs area under about 60%. That is a sensible practice target, not a prediction: question banks are written to different difficulty levels, so a percent from one bank does not even carry over to another.

The free NCLEX-RN practice test gives you your band and your score in each area, and how to pass the NCLEX turns the weakest area into a plan.

How do I find out if I passed the NCLEX?

Only your board of nursing issues official results. Where your board takes part, Pearson VUE's Quick Results service gives an unofficial result after two business days for US$7.95.

If you did not pass, the board sends a Candidate Performance Report (CPR) showing the number of items you were given and how you did in each content area against the passing standard. It is the best map you will get for a retake: start with the areas marked below the passing standard, and take a full timed mock before you rebook after the 45-day minimum.

Remember the cost of a retake goes up on 1 February 2027: from US$200 to US$350 for each registration, by the date you register. More on the format and fees in the NCLEX-RN exam guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is the NCLEX passing score 0.00 or -0.18?

0.00 logits for the NCLEX-RN. −0.18 logits is the NCLEX-PN standard.

What percent do you need to pass the NCLEX?

There is no percent. The NCLEX compares your ability estimate in logits with the passing standard.

Does stopping at 85 questions mean I passed?

No. It means the computer was 95% certain of the result early, whether a pass or a fail.

When does the passing standard change next?

NCSBN's passing standard page lists the current standard through 31 March 2029, the end of the 2026 test plan.

Can I see my NCLEX score?

No numeric score is released. You get pass or fail, and a Candidate Performance Report if you did not pass.

Pass the first time

Three full NCLEX-RN-style mocks, four drills for each Client Needs area and a rationale for every answer, for one payment.