The 2018 NCLEX Examination

From April 1, 1994 through December 31, 2018, more than 5.7 millions candidates for nurse license have taken NCLEX® examinations via CAT.

 

For the calendar year ending Dec. 31, 2018, a total of REPLACEME candidates took the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN Examinations.

 

NCLEX Pass Rates - RN

See Pass Rates by Jurisdiction
PDF (87KB)

First-time, U.S. Educated

Pass Rate:88.3%
# Testing:
163208
# Passing:
144112
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
RN - Diploma
# Testing:
405
# Passing:
364
Pass Rate:
89.9%
# Testing:
451
# Passing:
395
Pass Rate:
87.6%
# Testing:
803
# Passing:
717
Pass Rate:
89.3%
# Testing:
308
# Passing:
266
Pass Rate:
86.4%
# Testing:
1967
# Passing:
1742
Pass Rate:
88.6%
RN - BSN
# Testing:
20129
# Passing:
18465
Pass Rate:
91.7%
# Testing:
26011
# Passing:
24166
Pass Rate:
92.9%
# Testing:
25847
# Passing:
23732
Pass Rate:
91.8%
# Testing:
7246
# Passing:
6200
Pass Rate:
85.6%
# Testing:
79233
# Passing:
72563
Pass Rate:
91.6%
RN - ADN
# Testing:
22144
# Passing:
19272
Pass Rate:
87.0%
# Testing:
26720
# Passing:
23192
Pass Rate:
86.8%
# Testing:
25176
# Passing:
21771
Pass Rate:
86.5%
# Testing:
7923
# Passing:
5546
Pass Rate:
70.0%
# Testing:
81963
# Passing:
69781
Pass Rate:
85.1%
Special Program Codes
# Testing:
19
# Passing:
10
Pass Rate:
52.6%
# Testing:
9
# Passing:
4
Pass Rate:
44.4%
# Testing:
7
# Passing:
6
Pass Rate:
85.7%
# Testing:
10
# Passing:
6
Pass Rate:
60.0%
# Testing:
45
# Passing:
26
Pass Rate:
57.8%

Repeat, U.S. Educated

Pass Rate:43.2%
# Testing:
38229
# Passing:
16523
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, U.S. Educated
# Testing:
7828
# Passing:
3121
Pass Rate:
39.9%
# Testing:
9339
# Passing:
3708
Pass Rate:
39.7%
# Testing:
10951
# Passing:
5826
Pass Rate:
53.2%
# Testing:
10111
# Passing:
3868
Pass Rate:
38.3%
# Testing:
38229
# Passing:
16523
Pass Rate:
43.2%

First-time, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:44.7%
# Testing:
16796
# Passing:
7505
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-Time, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
3405
# Passing:
1400
Pass Rate:
41.1%
# Testing:
3982
# Passing:
1799
Pass Rate:
45.2%
# Testing:
4256
# Passing:
1919
Pass Rate:
45.1%
# Testing:
5153
# Passing:
2387
Pass Rate:
46.3%
# Testing:
16796
# Passing:
7505
Pass Rate:
44.7%

Repeat, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:25.4%
# Testing:
17949
# Passing:
4559
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
3967
# Passing:
895
Pass Rate:
22.6%
# Testing:
4541
# Passing:
1068
Pass Rate:
23.5%
# Testing:
4419
# Passing:
1189
Pass Rate:
26.9%
# Testing:
5022
# Passing:
1407
Pass Rate:
28.0%
# Testing:
17949
# Passing:
4559
Pass Rate:
25.4%

All Candidates

Pass Rate:73.1%
# Testing:
236182
# Passing:
172699
*Due to COVID-19, the January quarterly data contain NCLEX examinations administered from January 1 to March 24, 2020.
**Due to COVID-19, the April quarterly data contain NCLEX examinations administered from March 25 to June 30, 2020.

NCLEX Pass Rates - RN

Candidates for Canadian Licensure/Registration

See Pass Rates by Jurisdiction
PDF (87KB)

First-time, Canadian Educated

Pass Rate:85.7%
# Testing:
9513
# Passing:
8150
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-time, Canadian Educated
# Testing:
1422
# Passing:
1210
Pass Rate:
85.1%
# Testing:
2736
# Passing:
2419
Pass Rate:
88.4%
# Testing:
3913
# Passing:
3393
Pass Rate:
86.7%
# Testing:
1442
# Passing:
1128
Pass Rate:
78.2%
# Testing:
9513
# Passing:
8150
Pass Rate:
85.7%

Repeat, Canadian Educated

Pass Rate:49.4%
# Testing:
2698
# Passing:
1332
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, Canadian Educated
# Testing:
721
# Passing:
368
Pass Rate:
51.0%
# Testing:
649
# Passing:
267
Pass Rate:
41.1%
# Testing:
583
# Passing:
342
Pass Rate:
58.7%
# Testing:
745
# Passing:
355
Pass Rate:
47.7%
# Testing:
2698
# Passing:
1332
Pass Rate:
49.4%

First-time, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:60.7%
# Testing:
1101
# Passing:
668
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-time, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
257
# Passing:
149
Pass Rate:
58.0%
# Testing:
259
# Passing:
154
Pass Rate:
59.5%
# Testing:
252
# Passing:
166
Pass Rate:
65.9%
# Testing:
333
# Passing:
199
Pass Rate:
59.8%
# Testing:
1101
# Passing:
668
Pass Rate:
60.7%

Repeat, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:36.7%
# Testing:
787
# Passing:
289
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
161
# Passing:
57
Pass Rate:
35.4%
# Testing:
204
# Passing:
68
Pass Rate:
33.3%
# Testing:
193
# Passing:
78
Pass Rate:
40.4%
# Testing:
229
# Passing:
86
Pass Rate:
37.6%
# Testing:
787
# Passing:
289
Pass Rate:
36.7%

All Candidates

Pass Rate:74.0%
# Testing:
14099
# Passing:
10439
*Due to COVID-19, the January quarterly data contain NCLEX examinations administered from January 1 to March 24, 2020.
**Due to COVID-19, the April quarterly data contain NCLEX examinations administered from March 25 to June 30, 2020.

NCLEX Pass Rates - PN

See Pass Rates by Jurisdiction
PDF (87KB)

First-Time, U.S. Educated

Pass Rate:85.9%
# Testing:
47044
# Passing:
40424
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-Time, U.S. Educated
# Testing:
10731
# Passing:
9311
Pass Rate:
86.8%
# Testing:
10431
# Passing:
9028
Pass Rate:
86.5%
# Testing:
16282
# Passing:
14018
Pass Rate:
86.1%
# Testing:
9600
# Passing:
8067
Pass Rate:
84.0%
# Testing:
47044
# Passing:
40424
Pass Rate:
85.9%

Repeat, U.S. Educated

Pass Rate:35.6%
# Testing:
15059
# Passing:
5361
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, U.S. Educated
# Testing:
3924
# Passing:
1247
Pass Rate:
31.8%
# Testing:
3849
# Passing:
1377
Pass Rate:
35.8%
# Testing:
3417
# Passing:
1103
Pass Rate:
32.3%
# Testing:
3869
# Passing:
1634
Pass Rate:
42.2%
# Testing:
15059
# Passing:
5361
Pass Rate:
35.6%

First-Time, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:50.8%
# Testing:
589
# Passing:
299
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-Time, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
161
# Passing:
79
Pass Rate:
49.1%
# Testing:
150
# Passing:
73
Pass Rate:
48.7%
# Testing:
143
# Passing:
71
Pass Rate:
49.7%
# Testing:
135
# Passing:
76
Pass Rate:
56.3%
# Testing:
589
# Passing:
299
Pass Rate:
50.8%

Repeat, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:22.6%
# Testing:
987
# Passing:
223
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
258
# Passing:
57
Pass Rate:
22.1%
# Testing:
257
# Passing:
50
Pass Rate:
19.5%
# Testing:
240
# Passing:
53
Pass Rate:
22.1%
# Testing:
232
# Passing:
63
Pass Rate:
27.2%
# Testing:
987
# Passing:
223
Pass Rate:
22.6%

All Candidates

Pass Rate:72.7%
# Testing:
63679
# Passing:
46307
*Due to COVID-19, the January quarterly data contain NCLEX examinations administered from January 1 to March 24, 2020.
**Due to COVID-19, the April quarterly data contain NCLEX examinations administered from March 25 to June 30, 2020.
***The passing standard of the NCLEX-PN exam has changed from -0.21 to -0.18 since March 25, 2020.

More than 169,100 nurse licensure candidates have taken the NCLEX in international test centers through Dec. 31, 2020.

Top Five Countries/Territories
(with respect to volume)

First-Time, Internationally Educated Candidates for U.S. Licensure
2020 Total Jan.-Mar. Apr.-Jun. Jul.-Sep. Oct.-Dec.
First
Philippines
6003
Philippines
2494
Philippines
774
Philippines
1489
Philippines
1246
Second
India
1257
India
332
Puerto Rico
317
Puerto Rico
355
India
347
Third
Puerto Rico
1190
Puerto Rico
230
India
240
India
338
Puerto Rico
288
Fourth
Nigeria
495
Nigeria
206
Nigeria
98
Nigeria
108
Kenya
114
Fifth
Nepal
378
Kenya
148
Nepal
79
Nepal
93
Nepal
89
First-Time, Internationally Educated Candidates for Canadian Licensure/Registration
2019 Total Jan.-Mar. Apr.-Jun. Jul.-Sep. Oct.-Dec.
First
India
839
India
155
India
216
India
300
India
168
First
Philippines
541
Philippines
109
Philippines
179
Philippines
148
Philippines
105
First
Iran
36
Iran
11
Nepal
10
Nepal
10
Iran
9
First
Nepal
31
Nepal
6
Iran
8
United Kingdom
10
Nepal
5
First
United Kingdom
24
Australia
4
United Kingdom
8
Iran
8
Pakistan
5