Editing NCLEX-RN Exam Blueprint (section)

== Format and administration ==

* '''Computerized adaptive testing (CAT).''' After each scored item, the exam re-estimates the candidate's ability and selects the next item targeted near that estimate. Because items are selected to be maximally informative, candidates typically answer roughly half of the items correctly regardless of ability, so the perceived difficulty of the exam says nothing useful about whether the candidate is passing.
* '''No skipping and no going back.''' Every item must be answered, and answers cannot be reviewed or changed once submitted.
* '''Variable length.''' Under the 2026 test plan the exam ranges from a minimum of 85 items to a maximum of 150 items, with a maximum appointment time of five hours including the tutorial and all breaks. On a minimum-length exam the 85 items break down as 52 items drawn from the eight content areas in the stated percentages, 18 clinical judgment case study items, and 15 unscored pretest items.
* '''Unscored pretest items.''' There are 15 pretest items on every examination. They are being pilot-tested and do not count toward the result. They are identical in style and format to scored items, so candidates cannot identify them and every item should be treated as scored.
* '''Case studies.''' Every exam includes three unfolding case study sets, 18 items in total, in addition to roughly 10 percent stand-alone clinical judgment items.
* '''Passing standard.''' NCSBN sets a criterion-referenced standard on a logit scale and reevaluates it every three years. The NCLEX-RN passing standard is '''0.00 logits''', upheld through March 31, 2029 (NCSBN, 2026b).
* '''Stopping rules.''' The exam ends when the measurement is confident that the candidate is above or below the passing standard, when the maximum number of items is reached, or when time expires. Ending at the minimum number of items is neither good nor bad news by itself.
* '''Registration.''' Candidates apply to a board of nursing for licensure, register with the testing vendor, receive an Authorization to Test, and schedule at a testing center. Unsuccessful candidates receive a Candidate Performance Report showing performance relative to the passing standard in each content area, and may retest after the waiting period the board and NCSBN require.