How to pass the NCLEX
How the NCLEX decides a pass, what the 2026 test plan weights, how to build a schedule and what test takers say worked for them.
- You pass when your ability estimate is at or above the passing standard.
- Give your hours to the areas the test plan weights most.
- Practise case studies, SATA and priority questions, and read every rationale.
- Sit at least one full timed practice exam before your date.
To pass the NCLEX, your ability has to be at or above the passing standard by the time the exam ends, somewhere between 85 and 150 questions. The way to get there is to study what the test plan weights, practise questions with rationales every week and sit at least one full timed exam before your date.
Sources checked 6 October 2026.
What passing means
The NCLEX does not have a pass mark as a percentage. It is a computer-adaptive exam. After each answer, the computer estimates your ability and picks a question you should find challenging. You pass when that estimate is at or above the passing standard: 0.00 logits for the NCLEX-RN and -0.18 logits for the NCLEX-PN, both in force until 31 March 2029. No fixed share of candidates passes or fails.
Two things follow. Most questions will feel hard, whether you are passing or failing. And the percentage you score in a question bank is not the number the exam uses.
Study what the test plan weights
The 2026 NCLEX-RN test plan gives each content area a share of the questions. Put your hours where the questions are.
| Content area | NCLEX-RN | NCLEX-PN |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Care (Coordinated Care on the PN exam) | 15–21% | 18–24% |
| Safety and Infection Prevention and Control | 10–16% | 10–16% |
| Health Promotion and Maintenance | 6–12% | 6–12% |
| Psychosocial Integrity | 6–12% | 9–15% |
| Basic Care and Comfort | 6–12% | 7–13% |
| Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies (Pharmacological Therapies on the PN exam) | 13–19% | 10–16% |
| Reduction of Risk Potential | 9–15% | 9–15% |
| Physiological Adaptation | 11–17% | 7–13% |
On top of these, every exam has three clinical judgment case studies of six questions each, plus stand-alone clinical judgment questions that make up about 10% of the exam.
Build a schedule from your exam date
Work backwards from the date. The study plan builder takes your exam, your date and the hours you have, and returns a week-by-week plan with hours for each content area. It keeps the last week for review. With four weeks or more, it also sets aside time for a full timed exam. You can print the plan or copy it. Each week of the plan names the part of Medibara to use for it.
Practise the question formats
- Case studies. Practise them as sets of six, because each question builds on the one before.
- Select all that apply. These earn partial credit, and a wrong selection takes a point off. See how SATA questions are scored.
- Priority questions. Decide which client or which action comes first, and be able to say why the others can wait.
- Calculations. The question tells you how to round. Follow it exactly.
How to do this with Medibara
Medibara is our app for NCLEX-RN, NCLEX-PN and REx-PN. It is built for short sessions on a phone, and it is free to start. This is how the steps above map onto it.
| When | What you do | Where in Medibara |
|---|---|---|
| Every study day | Learn one topic, then answer questions on it while it is fresh | A lesson. Each one is a short video followed by questions in your exam's format |
| After every question | Read why each option is right or wrong | The rationale that opens after you answer. If it does not make sense, tap "Ask Cappy why" |
| Once a week | Check which test plan areas are costing you points | Progress. It shows how you do in each area and marks the weakest "Focus next" |
| When an area stays weak | Test that area on its own | A topic mock on one Client Needs area |
| In the mixed-practice weeks | Sit a full timed exam | The full adaptive mock. Answers lock when you move on, and rationales wait until the end |
Ask Cappy is the tutor. It answers from the lesson you are on and shows where the answer comes from, so you can check it. A wrong answer never locks you out. Start learning on Medibara.
What test takers say worked
These points come from Reddit threads that rank for this search. They are personal accounts, not evidence of what works for everyone.
- A question bank plus a lecture series. In a 67-comment r/nursing thread on study materials, the top reply names Mark Klimek's lectures and UWorld. Other replies name Archer, Kaplan and UWorld on its own.
- Questions every day. The top reply in a r/nursing thread asking for tips is to do practice questions, then more of them.
- Read every rationale. One reply in that thread says doing every question in a bank and reading all the rationales was enough for them.
- Not everyone agrees. In the study materials thread, one person found the lectures no help, and another felt their question bank did not resemble the exam.
For the products themselves, see what test takers recommend.
On exam day
- Arrive at least 30 minutes early with your accepted ID.
- You have five hours, breaks included. See how long the NCLEX is.
- You cannot go back to a question after you submit it. Read it once, carefully.
- You get an on-screen calculator and an erasable note board.
What to ignore
- Counting questions. The length of your exam does not show whether you passed. See how many questions are on the NCLEX.
- Result tricks. Only your regulator gives an official result. See how to know if you passed.
- Recalled exam questions. A repeat candidate does not see the same question again in the current pool. Medibara does not use recalled questions.