NCLEX Pass Rates: What the 2025 NCSBN Numbers Mean for You
NCSBN's 2025 NCLEX pass rates for RN and PN candidates by group: first-time, repeat and internationally educated. What the numbers mean and how to read a school's rate.
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In 2025, the NCLEX pass rate for first-time, U.S.-educated candidates was 86.7% on the NCLEX-RN and 86.6% on the NCLEX-PN, according to NCSBN's 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics. Across all candidates for U.S. licensure, including repeat and internationally educated test-takers, the rates were 69.1% for the RN exam and 77.3% for the PN exam.
That is the short answer. The longer one matters more, because a single "NCLEX pass rate" hides very different groups of candidates. This article walks through NCSBN's full-year 2025 tables, compares them with 2024, and explains what the numbers can and cannot tell you about your own exam.
What the NCLEX Pass Rate Measures
A pass rate is simple arithmetic: of the candidates in a group who tested during a period, how many passed. NCSBN, the organization behind the NCLEX, publishes these figures every year, broken down by educational program, first-time versus repeat attempts, and U.S.-educated versus internationally educated candidates.
Two facts about the exam shape how those figures should be read.
There is no quota. NCSBN uses a criterion-referenced passing standard. Its report puts it plainly: "There is no preassigned percentage of candidates that pass or fail each examination." Every candidate is measured against the same standard of safe, entry-level practice, not against the other people who tested that year. If everyone met the standard, everyone would pass.
There are no scores. NCLEX results are reported only as pass or fail. That is why NCSBN's statistics are almost all pass rates rather than average scores.
If you want to understand how that pass-or-fail decision is made, How the NCLEX Works explains computerized adaptive testing and the passing standard.
NCLEX-RN Exam Pass Rate in 2025
The 2025 NCLEX-RN exam pass rate figures below come from Table 1 of NCSBN's annual report, "Candidates Taking the NCLEX-RN for U.S. Licensure, by Type of Candidate," for January 1 to December 31, 2025.
| Candidate group | Tested | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-time, U.S.-educated | 192,916 | 167,272 | 86.7% |
| Repeat, U.S.-educated | 42,513 | 22,404 | 52.7% |
| First-time, internationally educated | 52,827 | 24,999 | 47.3% |
| Repeat, internationally educated | 40,187 | 12,271 | 30.5% |
| All candidates for U.S. licensure | 328,443 | 226,946 | 69.1% |
The same table splits first-time, U.S.-educated candidates by the type of program they graduated from:
| Program type (first-time, U.S.-educated) | Tested | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| Baccalaureate | 100,258 | 87.6% |
| Associate degree | 89,549 | 86.1% |
| Diploma | 2,671 | 83.3% |
The total for first-time, U.S.-educated candidates also includes a small group listed under "special program codes" (438 candidates). For an overview of the exam itself, see the NCLEX-RN overview.
NCLEX-PN Pass Rate in 2025
For practical and vocational nursing candidates, the figures come from Table 12, "Candidates Taking the NCLEX-PN, by Type of Candidate," for the full year 2025.
| Candidate group | Tested | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-time, U.S.-educated | 54,818 | 47,470 | 86.6% |
| Repeat, U.S.-educated | 13,342 | 5,558 | 41.7% |
| First-time, internationally educated | 397 | 213 | 53.7% |
| Repeat, internationally educated | 439 | 121 | 27.6% |
| All candidates for U.S. licensure | 68,996 | 53,362 | 77.3% |
Notice how small the internationally educated PN groups are: fewer than 500 candidates each for the whole year. With groups that small, a handful of results moves the percentage noticeably, so treat those two rates with more caution than the others. The NCLEX-PN overview covers the PN exam itself.
NCSBN also notes that the RN and PN passing standards "are not directly comparable," because they are based on different item pools and different scopes of practice. A higher all-candidate PN rate does not mean the PN exam is "easier."
How 2025 Compares With 2024
Here are the same groups from NCSBN's 2024 report (Tables 1 and 12, full year 2024) next to 2025.
| Exam and group | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN, first-time, U.S.-educated | 91.2% | 86.7% |
| NCLEX-RN, repeat, U.S.-educated | 50.9% | 52.7% |
| NCLEX-RN, first-time, internationally educated | 53.8% | 47.3% |
| NCLEX-RN, all candidates for U.S. licensure | 73.3% | 69.1% |
| NCLEX-PN, first-time, U.S.-educated | 88.4% | 86.6% |
| NCLEX-PN, repeat, U.S.-educated | 41.9% | 41.7% |
| NCLEX-PN, all candidates for U.S. licensure | 79.1% | 77.3% |
The first-time, U.S.-educated RN rate was 4.5 percentage points lower in 2025 than in 2024. NCSBN's tables report that change; they do not explain it, and we will not guess at a cause. One thing that did not change: according to the same report, both the RN and PN passing standards were retained in April 2023 and again in April 2026.
Why the Rate Changes Through the Year
NCSBN also reports results by quarter, and the quarterly numbers can look very different from the annual ones. For NCLEX-RN candidates seeking U.S. licensure in 2025:
| Quarter (2025) | First-time, U.S.-educated | All candidates for U.S. licensure |
|---|---|---|
| January–March | 88.4% | 71.6% |
| April–June | 89.1% | 73.7% |
| July–September | 84.0% | 68.7% |
| October–December | 81.2% | 57.6% |
The all-candidate rate in the last quarter looks alarming until you look at who tested. In April–June, 68,091 of the 100,937 RN candidates were first-time, U.S.-educated, about two in three. In October–December, they were 20,128 of 55,523, about one in three. The groups with lower pass rates made up a much larger share of the testers, so the overall percentage fell.
The lesson is general: an "all candidates" rate depends heavily on the mix of people who tested. Compare like with like.
What the Numbers Mean for You
A pass rate describes a group. It is not your personal probability of passing. Your result depends on how you perform against the passing standard on the day, not on how many other people passed that year.
Still, the numbers are useful if you read them for what they are.
If you are a first-time, U.S.-educated candidate, roughly 87 in 100 people in your group passed in 2025, on both the RN and PN exams. Most people in that group pass. That is a reason to prepare steadily, not a reason to assume the result. The 2026 NCLEX study roadmap and evidence-based study methods are good places to build that preparation.
If you are retaking the exam, the repeat rates are lower: 52.7% for U.S.-educated RN candidates and 41.7% for U.S.-educated PN candidates in 2025. Those figures describe everyone in the group who retested in 2025. They are not a forecast of your next attempt. Candidates who do not pass receive a Candidate Performance Report showing their performance in each test plan content area and in clinical judgment, and that evidence is the best starting point for a new plan. Failing the NCLEX Is Not the End covers how to use it, and the NCLEX retake rules explain when and how you can test again.
If you were educated outside the United States, the 2025 RN rates were 47.3% for first-time and 30.5% for repeat internationally educated candidates seeking U.S. licensure. The group is large and made up of candidates educated in many different countries, so the average says little about any one person's preparation. It does say that it is worth understanding the exam format and the U.S. entry-level practice expectations before you book a date. The NCLEX guide for internationally educated nurses covers the steps to the exam and what to expect on it if you trained abroad.
Do not read your exam length as a result. In 2025, 59.1% of first-time, U.S.-educated RN candidates took the minimum number of items and 20.5% took the maximum (Table 3). For the PN exam, the figures were 64.6% and 17.7% (Table 13). Both groups contain people who passed and people who did not. How you get your NCLEX results explains why no sign from the exam itself tells you the result.
How to Read a Nursing School's NCLEX Pass Rate
Nursing programs may quote their NCLEX pass rate, and it can be a helpful signal when you choose a school. Before you compare numbers, ask a few questions:
- Which group is counted? Check whether the figure covers only first-time test-takers or everyone who tested. Compare a first-time figure with the national first-time, U.S.-educated rate for the same exam, not with the all-candidate rate.
- Which period? A calendar year, an academic year and a single quarter are not the same. As the 2025 quarters show, rates can differ by several points within one year.
- How many graduates tested? In a small program, two or three results can move the percentage by several points. Ask for the number of test-takers along with the rate.
- Same year, same exam? Compare a school's 2025 RN rate with the national 2025 RN figure (86.7% for first-time, U.S.-educated candidates), not with a figure from another year or the PN exam.
- Where does the number come from? Ask the program for its source. NCSBN offers nursing programs a subscription report on how their graduates perform on licensure exams. Your state board of nursing can tell you whether it publishes results for the programs it approves.
And keep in mind what a school's pass rate is: a record of past graduates. It tells you something about the program, but it does not decide your result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NCLEX prep has the highest pass rate?
NCSBN's tables cannot answer that. NCSBN reports results by education, attempt and country of education, not by prep course or app, so there is no official ranking of prep providers by pass rate. A provider's own figure comes from its own data, so read how it was measured before you compare it with NCSBN's numbers.
Why do different websites show different NCLEX pass rates?
Usually because they quote different periods (a full year, a quarter or a year-to-date figure) or different groups (first-time candidates versus all candidates). NCSBN also notes that its live dashboard can differ slightly from its PDF reports because of data reconciliation, such as adding or removing candidates.
Where can I find NCLEX pass rates for 2026?
NCSBN's interactive NCLEX Pass Rates dashboard shows year-to-date figures for the current year. Partial-year figures change as more candidates test, which is why this article uses 2025, the latest complete year NCSBN has published in its annual report.
What is the NCLEX-RN pass rate for Canadian licensure?
NCSBN reports it separately (Table 2 of the 2025 report). In 2025, 86.0% of first-time, Canada-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for Canadian licensure or registration, and 58.9% of all candidates for Canadian licensure passed.
Is the pass rate the same as a passing score?
No. A pass rate is the share of candidates who passed. NCLEX results are never reported as scores: your performance is compared with a passing standard, and only the pass or fail decision is reported.
Before You Test
The pass rate is a description of last year's candidates. Your part is the preparation in front of you. Explore ExamReady NCLEX preparation when you want a structured place to practice before your exam.
Official resources
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