The 2019 NCLEX Examination

From April 1, 1994 through December 31, 2019, more than 6 millions candidates for nurse license have taken NCLEX® examinations via CAT.

 

For the calendar year ending Dec. 31, 2019, 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:88.2%
# Testing:
171374
# Passing:
151120
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
RN - Diploma
# Testing:
545
# Passing:
485
Pass Rate:
89.0%
# Testing:
607
# Passing:
535
Pass Rate:
88.1%
# Testing:
769
# Passing:
688
Pass Rate:
89.5%
# Testing:
326
# Passing:
266
Pass Rate:
81.6%
# Testing:
2247
# Passing:
1974
Pass Rate:
87.9%
RN - BSN
# Testing:
22550
# Passing:
20930
Pass Rate:
92.8%
# Testing:
26345
# Passing:
24282
Pass Rate:
92.2%
# Testing:
27589
# Passing:
25005
Pass Rate:
90.6%
# Testing:
7798
# Passing:
6685
Pass Rate:
85.7%
# Testing:
84282
# Passing:
76902
Pass Rate:
91.2%
RN - ADN
# Testing:
23916
# Passing:
20876
Pass Rate:
87.3%
# Testing:
26979
# Passing:
23328
Pass Rate:
86.5%
# Testing:
26078
# Passing:
22340
Pass Rate:
85.7%
# Testing:
7825
# Passing:
5673
Pass Rate:
72.5%
# Testing:
84798
# Passing:
72217
Pass Rate:
85.2%
Special Program Codes
# Testing:
17
# Passing:
8
Pass Rate:
47.1%
# Testing:
10
# Passing:
7
Pass Rate:
70.0%
# Testing:
8
# Passing:
4
Pass Rate:
50.0%
# Testing:
12
# Passing:
8
Pass Rate:
66.7%
# Testing:
47
# Passing:
27
Pass Rate:
57.4%

Repeat, U.S. Educated

Pass Rate:44.0%
# Testing:
40015
# Passing:
17619
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, U.S. Educated
# Testing:
8862
# Passing:
3996
Pass Rate:
45.1%
# Testing:
9150
# Passing:
3395
Pass Rate:
37.1%
# Testing:
11507
# Passing:
5991
Pass Rate:
52.1%
# Testing:
10496
# Passing:
4237
Pass Rate:
40.4%
# Testing:
40015
# Passing:
17619
Pass Rate:
44.0%

First-time, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:45.5%
# Testing:
21040
# Passing:
9569
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-Time, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
4814
# Passing:
2292
Pass Rate:
47.6%
# Testing:
5064
# Passing:
2353
Pass Rate:
46.5%
# Testing:
5173
# Passing:
2499
Pass Rate:
48.3%
# Testing:
5989
# Passing:
2425
Pass Rate:
40.5%
# Testing:
21040
# Passing:
9569
Pass Rate:
45.5%

Repeat, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:27.0%
# Testing:
19865
# Passing:
5365
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
4706
# Passing:
1410
Pass Rate:
30.0%
# Testing:
4970
# Passing:
1368
Pass Rate:
27.5%
# Testing:
4768
# Passing:
1406
Pass Rate:
29.5%
# Testing:
5421
# Passing:
1181
Pass Rate:
21.8%
# Testing:
19865
# Passing:
5365
Pass Rate:
27.0%

All Candidates

Pass Rate:72.8%
# Testing:
252294
# Passing:
183673
*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:85.6%
# Testing:
9842
# Passing:
8425
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-time, Canadian Educated
# Testing:
1512
# Passing:
1298
Pass Rate:
85.8%
# Testing:
3017
# Passing:
2651
Pass Rate:
87.9%
# Testing:
3886
# Passing:
3299
Pass Rate:
84.9%
# Testing:
1427
# Passing:
1177
Pass Rate:
82.5%
# Testing:
9842
# Passing:
8425
Pass Rate:
85.6%

Repeat, Canadian Educated

Pass Rate:51.4%
# Testing:
2748
# Passing:
1412
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, Canadian Educated
# Testing:
611
# Passing:
332
Pass Rate:
54.3%
# Testing:
647
# Passing:
287
Pass Rate:
44.4%
# Testing:
670
# Passing:
375
Pass Rate:
56.0%
# Testing:
820
# Passing:
418
Pass Rate:
51.0%
# Testing:
2748
# Passing:
1412
Pass Rate:
51.4%

First-time, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:59.0%
# Testing:
1083
# Passing:
639
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-time, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
257
# Passing:
161
Pass Rate:
62.6%
# Testing:
255
# Passing:
157
Pass Rate:
61.6%
# Testing:
276
# Passing:
178
Pass Rate:
64.5%
# Testing:
295
# Passing:
143
Pass Rate:
48.5%
# Testing:
1083
# Passing:
639
Pass Rate:
59.0%

Repeat, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:36.4%
# Testing:
895
# Passing:
326
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
204
# Passing:
85
Pass Rate:
41.7%
# Testing:
215
# Passing:
76
Pass Rate:
35.3%
# Testing:
226
# Passing:
94
Pass Rate:
41.6%
# Testing:
250
# Passing:
71
Pass Rate:
28.4%
# Testing:
895
# Passing:
326
Pass Rate:
36.4%

All Candidates

Pass Rate:74.1%
# Testing:
14568
# Passing:
10802
*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:85.6%
# Testing:
48228
# Passing:
41299
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-Time, U.S. Educated
# Testing:
11093
# Passing:
9398
Pass Rate:
84.7%
# Testing:
10186
# Passing:
8834
Pass Rate:
86.7%
# Testing:
17048
# Passing:
14800
Pass Rate:
86.8%
# Testing:
9901
# Passing:
8267
Pass Rate:
83.5%
# Testing:
48228
# Passing:
41299
Pass Rate:
85.6%

Repeat, U.S. Educated

Pass Rate:36.7%
# Testing:
14164
# Passing:
5196
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, U.S. Educated
# Testing:
3263
# Passing:
1071
Pass Rate:
32.8%
# Testing:
3804
# Passing:
1527
Pass Rate:
40.1%
# Testing:
3431
# Passing:
1169
Pass Rate:
34.1%
# Testing:
3666
# Passing:
1429
Pass Rate:
39.0%
# Testing:
14164
# Passing:
5196
Pass Rate:
36.7%

First-Time, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:54.7%
# Testing:
523
# Passing:
286
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
First-Time, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
121
# Passing:
63
Pass Rate:
52.1%
# Testing:
120
# Passing:
72
Pass Rate:
60.0%
# Testing:
138
# Passing:
70
Pass Rate:
50.7%
# Testing:
144
# Passing:
81
Pass Rate:
56.2%
# Testing:
523
# Passing:
286
Pass Rate:
54.7%

Repeat, Internationally Educated

Pass Rate:26.0%
# Testing:
843
# Passing:
219
Jan.–Mar. 2020 Apr.–Jun. 2020 Jul.–Sep. 2020 Oct.–Dec. 2020 Total
Repeat, Internationally Educated
# Testing:
202
# Passing:
38
Pass Rate:
18.8%
# Testing:
216
# Passing:
64
Pass Rate:
29.6%
# Testing:
196
# Passing:
53
Pass Rate:
27.0%
# Testing:
229
# Passing:
64
Pass Rate:
27.9%
# Testing:
843
# Passing:
219
Pass Rate:
26.0%

All Candidates

Pass Rate:73.7%
# Testing:
63758
# Passing:
47000
*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