NCLEX-RN pass rates and what they actually tell you
Written and reviewed by Dana Whitfield, RN, MSN · 6 min read · Updated August 2026
Short answer
Roughly 88% of US-educated first-time candidates pass the NCLEX-RN. Repeat candidates pass at around 45%, and internationally educated first-time candidates at around 50%. The first-time-versus-repeat gap is the number that matters: it is not about ability, it is about whether the second attempt changed method or just repeated content review.
The four numbers worth knowing
US-educated, first attempt: about 88%. US-educated, repeat attempt: about 45%. Internationally educated, first attempt: about 50%. Internationally educated, repeat: lower still. Those figures move a point or two year to year and by quarter, but the shape has been stable for a decade and the shape is what you can act on.
Quarterly figures also swing because of who is sitting. The spring quarter is full of fresh graduates and reads high; later quarters carry more repeat candidates and read lower. A pass rate is always a statement about a cohort before it is a statement about a test.
Why repeat rates halve
The obvious explanation — that candidates who fail are weaker — is only part of it, and the smaller part. The bigger driver is method. The typical response to a fail is to buy a longer content review and read it more carefully, which reinforces recall, and recall was not the thing that failed.
Candidates who move from reading to answering, and who spend more time on rationales than on content, pass retakes at meaningfully higher rates than the headline 45%. If you are preparing a second attempt, treat the Candidate Performance Report as the syllabus and questions as the method.
What your school's pass rate means for you
Program pass rates are published by most state boards, and they correlate with things like faculty ratio and admission selectivity. They do not transfer to you as an individual. A candidate from a 75% program who does 2,000 reviewed questions is in a better position than a candidate from a 98% program who does 300.
Use the program number for one decision only — choosing a school. After graduation it is history.
The one predictor you can control
Across studies, the strongest available predictor of passing is consistent performance on realistic practice items over time, not a single readiness exam and not GPA. That is convenient, because it is also the only one you can still change.
Set the bar at a 65% rolling average across mixed-category sets, sustained for at least ten sets. One set is noise. Ten sets is a signal, and the trend line matters more than any single number in it.
Whatever you take from this, the next step is the same: answer questions and read the rationales. Our med-surg practice questions are the closest set to what this guide covers, there are ten more on the practice questions hub, and the pricing page spells out what the free tier includes.
One question from the med-surg set
A client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has an oxygen saturation of 88% on 2 L/min via nasal cannula and is alert with no distress. What should the nurse do first?
Rationale
In COPD a saturation of 88–92% is the therapeutic target, not an emergency, and this client is alert with no distress. The first action is the independent nursing intervention that is least invasive and most likely to help: sit them up and reassess. Turning the oxygen up to 6 L/min risks blunting the hypoxic drive, and calling rapid response or drawing an ABG escalates ahead of an assessment you have not finished.
Answer: B
Common questions
What percentage of people pass the NCLEX first time?
About 88% of US-educated first-time candidates pass the NCLEX-RN. Internationally educated first-time candidates pass at roughly 50%, largely reflecting differences in exam format familiarity rather than clinical knowledge.
What is the NCLEX pass rate for second attempts?
Around 45% for US-educated repeat candidates. The gap from the first-time rate is driven mostly by method — repeating content review rather than switching to reviewed practice questions.
How many times can you take the NCLEX?
The NCSBN allows eight attempts per year with a 45-day wait between them, but individual state boards can set stricter limits, including a lifetime cap. Check your board's rule before you plan a retake date.