NCLEX-PN pass rates: what NCSBN's 2025 figures say, by candidate type
Written and reviewed by Rebecca Moore, MSN, RN, CEN · 3 min read · Updated October 2026
Short answer
In 2025, 86.6% of first-time, US-educated candidates passed the NCLEX-PN, according to NCSBN's annual statistics report. Repeat US-educated candidates passed at 41.7%. Across every candidate type the pass rate was 77.3%. The first-time figure is the one most people mean, and the repeat figure is the one worth planning around if you are retaking.
The 2025 numbers, by type of candidate
NCSBN splits NCLEX-PN results into four groups. First-time, US-educated candidates: 54,818 tested and 86.6% passed. Repeat, US-educated: 13,342 tested and 41.7% passed. First-time, internationally educated: 397 tested and 53.7% passed. Repeat, internationally educated: 439 tested and 27.6% passed.
Put together, 68,996 candidates sat the NCLEX-PN in 2025 and 77.3% passed. That all-candidates figure is lower than the first-time figure because repeat candidates pull it down, not because the exam got harder.
Why the quarterly figures move
The first-time, US-educated rate ran 86.3% from January to March, 86.5% from April to June, 88.8% from July to September and 83.5% from October to December. The third quarter was also the busiest, with 18,281 first-time candidates against 11,477 to 13,290 in the others.
A quarterly rate describes the group who happened to test that quarter. It is not a sign that the exam was easier in summer, and it says nothing about when you should book your own date.
State and school pass rates
The same report breaks first-time, US-educated results down by jurisdiction. California, for example, had 9,136 first-time PN candidates in 2025 and 80.9% passed. State boards also publish pass rates for individual practical nursing schools, which is the place to look if you are comparing schools.
None of these figures predicts your own result. The NCLEX is scored against a fixed passing standard, not against other candidates, so there is no quota and your chance depends on your ability, not on the cohort's.
What the repeat figure means for you
The gap between 86.6% and 41.7% is the clearest number in the report. It does not mean a second attempt is hopeless. It means a second attempt built on the same preparation tends to produce the same result.
If you are retaking, the waiting period and attempt limits are the same for PN and RN candidates, and our NCLEX retake rules guide sets them out. Start from your Candidate Performance Report and practise the areas marked below or near the standard. Our free NCLEX-PN practice questions are grouped by the eight test plan categories, so you can aim at exactly those areas.
Common questions
What is the NCLEX-PN pass rate for 2025?
86.6% for first-time, US-educated candidates and 77.3% for all candidates combined, from NCSBN's 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics report.
Is the NCLEX-PN pass rate higher than the NCLEX-RN pass rate?
On the headline figure they are close: in 2025, 86.7% of first-time, US-educated NCLEX-RN candidates passed, against 86.6% for the NCLEX-PN, in the same NCSBN report. NCSBN notes the two passing standards rest on different item pools and scopes of practice, so they are not directly comparable.
Where do I find a school's NCLEX-PN pass rate?
On the state board of nursing's website for that state. NCSBN publishes national and state totals; boards publish results for the schools they approve.