NCLEX
| Acronym | NCLEX |
|---|---|
| Type | computerized adaptive testing |
| Developer / administrator | National Council of State Boards of Nursing |
| Knowledge / skills tested | Nursing science |
| Purpose | Prerequisite to nurse licensure in the USA and Canada |
| Year started | 1994 in US and 2015 in CA |
| Countries / regions | USA and Canada |
| Languages | English and French |
| Annual number of test takers | NCLEX-RN:  232,385 (in 2016)NCLEX-PN:  65,509 (in 2016) |
| Prerequisites / eligibility criteria | Candidate must be a recent graduate of an accredited nursing school. Fluency in English assumed. |
| Fee | U$ 200.00 or CAD$ 360.00 |
| Scores / grades used by | State Boards of Nursing in United States and Board of Nursing in 10 Canadian provinces |
| Qualification rate | NCLEX-RN: 70.18% (in 2016) NCLEX-PN: 70.59% (in 2016) |
| Website | www |
NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) is a nationwide examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States and Canada since 1994 and 2015, respectively. There are two types, the NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN. After graduation from a school of nursing, one takes the NCLEX exam to receive his or her nursing license. A nursing license gives an individual the permission to practice nursing, granted by the state where he or she met the requirements.
NCLEX examinations are developed and owned by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN). The NCSBN administers these examinations on behalf of its member boards which consist of the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands.
To ensure public protection, each board of nursing requires a candidate for licensure to pass the appropriate NCLEX examination, NCLEX-RN for registered nurses and the NCLEX-PN for vocational or practical nurses. NCLEX examinations are designed to test the knowledge, skills and abilities essential for the safe and effective practice of nursing at the entry-level.
NCLEX examinations are provided in a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) format and are presently administered by Pearson VUE in their network of Pearson Professional Centers (PPC). The NCLEX is a type of exam called a criterion-referenced examination. According to the chapter, “NCLEX: What You Need to Know,” in the textbook Nursing Now, a criterion-referenced examination is a “test that compares an individual’s knowledge to a predetermined standard rather than to the performance of others who take the same test.” With computerized exams such as this, the computer selects which question you are asked based on how you answered the previous question. The NCLEX covers a wide range of material. The individual will be scored by their ability to think critically about decisions involving nursing care.
The governing body responsible for making changes to the NCLEX is the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the NCSBN. They make changes by analyzing the current nursing practices. They do this by surveying approximately 12,000 recently licensed nurses about different nursing activities which appear on the NCLEX. The NCSBN analyzes these nursing activities based on how frequent the activity may occur, how it could impact the client’s safety, and the location of these activities. The NCSBN conducts these analyses every three years, then makes any needed changes to the exam. Changes were made in 2013 and are expected every three years after that date.
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