Pass rates by candidate type
| Category | Pass Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Overall US (First-time US-educated) | ~87% | 2025 data. Significant decline from 73.3% overall in 2020 reflects increasing NGN difficulty for unprepared candidates. |
| Overall US (All candidates) | ~69.1% | 2025 overall rate includes repeat candidates and internationally educated nurses. |
| Repeat candidates (all types) | ~52.7% | Repeat candidates have significantly lower pass rates. Structured remediation is essential before retesting. |
| Internationally educated (first-time) | ~47.3% | Significant gap from US-educated candidates. NGN clinical judgment format represents a different testing paradigm than most international nursing education. |
| Florida (programs on probation) | ~75% avg for probation programs | 101+ programs on probation over 5 years. Florida ties state funding to NCLEX pass rates. |
What these numbers mean for you
The 87% first-time pass rate for US-educated candidates means that 13% of new nursing graduates fail their first NCLEX attempt. The common thread among those who fail is not inadequate clinical knowledge \u2014 it is insufficient practice with the Next Generation NCLEX clinical judgment question formats (bowtie, matrix, extended multiple response, case studies).
For repeat candidates (52.7% pass rate), the gap between first-time and repeat rates is stark. Simply retesting without structured remediation \u2014 specifically targeting NGN question type practice and clinical judgment case studies \u2014 is the most common mistake among repeat candidates.
For nursing programs with pass rates below 80%: ACEN and CCNE accreditation standards require programs to maintain rates above this threshold. Programs that consistently fall below face accreditation review. See StudyBuddy\u2019s institutional resources for program-level support options.