How Many Questions Can You Get Wrong on the NCLEX?

There is no fixed number of questions you can get wrong on the NCLEX. The exam is not scored by percentage, and it does not work like a traditional test. Passing or failing is determined by your overall ability level, not by counting incorrect answers.

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The Short Answer

There is no set number of questions you can get wrong on the NCLEX.

There is no percentage score, no pass mark based on correct answers, and no fixed threshold of mistakes. The number of questions you miss does not directly determine whether you pass or fail.

Why the NCLEX Does Not Use a Wrong Answer Count

The NCLEX is a pass or fail exam. While candidates receive a logit score internally, that number itself is not shared or used in the way many people expect.

What matters is whether your overall ability level meets the standard required for safe, entry level nursing practice.

Key points to understand:

There is no percentage score
There is no target number of correct answers
The total number of questions is a poor predictor of your result
Passing is based on ability, not counting mistakes

How NCLEX Scoring Actually Works

Computer Adaptive Testing

The NCLEX uses Computer Adaptive Testing, often called CAT.

This means:

The exam adjusts in real time to your performance
Questions become harder when you answer correctly
Questions become slightly easier when you answer incorrectly
No two exams are exactly the same

The CAT system is designed to give you questions where you have about a fifty percent chance of answering correctly. This helps the system accurately estimate your ability level.

The Three Rules That Determine When the Exam Stops

The testing system follows three rules set by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

1. Ninety Five Percent Confidence Rule

The computer keeps giving questions until it is ninety five percent confident that your ability level is either above or below the passing standard.

You pass when the system is confident your ability is above the standard.

2. Maximum Length Rule

If your performance stays close to the passing standard, the exam continues until the maximum number of questions.

At that point:

The ninety five percent confidence rule is no longer used
The system makes a final decision based on your overall ability estimate

Reaching the maximum number of questions does not mean failure.

3. Run Out Of Time Rule

If the time limit is reached:

The system uses your final ability estimate
You must have answered at least the minimum number of questions
If you do not reach the minimum, you fail

The Passing Standard Explained

The passing standard represents the ability level required to practice safely as an entry level nurse.

As of December 2022:

NCLEX RN passing standard is 0.00 logits
NCLEX PN passing standard is minus 0.18 logits

Candidates pass if their ability estimate is above the standard. Passing also requires meeting expectations across all client needs areas, subcategories, and NGN content.

NCLEX Question Count Range

For the NCLEX RN:

Minimum number of questions is 85
Maximum number of questions is 150

One source notes that candidates may see:

Seventy to one hundred thirty-five scored questions
Plus fifteen unscored pretest questions

The total number of questions does not indicate success or failure.

How Questions Are Scored

The NCLEX uses multiple scoring methods, not just simple right or wrong grading.

Scoring methods include:

Zero or one scoring
Plus or minus partial credit scoring
Rationale dependent pair scoring

This polytomous scoring approach allows the exam to measure clinical reasoning and decision making more precisely than traditional tests.

How Failure Happens

Failing the NCLEX does not come from reaching a certain number of wrong answers.

Failure occurs when:

Your final ability estimate falls below the passing standard
You do not answer enough questions correctly within the allotted time
You do not reach the minimum number of questions before time runs out

The CAT system evaluates your performance across the entire exam, not individual mistakes.

What to Remember

If you are worried about how many questions can you get wrong on the NCLEX, the most important points are these:

There is no fixed number of wrong answers
Question count does not predict your result
The exam measures ability, not mistakes
CAT adapts to your performance in real time

Trying to track wrong answers during the exam only increases anxiety and does not reflect how the test is scored.

A Gentle Reminder

NCLEX scoring rules and passing standards are set by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Official explanations and results are the only reliable sources of truth.

This article is meant to clarify how scoring works, not to guarantee outcomes.