Resource Center

New NLC Rules take effect on January 2, 2024. This webinar explains how it will impact nurses needing to change their Primary State of Residence (PSOR) following a move from one compact state to another compact state.

NCSBN protects you and your trust in nursing through policy, data and innovation.

NCSBN staff answers questions from attendees at the 2023 NCSBN NCLEX Conference.

Nurse educator experts answer questions from attendees at the 2023 NCSBN NCLEX Conference.

NCSBN staff answers questions from attendees at the 2023 NCSBN NCLEX Conference.

Standard setting is a process used by testing professionals to determine the passing score on a test. It is an important step in establishing the validity and legal defensibility of an exam program. The NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN exams are reevaluated for their respective passing standards triennially. In this session, NCSBN staff discuss the steps involved in setting NCLEX passing standards, including how to set the passing standard on Next Generation NCLEX items.

The NGN launched on April 1, 2023, to better measure nursing candidates’ clinical judgment and decision making abilities through the use of innovative item types. This session will give an update on the NGN project.

The NCLEX is a variable-length computerized adaptive test (CAT). It resorts to modern psychometric theory coupled with the state-of-the-art computer-driven administration to deliver a psychometrically sound, standardized exams for evaluating candidates’ performance with the passing standard required to conduct safe, entry-level nursing practice. This session describes the background and algorithms behind the NGN CAT methodology.

The NGN scores items using one of three scoring rules: 0/1 scoring rule, +/- scoring rule or the rationale scoring rule. This session explores each of these three scoring rules by using examples that cover all eligible item types on the NCLEX exam. Additionally, the session will cover general information about using the Partial Credit Model to convert the item scores onto the NCLEX scale.

NCSBN ensures fairness for different groups taking the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN exams. Candidates with comparable nursing knowledge should perform similarly on exam items regardless of other factors. This session describes how sensitivity and DIF panel reviews contribute to the fairness and legal defensibility of an exam.

As the nursing profession evolves to keep pace with the increased demands in care delivery, entry-level nurses are expected to possess sound clinical judgment skills to deliver safe, effective nursing care. In this session, speakers discuss the essential role of clinical judgment in entry-level nursing and its impact on client safety, along with providing exemplary instances of the application of clinical judgment in the educational setting.

The NCLEX is a valid and reliable standardized exam that measures the minimal competency required to practice safe, entry-level nursing. To achieve this, the exam is developed using a multilayered process that includes an evidence-based content outline, item development using nursing content expert volunteers, several reviews, and industry-standard exam principles. This session describes the methods used to achieve the quality exam development and maintenance the nursing profession has come to rely on and trust.