The National Council Licensure Examination pass rate for registered nurses dropped to 71.6% in the first quarter of 2025, down from 79.1% in the same period in 2024.
The decline affected U.S.-educated and internationally educated nurses, as well as both first-time and repeat test takers, according to a June report from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
After years of declining pass rates among U.S.-educated, first-time test takers, state nursing boards revised the NCLEX in 2023. The updated exam was designed to more precisely measure nurses’ clinical judgment and critical thinking skills.
After launching Next Generation NCLEX, pass rates increased among RNs and licensed vocational nurses, from a 70.4% pass rate in mid-2022 to 81.4% in mid-2023. Test developers attributed the higher pass rate to increased transparency and outreach, while critics said the exam got easier.
Here is a breakdown of the pass rates between early 2024 and 2025:
First-time, U.S.-educated
- Q1 2024: 94.2%
- Q1 2025: 88.4%
Repeat, U.S.-educated
- Q1 2024: 52.8%
- Q1 2025: 51.4%
First-time, internationally educated
- Q1 2024: 58.8%
- Q1 2025: 46.6%
Repeat, internationally educated
- Q1 2024: 44.1%
- Q1 2025: 30.2%
All RNs
- Q1 2024: 79.1%
- Q1 2025: 71.6%
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