You walked out of the PN exam after 85 questions, or 150, and now you're waiting on your board. Here is how the NCLEX-PN actually decides, straight from NCSBN's 2026 PN test plan, from a nurse who has been there.
Stopping at 85 means the computer was 95% sure. It doesn't tell you which way.
The NCLEX-PN is a computerized adaptive test: at least 85 questions and at most 150, in 5 hours including breaks. After the minimum, it stops as soon as it is 95% sure your ability is clearly above or clearly below the passing standard. There is no number or percent of right answers to hit. NCSBN says it plainly: the length of your exam is not an indication of a pass or fail.
Checked October 24, 2026 against the official sources listed at the bottom of this page.
Take the free NCLEX-PN practice test2026 PN test plan, case studies and NGN items, no sign-upThe 2026 PN test plan lists three scenarios, the same three the RN exam uses:
| Scenario | What happens |
|---|---|
| The 95% rule (most common) | After the 85-question minimum, the exam stops as soon as the computer is 95% certain your ability is clearly above or clearly below the passing standard. |
| Maximum length (150) | Your ability stayed close to the line. At 150 the computer drops the 95% rule and looks only at your final ability estimate: at or above the standard passes, below fails. |
| Ran out of time | Under 85 answered is a fail. With 85 or more answered, your final ability estimate from every completed question decides it. |
So going to 150 is not a fail, and stopping at 85 is not a pass. People pass and fail at every length.
Some item types earn partial credit. NCSBN scores them three ways: plus/minus, zero/one and rationale scoring.
Every time you answer, the computer re-estimates your ability and picks a next question you should find challenging. Doing well means the questions get harder, which is why almost everyone walks out sure they failed.
The passing standard is a point on NCSBN's ability scale, not a score. For the NCLEX-PN it is -0.18 logits, which NCSBN's Board of Directors voted in December 2022 to keep through March 31, 2029 (the RN standard is 0.00). The Board looks at it again every three years. There is no fixed percentage of people who pass or fail.
Wondering about the "Pearson VUE trick"? It's unofficial and NCSBN doesn't endorse it. The RN page explains it.
The NCLEX-RN uses the same length and stop rules with a different passing standard. Here's what shutting off at 85 means on the RN, and you can run the shut-off simulator to watch the stop rules play out.
Not by itself. The exam stops at 85 when the computer is 95% sure you are clearly above or clearly below the passing standard. NCSBN says the length of the exam is not an indication of a pass or fail.
There isn't one. The NCLEX-PN is adaptive: you pass when your ability estimate is at or above the passing standard, -0.18 logits through March 31, 2029.
At least 85 and at most 150, in 5 hours including breaks. The 85-question minimum is 52 content questions, 18 in three case studies, and 15 unscored pretest questions.
No. At 150 the computer looks only at your final ability estimate. At or above the passing standard passes.
Official results come from your board of nursing within six weeks. If your board takes part in Quick Results, you can see an unofficial result two business days after the exam for $7.95.
NCSBN's retake policy is 45 days after the exam. Your board of nursing may have its own rules, so check with it.