2013 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan and Passing Standards
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) reviews the test plan for the NCLEX-RN® examination once every three years. In 2012, the NCSBN voted on the changes to the 2013 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan and passing standard.* These changes are based on empirical data collected from newly licensed nurses by the NCSBN and will go into effect on April 1, 2013. The following sections describe the format of the test and the changes made.
Passing Standard Increase
Due to the continuous changes in U.S. health care and nursing practice, the NCSBN has determined that effective entry-level RN practice requires a greater level of knowledge, skills and abilities than was previously required, resulting in the passing standard increase.
The passing standard will change from the current -0.16 logits** to 0.00 logits. This passing standard will go into effect on April 1, 2013 and will remain in effect through March 31, 2016.
What does this mean for future test-takers?
The NCLEX-RN® examination will be more difficult. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing expects that by increasing the passing standard, the pass rate for first time-U.S. educated nurses will decrease slightly.
Watch Barbara Irwin, MSN, RN and Executive Director of Kaplan Nursing give a detailed explanation of the passing standard increase.
Test Plan Structure
NCLEX-RN® test questions are organized into four major Client Needs categories. Two of the four categories are divided into subcategories:
♦ Safe and Effective Care Environment
• Management of Care
• Safety and Infection Control
♦ Health Promotion and Maintenance
♦ Psychosocial Integrity
♦ Physiological Integrity
See a more detailed explanation on the specific Client Needs categories
Distribution of Content
The percentage of test questions assigned to each Client Needs category and subcategory of the 2013 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan has changed from the current NCLEX-RN® Test Plan.
Watch Barbara Irwin, MSN, RN and Executive Director of Kaplan Nursing give a detailed explanation of the test plan changes.
Below is a breakdown of the percentage of questions in each test plan category, comparing the previous test plan to the 2013 plan:
2013 RN Test Plan Categories
Client Categories/Subcategories |
Percentage of Questions |
Change in Percentage of Questions |
Safe and Effective Care Environment
|
|
1% increase in 2013 1% increase in 2013 |
Health Promotion and Maintenance |
6-12% |
No change in 2013 |
Psychosocial Integrity |
6-12% | No change in 2013 |
Physiological Integrity
|
|
No change in 2013 1% decrease in 2013 1% decrease in 2013 No change in 2013 |
Percentages range for each Client Need category due to the variable length format of the NCLEX-RN. To accommodate possible variations in exam
length, content area distributions of the individual exams may differ slightly in each category.
For more information about the NCLEX-RN®, please call 1-800-KAP-TEST or contact us here.
*National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2012). 2013 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan.
**A logit is defined as a unit of measurement to report relative differences between candidate ability estimates and item difficulties.