We’ve all been waiting for the NCSBN report on the pass rates for states and nursing schools for the April – June 2013 timeframe. Test takers in the second quarter of this year were the first to take the NCLEX-RN® with the revised passing standard and test plan changes, and everyone’s been trying to predict how these changes would affect pass rates.
The report has come out a little later than usual, but it’s here at last, and the results are illuminating…
Nationally 47, 818 applicants took the test in the April – June time frame (vs 49,462 in 2012); 39,689 passed to bring the pass rate down to 83%. This is a 10% decrease from 93% for the same time period in 2012 (source: https://www.ncsbn.org/Table_of_Pass_Rates_2012.pdf). It is important to remember that this is just the first round of students, and no judgments can really be made until a full year of students have taken the test at the new standard.
When we look at the breakdown of degree types we see that Diploma programs were at a 91% pass rate in 2012 compared to an 80% pass rate in 2013. Baccalaureate programs were at a 94% pass rate in 2012, but have gone down to an 86% pass rate in 2013. Associate programs went from a 92% pass rate in 2012 to an 81% pass rate in 2013.
The drop is not totally unexpected, and in examining the data by state we see instances where drops were not as significant, and in some cases diploma and associate programs performed better than baccalaureate programs. We know that while national trends are revealing, each school needs to examine its own results carefully. As organizations like the American Nurses Association advocate a BSN as the standard for all new graduate nurses, pass rates are under more scrutiny than ever.
For US educated repeat test takers, the rate went from 51% in 2012 to just 30% in 2013. We all tell students how important it is to take the test within three months of graduating so they can increase their chances to pass the first time. This precipitous drop in the repeat test taker pass rate confirms that at-risk students need special guidance when approaching the test the first time.
Lower pass rates do not mean that schools necessarily need to revise curriculum dramatically, but an examination of how curriculum addresses the NCLEX test plan, what question level difficulty we’re providing students with in school, and how we’re best using new technologies to move students through content absorption and critical thinking development are no doubt on the agenda as faculty hold planning meetings as “back-to-school” is upon us.
Pass rates can be a sensitive topic, but as you start to analyze your school’s performance we’d love to hear about your successes and lessons learned. The national nursing community can benefit from your experiences to make sure the next generation of test takers is prepared for the new education challenges!
