Decoding NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN pass rates: What recent trends mean for educators

NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN pass rates have fluctuated in recent years, and early 2025 data shows new downward shifts that have caught the attention of nursing programs nationwide. While change is expected, these emerging trends highlight areas where student preparation, curriculum alignment, and NGN-readiness may need renewed focus. Read further for additional context and — and download the full whitepaper which offers a deeper analysis into recent pass-rate trends and evidence-based guidance to help educators respond proactively.

Key insights

Recent NCLEX trends show that early 2025 performance dips are not isolated events—they reflect broader shifts in how students learn, how programs teach, and how well clinical judgment is developed across the curriculum.

Emerging themes

• Initial NGN improvements may have masked deeper readiness gaps. Early gains in 2023 and 2024 were encouraging, but the new decline suggests some students were still leaning on test familiarity rather than true clinical judgment strength.

• Today’s learners require different teaching approaches. Traditional lecture-heavy instruction isn’t always translating into the decision-making skills students need for NGN-style items or safe practice.

• Clinical judgment remains the make-or-break skill. Students who struggle to think through unfolding situations, weigh priorities, or apply reasoning consistently see the greatest challenges on the NCLEX.

• Consistency across a program matters more than ever. Differences in faculty expectations, item-writing approaches, remediation structures, or curriculum alignment create uneven preparation that shows up in licensure outcomes.

• Experiential learning gaps—clinical, simulation, or case-based—have cumulative effects. Even small reductions in hands-on reasoning opportunities can weaken confidence and performance by the time students sit for the exam.

• Proactive, data-driven interventions make a measurable difference. Programs that routinely monitor cohort trends and address emerging gaps early are better positioned to maintain stable pass rates through evolving exam expectations. These insights highlight why many programs are evaluating their readiness strategies more closely—and why early, intentional alignment across curriculum, assessment, and instruction is becoming essential.

Download the full whitepaper for deeper analysis of the factors driving recent NCLEX performance shifts—along with data insights and actionable strategies to help programs respond effectively.