Planning to take NCLEX RN or PN in 2022? That’s good thinking! The NCLEX RN and NCLEX PN are expected to change in 2023 and it is not yet fully known how things will be. If you’re a new graduate nurse, it is best to take your nurse licensure exam in 2022 to avoid having to prepare for changes that may not be covered in nursing school. Speaking of preparation, understanding the NCLEX is key in passing it and getting your nursing license. Keep on reading to see our list of the top 9 things that you must know about the NCLEX RN and NCLEX PN Exam in 2022.

First, What Is the NCLEX Exam?

The NCLEX is an abbreviation that stands for National Council Licensure Examination. The NCLEX is a nurse licensure exam taken by aspiring licensed practical nurses and aspiring registered nurses to assess their qualification for licensure. Aspiring registered nurses are evaluated more on their knowledge of the application of care management while aspiring licenses practical nurses are evaluated more on knowledge and application of care coordination.

There Are Two Types of NCLEX Exam, the RN Exam and PN Exam

After graduating from a BSN program or a practical nurse program, aspiring licensed practical nurses take the NCLEX-PN and aspiring registered nurses take the NCLEX-RN offered by the state board of nursing where they wish to practice their profession. Both exams are administered by NCSBN or the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to evaluate each nurse candidates’ knowledge and readiness to work in healthcare facilities.

Foreign Graduate Nurses Can Practice Their Profession in the United States When They Pass the NCLEX

Foreign graduate nurses are required to take and pass the NCLEX exam for the state that they wish to practice their profession in. It doesn’t matter if a foreign nurse graduate already has several licenses.All nurses who wish to practice their profession in the United States are required to pass the NCLEXexam before applying for licensure in their chosen state no matter what is their nationality and/or citizenship. This also applies to American nurses who chose to get their BSN or practical nurse credentials overseas.

There Are 4 Areas of Focus in the NCLEX Exam

The NCLEX exam can range from 75 to 145 items and covers 4 areas of nursing practice. They are:

• Health promotion and maintenance
• Physiological integrity
• Psychosocial integrity
• Safe and effective care management

Each of the main areas above is subdivided into more specific topics. For example, psychosocial integrity covers the different mental illnesses as well as mental wellness while pediatric nursing and maternal nursing concepts are covered under health promotion and maintenance.

NCLEX Is A Computer-Based Exam That Operates on A Pass or Fail Scoring System

NCLEX is a computer-based exam. Exam takers take the exam within 5 hours and the computer generates the next question from the NCLEX database in real-time based on how the nurse candidate is performing. The exam can ask as little as 75 items or up to 145 items within the 5-hour exam period. Once the computer has determined that the nurse candidate has passed or failed, the exam will stop on its own.

Some exam takers can go through the exam in just about an hour if the computerized adaptive system has determined that they either failed or passed in just 75 items. This means that the computerized adaptive system has reached 95% certainty about the candidate’s competency. For some exam takers, they can use up to the current maximum allotment of 145 items over a span of 5 hours before the computer can gauge their competency.

Note that the maximum number of NCLEX exam questions used to be 265 items but was recently changed to 145 items in October 2020. After the exam taker has answered 75 up to 145 items, the NCLEX-CAT system will give either a pass or fail score. The length of the exam has no bearing on receiving a passing or failing score.

There Are Several Question Formats in the NCLEX Exam

As mentioned earlier, the NCLEX adapts the tests questions based on the test-taking performance of the test-taker. The whole exam can be anywhere from 75 items up to 145 items in which the initial 15 questions are not counted against the candidate’s score. The scored items have an equal value and can come in different formats such as ordered response, multiple-choice, fill in the blank, or select all that apply.

More challenging questions carry the same weight towards a candidate’s passing score just the same as an easy question. Generally speaking, challenging NCLEX questions are asked once the CAT system has determined that the nurse candidate has a high level of competency.

COVID-19 Has Changed the NCLEX Exam

You might be wondering why the maximum question was lowered down to 145 from 265 items in October 2020. It was partly implemented to make the exam administration safer for the nurse candidates. Exam takers are still required to physically take the exam in a testing center. To observe safety protocols, social distancing guidelines are observed in testing centers and exam takers are required to wear a mask.

Please note that some testing centers may have been closed and thus, fewer testing slots are available. Because of these changes, it is wiser to schedule your exam earlier and to be prepared for more changes in the future.

You Can Review for the NCLEX Exam Online from the Comfort of Your Home

Since the NCLEX exam is a computer-based exam, reviewing for it with the help of an online NCLEX-RN review course or an online NCLEX-PN review program can be beneficial in several ways. First, an online NCLEX-RN review course will help you feel more used to questions that are flashed on the screen versus a book-based program. This can make you feel more confident during your exam because the exam itself will feel familiar. Another reason is that an online NCLEX review program is generally friendlier on the pocket and your time. It is convenient because you do not have to travel to a physical facility. More so, you can attend a fully online NCLEX review course from anywhere!

At the Global School of Health, we have a fully online NCLEX review program for aspiring LPNs and aspiring RNs. The GSOH online NCLEX review course offers 2 sets of schedules, morning classes and evening classes. It features live NCLEX review lectures that you can attend from home as well as plenty of NCLEX simulation questions. Everybody is welcome to attend our live online NCLEX review classes no matter where you are from in the world or whatever state you are currently in!

NCLEX Registration is Not the Same for All States

Each state board of nursing has requirements and protocols that may not reflect that of another state. For this reason, you may be required to re-take the exam for another state if you have a nursing license in another state that does not have reciprocity with the state that you wish to practice your nursing profession in. If you were educated in another state, your expectations of the requirements may also differ for the state you wish to be licensed in.

Lastly, only register for the NCLEX exam once you are fully committed to preparing for it. Nurse candidates only have a year to take the exam once they are registered. Not taking the exam in the allotted period or not showing up during your exam date means that you have to re-register and pay the corresponding fees again. If you are ready to commit topreparing foryour nurse licensure exam, contact us at Global School of Health and we will help you study for the NCLEX.