How Hard Is the NCLEX-PN®? 2026 Pass Rates and What They Mean
86% of first-time U.S.-educated students passed the NCLEX-PN® in early 2026. Repeat takers passed at 42.7%. Here's what the numbers really say.
TL;DR: Per NCSBN's pass-rate data, 86.0% of first-time, U.S.-educated students passed the NCLEX-PN® in the first quarter of 2026. The scarier numbers you see quoted, like 76.8%, blend in repeat takers and internationally educated candidates. The real story: your first attempt is your best attempt, and preparation is what separates the two groups.
The pass rates, without the spin
NCSBN publishes NCLEX® pass rates every quarter. Here is how the NCLEX-PN® numbers break down for January through March 2026:
- First-time, U.S.-educated students: 86.0% (15,252 candidates)
- All candidates combined: 76.8%
- Repeat takers (U.S.-educated): 42.7%
Three different numbers, three different stories. When a prep company wants to scare you, it quotes the all-candidate rate. When a school wants to brag, it quotes the first-time rate. Both are real. They just describe different groups.
The number that matters for you is the first one. If you finished a U.S. practical or vocational nursing program and you're sitting the exam for the first time, students in your exact position pass at about 86%.
Is the NCLEX-PN® easier than the NCLEX-RN®?
Not in the way people assume. First-time, U.S.-educated RN candidates passed at 86.8% over the same period. That is less than one percentage point apart.
The two exams test different scopes, not different levels of seriousness. The NCLEX-PN® is built on its own 2026 NCSBN PN Test Plan, organized around the practical nurse role: collecting data, reinforcing teaching, and contributing to the care plan under the direction of an RN or provider. The questions are written for your scope. They are not watered-down RN questions. If you want the full breakdown, we compared the two exams side by side in NCLEX-PN® vs NCLEX-RN®.
Why the repeat-taker number should change your plan
The gap between 86.0% and 42.7% is the most useful fact in the whole dataset.
Your first attempt is statistically your best attempt. Once you fail, the odds flip against you, and not because you got less smart. Retakes come with a 45-day wait, test anxiety compounds, and the habits that produced the first result tend to produce the second one too.
The takeaway isn't fear. It's sequencing. Don't book the exam to force yourself to study. Study until your practice numbers say you're ready, then book it.
What makes the NCLEX-PN® feel hard
The exam is computer-adaptive. It selects each question based on how you answered the previous ones, and it decides pass or fail against a fixed standard, not a percentage score. Practically, that means:
- The exam always feels hard. The algorithm keeps serving questions near the edge of your ability. Feeling stretched is the system working, not a sign you're failing.
- You can't rely on recognition. Next Generation NCLEX® formats like case studies, matrix items, and select-all-that-apply reward applied judgment over memorized facts.
- Prioritization is everywhere. "All of these actions are reasonable, which comes first?" is the exam's favorite move, especially in Coordinated Care, the PN plan's largest category.
How to be in the 86%
Nothing exotic. The students who pass on the first attempt tend to do three things:
- Practice with questions, not rereading. Retrieval practice beats highlighting. Every serious study plan is built on answering questions and reading rationales.
- Practice your scope. PN questions frame decisions around data collection and working under direction. If your question bank only has RN questions, the framing will feel foreign on test day.
- Track weak categories, not vibes. The PN test plan has eight Client Needs categories. Knowing your accuracy in each one tells you exactly where the next study hour should go.
That's the model Study With Lily is built on: adaptive NCLEX-PN® practice aligned to the 2026 PN test plan, with a rationale after every question and category-level tracking. You can try a free PN practice test without a card and see where you stand today.
The bottom line
Is the NCLEX-PN® hard? It's adaptive, so it feels hard for everyone. But 86% of first-time, U.S.-educated students pass it. Prepare like your first attempt is the one that counts, because statistically, it is.
Pass-rate figures are from NCSBN's published statistics for January through March 2026. NCLEX® is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Study With Lily is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by NCSBN.