How to read your NCLEX Candidate Performance Report

Only candidates who do not pass. NCSBN’s reasoning is that detailed feedback helps a candidate plan study before a retake, while feedback to people who passed serves no purpose and could be misused, for example in hiring. Your nursing regulatory body sends it.

If you did not answer the minimum number of items, you get a shorter version. It says how many items you answered and how many are needed to be evaluated, with no other detail.

The report is two pages. It confirms the result and the number of items you were given, gives links to resources for review, and rates your performance in each test plan content area and in clinical judgment with one of three labels:

• Below the Passing Standard

  The areas where you showed the greatest weakness. NCSBN says to start here.

• Near the Passing Standard

  Your score in that area was not clearly above or below the passing standard. Work on these next.

• Above the Passing Standard

  Still worth review, NCSBN says, so you keep that level.

The NCLEX is not graded in sections. The pass or fail comes from your overall performance, so the labels point to strengths and weaknesses; they are not separate scores you passed or failed.

NCSBN posts sample reports: Sample NCLEX-RN report (PDF) and Sample NCLEX-PN report (PDF).

1. List every area marked below the passing standard. Those come first.
2. Then the areas marked near the passing standard.
3. Keep a little time for the areas above the standard, so they stay strong.
4. Match each area to the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN test plan to see its share of the exam.

Our study plan builds a day-by-day schedule to your next exam date.

NCSBN’s retake policy allows up to eight attempts a year, with at least 45 test-free days between them, unless your jurisdiction allows fewer. Ask your nursing regulatory body about its own policy.

Source: NCSBN, 2026 NCLEX Candidate Bulletin (PDF). Checked against NCSBN as of October 29, 2026.