StudyDuo
An NCLEX study group is three to five nursing graduates taking the same exam, RN or PN, within weeks of each other. They meet to work clinical judgment case studies one step at a time, argue over prioritization questions and read rationales aloud. Question banks stay solo; the group reviews what the bank can't explain.
The NCLEX as of November 2026
Both the NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN are computerized adaptive tests of 85 to 150 items, with a five-hour limit that includes every break (NCSBN candidate bulletin). The test plans in force run from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2029. The minimum-length RN exam breaks down like this (2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan):
| Part of the 85-item minimum | Items | Scored? |
|---|---|---|
| Items from the eight client needs areas | 52 | Yes |
| Three clinical judgment case studies, six items each | 18 | Yes |
| Pretest items | 15 | No |
About 10% of items are also stand-alone clinical judgment items. In 2025, first-time US-educated RN candidates answered 103 items on average, 59.1% stopped at the minimum, and the average test took 2 hours 14 minutes (NCSBN, 2025 statistics).
Registration costs $200. Your Authorization to Test (ATT) lasts about 90 days on average, set by your nursing regulatory body, and can't be extended. First-time candidates are offered an appointment within 30 days.
2025 pass rates, by type of candidate
NCSBN's statistics for 2025 cover 328,443 RN and 68,996 PN attempts for US licensure. Across all of them, 69.1% of RN attempts and 77.3% of PN attempts passed:
| Candidate | NCLEX-RN | NCLEX-PN |
|---|---|---|
| First time, US-educated | ||
| Repeat, US-educated | ||
| First time, internationally educated | ||
| Repeat, internationally educated |
Source: NCSBN, 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics (June 2026)
Two things in the RN numbers shape a group. First-time pass rates for US graduates were highest in April to June, 89.1%, and lowest in October to December, 81.2%. NCSBN gives no reason, but it's one more argument for testing while your cohort still studies together. And 52,827 first-time RN candidates were educated outside the US, about one in five first-timers (our arithmetic), so many people preparing now are in other time zones.
Where to find an NCLEX study group
- Your cohort, before it scatters. April to June had the most first-time US candidates in 2025, 68,091 (NCSBN). Agree on a weekly time while you still share a schedule.
- Your school. Ask whether it runs an NCLEX review or keeps a list of graduates looking for partners.
- Your new-grad job. Others in your hiring group may be waiting on the same ATT window.
- Discord servers. Choose one with posts this week and stay in its open channels. Don't post your phone number or your Pearson VUE login (what to check before joining).
- StudyDuo. Find Partners has NCLEX and Nursing among its interests, with filters for country and city, and you can message anyone you find. For a single NCLEX study partner, put a 1:1 time on StudyDuo's board, today or later in the week. The person who takes it gets video with you, and you choose between speaking and typing.
Match on the exam first, then the date. RN and PN plans weigh content differently: coordinated care is 18% to 24% of the PN plan, while management of care is 15% to 21% of the RN plan (NCSBN). If only one person fits, an NCLEX study buddy on the same plan can run the session below as a pair.
What helps more than another question bank
A question bank on its own may not move your odds. In a study at six schools, 396 first-time candidates received a six-month subscription to a commercial NCLEX-RN prep product and 292 didn't (Lewis et al., 2023). Their pass rates didn't differ. The subscribers were more often under 25, and the authors' advice was guided use of such products alongside other support.
Peer learning is one of those supports with evidence in nursing. A 2026 systematic review found 13 experimental or quasi-experimental studies of peer-assisted learning with undergraduate nursing students (Alamri, Alharbi and Gassas). The interventions improved knowledge, clinical skills, self-efficacy and teamwork, with medium-to-large effects on skills and self-efficacy in the randomized trials. Those studies measured school outcomes, not NCLEX results, so treat a group as a way to use your bank better, not as a substitute for it.
A weekly session built on case studies
NCSBN builds each case study around six steps of clinical judgment, one item per step, all on the same client. The test plan defines each step, which gives every member of an NCLEX study group a clear job (2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan):
| Step | What NCSBN says it asks | What its owner says aloud |
|---|---|---|
| Recognize cues | Identify relevant information from sources such as history and vital signs | The three findings that matter most, and one that doesn't |
| Analyze cues | Connect the cues to the client's presentation | Which condition the cues point to |
| Prioritize hypotheses | Rank them by urgency, likelihood, risk, difficulty and time | What could hurt the client first |
| Generate solutions | Set expected outcomes and the interventions for them | What you'd do, and what result you expect |
| Take action | Carry out the solution for the highest priority | The first action, and why it comes first |
| Evaluate outcomes | Compare observed outcomes with expected ones | Whether it worked, and which finding shows it |
The session itself:
- Pick one unfolding case. Use a case from your question bank that nobody has seen.
- One step per person. Members take the steps in turn, in the order above.
- Answer alone, then explain. Everyone answers the step silently. The step's owner explains their answer first, using only the chart in front of them.
- Read the rationale aloud. Only after everyone has committed. Note which cue you missed, not just which option.
- Ten stand-alone questions. Finish with prioritization and delegation items, both listed under management of care, and argue any splits.
Before the first meeting, everyone should take NCSBN's tutorial on NCLEX.com, so nobody loses session time on item formats. Then rotate the weekly focus through the client needs areas, heaviest first (2026 test plans):
| Week | RN client needs area | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Management of care | 15% to 21% |
| 2 | Pharmacological and parenteral therapies | 13% to 19% |
| 3 | Physiological adaptation | 11% to 17% |
| 4 | Safety and infection prevention and control | 10% to 16% |
| 5 | Reduction of risk potential | 9% to 15% |
| 6 | Health promotion, psychosocial integrity, basic care and comfort | 6% to 12% each |
For solo question blocks between meetings, StudyDuo's Focus Room is a room of people working on camera, open around the clock. More on how a group can share it is on the online study group page.
After graduation: keep a fixed hour
Classes end, shifts start and the group chat goes quiet. A fixed daily time replaces the class schedule. StudyDuo's Study Hour is one hour of focus at the same time each day, shown in your time zone, and the room opens 10 minutes early. In the app, a check-in afterward asks whether you got it done.
- Rehearse the day. Once before your appointment, take a full practice exam in one sitting at the same time of day as your booking.
- Book inside your ATT. Because it can't be extended, an NCLEX study group should know each member's ATT end date, not just the test date.
- Results. Your nursing regulatory body sends them within six weeks. Some states offer unofficial quick results after two business days, for a fee.
- If someone fails. NCSBN allows up to eight attempts a year, with at least 45 test-free days between them. The Candidate Performance Report shows relative strengths and weaknesses by test plan area, so the next weeks can target those.
- Never share items. The test plan says disclosing exam material includes "discussing examination items with faculty, friends, family or others." Members who have tested can talk about pacing, not questions.
For more on studying in pairs, see how to study with a partner.
Before nursing school, the entrance exam has its own group plan: a TEAS study group. With ADHD, see studying in nursing school with ADHD.
FAQ
Does the exam shutting off at 85 items mean I passed?
No. The computer stops at the minimum as soon as it's statistically certain which side of the passing standard you're on. A short exam can be a pass or a fail.
Can I take the NCLEX online?
No. It's given on computers at test centers in the US and at select international sites, and NCSBN doesn't offer paper or oral versions.
Is the passing standard changing?
No. NCSBN kept the NCLEX-RN passing standard at the same level in April 2026 for another three years, as it did in 2019 and 2023.
