If you’re anything like I was, then you want to know whether or not you passed the NCLEX as soon as it shuts off.
Unfortunately, they make you wait for the official results as you nervously pull your hair out of your head in anticipation.
Over the years, nursing students have tried to come up with some signs they can use to determine whether or not they passed the NCLEX.
I’m going to share with you some of those signs.
Good Signs You Passed the NCLEX
Before I get to the list of good signs of passing the NCLEX, let me start by saying that you’re more or less reading the tea leaves for most of these tricks and hacks.
The only way to know with 100% certainty that you passed is by getting the official letter from your state board of nursing.
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What does it cover?
Just to name a few.
1. The Questions Were Getting Harder Before it Shut Off
If you’re familiar with my explanation of how the NCLEX works, you’ll know that it’s a computer adaptive test. This means you start with relatively easy questions and then as you answer the questions correctly you get progressively hard questions.
The reverse is also true. If you start missing questions, you’ll progressively get easier questions.
You’ll keep doing this up and down game with the computer until it can determine that if it kept asking you questions in perpetuity, you would stay about the confidence level that is set. Typically it’s a 75% confidence level.
With all of that said, it makes sense that if you were to pass the NCLEX, it would be after getting progressively harder questions, and then it shuts off after you got what would have been a really hard question.
Related: NCLEX Shut Off at 75 Questions: Did I Fail?
2. Passed the Pearson Vue’s Quick Results
Depending on where you live, you’ll have an option to purchase unofficial results straight from Pearson VUE’s website.
You can purchase it in just about every state and most of the U.S. territories. Please keep in mind that as of the time of this writing, you can’t purchase quick results in Canada or Australia.
The quick results will cost you $7.95, and you can purchase them two days after taking the exam. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the quick results.
It takes two days, so it won’t give you as quick an answer as you probably want. Also, it feels a bit weird paying for the results of an exam that I already paid for. If they already have the answer, they should just give it to me.
The other reason is that in many cases, by the time you’re able to buy the quick result, you might be able to find out for free from your state board of nursing.
It does come off as just another way they can get as much money from you as possible.
3. The Pearson Vue Trick
This is a hack that’s been around since before I took my boards. In short, you’re going to try to reregister for another NCLEX exam. If it doesn’t let you, then it means you passed. If it lets you, then it means you didn’t pass.
This trick can be pretty accurate from what I’ve seen, but it’s not 100%. For example, there is a chance that it could still let you register even if you didn’t pass, and as far as I know, I don’t think Pearson Vue or the NCSBN will give you a refund.
If you’re interested in this hack, here’s a video that shows you what to do.
4. You Feel Good Going in the Exam
The last one involves you gauging how you feel overall going into the exam. The reason being that most students are going to pass the NCLEX (somewhere around 85%).
So if you:
- Studied hard
- Took a good NCLEX prep course
- Paced yourself
- Got a good night’s sleep before the exam
Your chances are pretty good that you’re probably going to do fine.
Once again, does it mean you know with 100% certainty that you passed? No, it doesn’t.
The only way to get a 100% accurate answer is by getting the quick result or waiting for the official results. But I do think it can be one more thing that gives you confidence that you probably did better than you think.
5. You Got a Passing on an NCLEX Predictor Test
Many of the major NCLEX prep courses (including the one I recommend) have an NCLEX predictor exam. They all call it something different, but essentially it’s a practice test trying to predict how well you’ll do on the NCLEX.
They’ll usually give you a study plan and pretty much everything you’ll need to be successful on the NCLEX.
Many of them will guarantee you’ll pass the NCLEX if you do everything they recommend and get a certain score on their NCLEX predictor test.
From everything I’ve seen, these predictor exams are so comprehensive (some might even be more difficult than the NCLEX itself) that if you do well on them, your odds of doing well on the NCLEX are pretty good.
If you haven’t taken the NCLE X yet, or you’re looking for an NCLEX prep course. Check out this NCLEX prep course.
What Happens if You Failed the NCLEX
The feeling of not passing the NCLEX is very demoralizing, can make you feel hopeless. You do have options, so I want you to check out this article I wrote on what to do after failing the NCLEX.
In that article, I breakdown the steps you should take if you were to fail the NCLEX. Check it out and bookmark it. I don’t think you’ll need it, but you’ll know where to find the information if you do.
Have You Read These Other Articles?
- 8 Best NCLEX Review Courses
- 5 Best NCLEX-RN Review Books
- Can I Pass the NCLEX Without Studying?
- Important Last Minute NCLEX Tips
- How Do I Tell My Boss I Failed the NCLEX?
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions related to “good signs you passed the NCLEX.”
I like ur comments about the exam.Just took my text yesterday really worried was stop at 77
Hey Francisca,
Congrats on passing nursing school and taking your NCLEX. Let me know how you did.
What does status: in review mean? Early results said “pass.”
If you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about the NCLEX exams are “reviewed” before the official results come out. If you got a pass from the quick results that’s not technically considered the “official” results.
Thanks for all the info. Although I don’t know if this happens to everyone now. When I went to register again to try to shcedule the test again and see if I passed, after clicking register it asks me for the program that I graduated from. For some reason the program I graduated from does not appear anymore, and it doesn’t let me pass that stage of registration. I’ll try the quick results tomorrow and see.
did you pass
I’m in Alabama how do I check my results please?
Is it a good sign if the computer shuts off at 85.
It depends on how well you’re doing. Check out the article Can I Not Pass the NCLEX in 75 Questions? I know you asked specifically about 85, but reading that article, you’ll see the questions are similar. That will give you a more in-depth answer. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I took the NCLEX rn. How long do you have to wait to try the Pearson Vue trick?
Hey Shawn, a couple of hours. If I remember correctly 2-4. I wrote all about the Pearson Vue NCLEX trick in the linked article.
I have reached 150 questions for NGN NCLEX-RN. A lot of SATA, Prioritization, Case studies. Any chance of passing?
Hey Marydel,
It’s hard to say. If you studied hard and got a good NCLEX prep course statistically most nursing students taking the NCLEX pass.
I took my test today and the pop up i received from the trick is this; “We were not able to process your payment. To continue with this purchase please select an alternate payment type or try again”. What does this mean? Please advice