NCLEX RN pass on first try — what the data says about passers vs retakers
Hero stat: ~93% of SGrade users who reached 85%+ predicted pass score passed NCLEX-RN on first attempt (anonymised sample — not a guarantee).
| Metric | First-pass cohort | Retaker cohort |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. days practised | 42 | 18 |
| Questions completed | 580 | 210 |
| Sessions / week | 4.2 | 2.1 |
| Hours / week | 2.8 | 1.4 |
Days
Qs
Sess
Hrs
Retaker pitfalls: drilling without rationale review, avoiding weak categories, and skipping timed practice until the final week. 4-week plan →
What percentage of NCLEX-RN candidates pass on the first attempt?
National rates differ by cohort; US-educated first-time candidates are often near 88% in public NCSBN reporting — verify annually.
How should I study differently if this is my second attempt?
Shift from volume to error-pattern review, add timed mixed sets, and close pharmacology and safety management gaps first.
What predicted score do I need to feel confident about NCLEX?
SGrade users at 85%+ predicted pass likelihood showed ~93% first-pass correlation in our sample — not a guarantee.
How many practice questions is enough for NCLEX-RN?
Many passers exceed 500–800 quality items with rationales; retakers often report under 300 before the first attempt.
Find out where your predicted score stands — for free.
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