You’ve made it through the challenges of the classroom, cleared the hurdles of clinicals, graduated proudly from your nursing program, prepped endlessly for the NCLEX, and now … you … have … to ... wait … for … your … results.
It’s been said that patience is a virtue. But if you’ve completed the NCLEX and are awaiting your score, you may not feel very virtuous. Understandably, you want to know as soon as possible if you passed the NCLEX or if you have to begin preparing to retake the exam.
How to Check If You Passed the NCLEX
There are 3 ways you can find out if you passed the NCLEX exam:
- Unofficial results
- Official results
- The Pearson Vue trick (an unofficial workaround some students try)
Unofficial Results for NCLEX
You can get unofficial results 2 business days after you complete the NCLEX if your nursing regulatory body (NRB) participates in the Quick Results Service. It costs $7.95 to access.
Even if your unofficial results say you passed the exam, this does not authorize you to begin practicing as a licensed nurse. You’ll still have to wait for your official results.
Official Results for NCLEX
You will only receive your official results through your nursing regulatory body. This happens approximately 6 weeks after you take the NCLEX. Contacting Pearson Vue or the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) will not get you an answer.
- If you do not receive your results after 6 weeks, contact your nursing regulatory body.
- Your results are double-checked for accuracy. Your exam is scored by the computer as you take the exam, then verified by Pearson VUE.
- Though your exam is scored by the computer at the testing center, your results will not be released there. The staff on site will not have access to your test results.
If you did not pass the NCLEX, you will receive a Candidate Performance Report (CPR) from your nursing regulatory body. The report will inform you of the number of items you completed on the exam and summarize your performance so you can pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses and perform better in the future.
Pearson Vue Trick
The Pearson Vue Trick is a way test-takers get a hint as to whether they passed the NCLEX. It is neither official nor unofficial.
On forums or in NCLEX Facebook groups, you’ll hear test-takers asking about the “good pop-up” and the “bad pop-up.” This is referring to the Pearson Vue Trick.
Here’s how it works:
About 4 hours after the exam, students log into their Pearson Vue accounts and attempt to pay to take the exam again. A “good pop-up” will inform them that they “recently scheduled this exam” and “another registration cannot be made at this time.” This could indicate you passed. A “bad pop-up” accepts the payment. That could mean you failed.
Remember: This is not a reliable source of information.
