“My UWorld NCLEX QBank Score is 57%. Is that Good? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”
If you’ve found yourself asking, “What is a good QBank score?” you are not alone. This is one of the most common questions we receive in our NCLEX UWorld Facebook group and forums.
Before we discuss numbers, let’s talk a little more about how UWorld’s NCLEX QBanks are made . . .
At UWorld, we think holistically about you and your learning needs, including your time and energy. We know that balancing nursing school with work, family, friends, and other obligations requires more time than there are hours in a day. That’s why we think seriously about the type and number of questions we write.
The NCLEX® is a computerized adaptive test (CAT) designed to challenge you to display your maximum ability level. As you answer questions, the computer calculates your ability level based on your cumulative performance and the difficulty level of the questions you have answered. The computer then selects questions it estimates you have a 50% probability of answering correctly. Let me rephrase this . . .
That means that you have a 50/50 chance of answering each question correctly! To pass the exam, your calculated ability level must meet the exam’s passing standard.
You may be wondering what these difficult, passing-level NCLEX questions are like. According to the NCSBN’s detailed test plans for the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN, most of the questions you experience on the NCLEX require you to think critically and apply, analyze, or evaluate clinical situations.
In order to be a safe and effective nurse, you will have to synthesize all you have learned and apply it to your patients’ unique needs. To protect patients, the NCLEX must determine your ability to provide this level of care.
What does all of this have to do with UWorld’s QBanks?
We believe that your time is best spent practicing NCLEX-style questions that will result in you passing your exams and teaching you to think like a nurse. We design challenging, clinically-relevant questions that require you to apply your learning because practicing with anything less is not the best use of your time and energy. Therefore, we provide you with the minimum number of NCLEX-style, application-level questions across all subjects and topics that will lead to a passing result.
Because our questions are so challenging, your average QBank score might be lower than you expect. Not to worry! Our research shows that . . .
Learners with an average QBank score of 56% pass the NCLEX at a 92% rate.
While your average UWorld QBank score gives you important information, studying each question’s explanation is the most valuable way to spend your time. UWorld’s concise but comprehensive rationales explain the clinical decision-making behind the right and wrong answers. This ensures that you will understand the key learning topics when you are faced with them again on the test or at the bedside, making you a safe and effective nurse.