Kaplan Nursing: Newly Increased Passing Standard for the Nurse Licensing Exam Requires Aspiring Nurses to Strive Higher on the NCLEX®-RN Exam in Order to Pass

With the December 15 announcement by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to raise the passing standard on the NCLEX®-RN exam, aspiring nurses in the class of 2010 may find the upcoming exam more challenging than anticipated. The executive board of NCBSN votes on the passing standard every three years and in the past 15 years it has voted to raise the passing standard four times, with the latest vote impacting this year’s graduating nurses. The change will go into effect in April 2010.

In 2007, the last time the NCSBN raised the passing standard, the higher passing standard translated to a drop in pass rates by around three percentage points among first time, US educated test takers. With approximately 140,000 first time, US educated test takers forecasted to take the NCLEX®-RN exam in 2010, this could translate to over 4,000 more nursing students failing the exam in 2010 than 2009. According to the NCSBN website, "With the increase in the passing standard, there is an anticipated decrease in pass rates. However, over the course of a year or two, the pass rates tend to return to the level prior to any passing standard increase.”

"What nursing students should understand is that while this will make the test somewhat harder to pass statistically, the questions themselves will not become any more difficult,” said Barbara Irwin, director of nursing, Kaplan Nursing. "But the increasingly tight job market for nurses means it becomes even more critical for test takers to prepare for the NCLEX®-RN exam thoroughly. In such a competitive market, test takers will want to pass the exam the first time to make themselves as viable as possible for good positions. The good news is that at Kaplan Nursing, over the years we’ve seen that as the bar rises, aspiring nurses will rise to the challenge.”

Among other changes to take effect in April 2010:

• The Management of Care subcategory currently comprises 13% - 19% of the exam; this will increase to 16% - 22% of the test.
• Reduction of Risk Potential subcategory currently comprises 13% - 19%; this will decrease to 10% - 16% of the test.
• A newly designed test interface will launch, including a changed font and reshuffled button placements.

To speak with a Kaplan Nursing expert about the nursing exam changes, how aspiring nurses can best prepare for the NCLEX®-RN exam and enter the job market with the strongest application possible, please contact Carina Wong at: 212.453.7571 or carina.wong@kaplan.com. For more information, you can also visit the Web site of Kaplan Nursing dedicated to the change at www.kaplannursing.com/nclexchange.

About Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions

Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions (www.kaptest.com), a division of Kaplan, Inc., is a premier provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses. Established in 1938, Kaplan is the world leader in the test prep industry. With a comprehensive menu of online offerings and a complete array of books, Kaplan offers preparation for more than 90 standardized tests, including entrance exams for secondary school, college and graduate school, as well as English language and professional licensing exams. Kaplan also provides private tutoring and graduate admissions consulting services.

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