NCSBN launches new NCLEX exam

Editor's Note

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) on April 3 announced the launch of its updated licensure examination, the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) Examination, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) April 6 reports.

The exam was reportedly modified in order to better measure clinical judgment and decision-making. The change was enacted after pass rates for the test dropped for the third year in a row. From 2019 to 2022, NCLEX pass rates fell by more than 8%, from 88.2% to 79.9%, for all first-time US-educated candidates. "Educators attribute the decline to remote learning and fewer clinical opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic," AONL noted.

At the core of this enhanced exam is the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (NCJMM), which is a framework for the valid measurement of clinical judgment and decision making within the context of a standardized, high-stakes examination. “Because clinical judgment underlies almost all of a nurse’s activities, it is of paramount importance to NCSBN. We need to be able to measure it effectively to safeguard public protection. We need to help ensure that when a regulatory body licenses a nurse to practice, they are safe to care for you and your loved ones," said Philip Dickison, PhD, RN, chief operating officer of NCSBN.