Results Processing

You've Completed the NCLEX - But You Still Have Questions

This brochure is for candidates who have just completed the NCLEX. Here, candidates can find information on how their results are processed, what happens if they don’t pass the exam, the NCLEX Quick Results Service, and who they can contact if they have a problem with the NCLEX or its administration.

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Double Checking Your Results

For quality control purposes, every NCLEX is scored twice; once by the computer at the test center and then after the exam record has been transmitted to Pearson VUE.

Getting Your Results

  • Although the exam is scored as you complete each item, no results are released at the test center. In fact, test center staff do not have access to the exam results.
  • Exam results are available only from your nursing regulatory body (NRB) and will be sent to you approximately six weeks after taking the exam. 
  • Do not call Pearson VUE NCLEX Candidate Services, the test centers or NCSBN for exam results.
  • If more than six weeks have passed and you have not received your results, contact your NRB. 
  • Some states allow you to access your results after 48 business hours through the quick results service. The quick results service is not available for candidates seeking licensure/registration in Canada and Australia.

Test Security & Invalid Results

NCSBN strives to report results that accurately reflect the ability of each test taker. Accordingly, our standards and procedures for administering exams have two related goals: giving test takers comparable opportunities to demonstrate their abilities and preventing any test takers from gaining an unfair advantage over others. 

To promote these objectives, NCSBN reserves the right to cancel or withhold any test results when, in its judgement:

  • a testing irregularity occurs 
  • there is an apparent discrepancy in, or falsification of, a test taker's identification 
  • a test taker engages in misconduct or irregular behavior 
  • a test taker violates the candidate rules or otherwise breaches his/her Confidentiality Agreement 
  • the results are believed to be invalid for any other reason, notwithstanding the absence of any evidence of a candidate's personal involvement in irregular activities 

NCSBN may cancel or withhold a candidate's results if, in NCSBN's judgment, there is a good faith basis to question the validity of the results for any reason, notwithstanding, the absence of any evidence of a candidate's personal involvement in irregular activities. Evidence of invalid results may include, but are not limited to, unusual answer patterns or unusual score increases from one exam to another. If a candidate's result is cancelled, revoked or invalidated without a finding that the candidate engaged in irregular behavior, the candidate may appeal the decision and/or will be offered a free retest. An appeal is a candidate's exclusive means of redress with regard to NCSBN's decision to take this action.