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How many questions are on the NCLEX, and how long is it?

The NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN each have 85 to 150 items, including 15 unscored items, and a five-hour time limit that includes all breaks.

Checked November 10, 2026

Short answer: The NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN each have a minimum of 85 items and a maximum of 150 items, and 15 of those items are unscored. You have five hours in total, and that time includes the introductory screen and all breaks.

These rules come from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). NCSBN's documents call each question an "item".

The numbers at a glance

NCLEX-RN NCLEX-PN
Minimum items 85 85
Maximum items 150 150
Unscored pretest items 15 on every exam 15 on every exam
Clinical judgment case studies 3 (18 items) 3 (18 items)
Time limit Five hours, breaks included Five hours, breaks included

The 2026 test plans make up the shortest exam, 85 items, like this:

  • 52 items come from the eight content areas of the test plan, in the stated percentages.
  • 18 items make up three clinical judgment case studies of six items each.
  • 15 items are unscored pretest items.

The content areas and item types are explained in What are the Next Generation NCLEX question types?.

What the unscored items are

Every NCLEX has 15 pretest items. They are unscored, so they do not count toward your result. NCSBN says they look the same as the scored items, so you cannot tell which ones they are. Answer every item as if it counts.

Time limit, breaks and pace

All breaks are optional.

  • The first optional break is offered after two hours of testing.
  • The second optional break is offered after three and one-half hours of testing.
  • You can also ask for a break at another time. Raise your hand and wait to be escorted out of the room.
  • The exam clock does not stop during any break, scheduled or unscheduled.

There is no time limit for each item. You must answer an item to move on, so you cannot skip. Once you confirm an answer and press Next, you cannot go back to it.

What makes the exam stop: the three rules

The exam is adaptive, so it can end at any point between 85 and 150 items. NCSBN says the computer decides pass or fail with one of three rules.

  1. 95% Confidence Interval Rule. After the minimum number of items, the computer stops when it is 95% certain that your ability is clearly above or clearly below the passing standard.
  2. Maximum-Length Exam Rule. If you reach 150 items, the 95% rule no longer applies. The computer looks only at your final ability estimate, based on all your answers.
  3. Run-Out-Of-Time (R.O.O.T.) Rule. If time runs out before you answer 85 items, you fail automatically. If you answered at least 85 items, the result uses your final ability estimate from every answer you gave before time ran out.

NCSBN states that the length of your exam is not a sign of a pass or a fail. How the ability estimate works is on How is the NCLEX scored?.

How long the exam took in 2025

NCSBN's 2025 statistics report gives these figures.

2025, first-time, US-educated NCLEX-RN NCLEX-PN
Average number of items 103 100
Took the minimum number of items 59.1% 64.6%
Took the maximum number of items 20.5% 17.7%
Average time 2 hours 14 minutes 2 hours 18 minutes
Used all five hours 0.5% 0.7%

These are averages for one group in one year. They do not predict the length of your own exam.

What to do next

  1. Practice at a steady pace. NCSBN advises a reasonable pace and careful reading of each item.
  2. Try the free NCLEX Candidate Tutorial on nclex.com to see the exam screens before test day.
  3. Read What can you bring on NCLEX test day? to plan your breaks.

Common questions

Does a short exam mean I passed?

No. NCSBN says the number of items alone does not reveal a pass or a fail.

Does every exam have case studies?

Yes. NCSBN's test plans say every exam has three case studies, 18 items in all. About 10% of items are stand-alone clinical judgment items, selected depending on exam length.

Can I leave the building on a break?

You must leave the testing room for a break. NCSBN strongly discourages leaving the building.

Prep from our team

NCLEXPace has CAT Readiness Exams, NCLEX-RN practice questions with rationales and Next Generation NCLEX case studies. You can try 10 free questions without payment. All Nursing Exams, NCLEXPace and NPractitioner are run by the same team. See https://www.nclexpace.com.

Sources