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How many times can you retake the NCLEX, and how long is the wait?

NCSBN allows up to eight NCLEX attempts a year, with at least 45 test-free days between them. Boards may be stricter. Each retake pays the full fee.

Checked November 10, 2026

Short answer: The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) allows you to take the NCLEX up to eight times a year, with at least 45 test-free days between attempts. Your nursing regulatory body can set a longer wait or a lower yearly limit, and every retake costs the full registration fee again.

The NCSBN retake rule

NCSBN states the rule in the 2026 NCLEX Candidate Bulletin: eight attempts a year, and at least 45 test-free days between each exam. The Results page says the same policy in other words: you may retake the exam 45 days after you took it.

The wait is built into the system. A retake needs a new Authorization to Test (ATT), the email that lets you schedule. NCSBN says that after your board declares you eligible again, the new ATT is not valid until the required number of days between exams has passed. The Scheduling page also says that repeat candidates are offered an appointment starting 45 days after the last attempt.

Your board may be stricter

The 45 days and the eight attempts are NCSBN's limits. They are not the only limits. NCSBN says some nursing regulatory bodies (NRBs) require a longer wait between exams. It also says some jurisdictions allow fewer exams each year.

NCSBN asks candidates to contact their own board for its retake policy. Do this before you plan your next date.

What each retake costs

NCSBN charges the same registration fee for every registration, and that includes retakes. The fee depends on the date you complete the new registration, not the date of your first attempt. A retake registered on or after February 1, 2027 pays the new fee. The amounts for each country are on How much does the NCLEX cost?.

Your board may also have its own requirements and fees for a retake. If you book the retake at an international test center, the extra international scheduling fee is charged when you schedule.

The Candidate Performance Report

If you fail, your board sends you a Candidate Performance Report (CPR). NCSBN describes it as an individualized, two-page document. It shows:

  • that the result is a fail
  • how many items you answered
  • your performance in each test plan content area and in clinical judgment, rated "Below the Passing Standard", "Near the Passing Standard" or "Above the Passing Standard"

"Near the Passing Standard" means your performance in that area was not clearly above or below the standard. The NCLEX is not graded in sections, so one weak area does not decide the result by itself. Your overall performance decides it.

NCSBN suggests that you study the "Below" areas first, then work up to the "Near" areas, and keep reviewing the "Above" areas. If you did not answer the minimum number of items, you receive an abbreviated CPR without this detail. Candidates who pass do not receive a report.

How to register again

The Results page lists these steps:

  1. Tell your board that you want to retake the exam.
  2. Meet the board's requirements and pay any board fees.
  3. Reregister with Pearson and pay the registration fee.
  4. Wait for your new ATT.
  5. Schedule a new exam appointment.

You cannot hold two open registrations for the same exam type. The rules for that are in How do you register for the NCLEX, step by step?.

What to do next

  1. Ask your board for its retake policy, its wait and any board fee.
  2. Read your CPR and list your "Below" and "Near" areas.
  3. Reregister with Pearson after your board tells you what it needs from you.

Common questions

Does my next attempt start where the last one ended?

No. NCSBN says each attempt is independent. The adaptive test starts again, and the computer chooses items from your answers on that attempt only.

Will I see the same questions again?

No. The computerized adaptive test leaves out any item or item set that you saw in an earlier attempt.

Can I see my score after a fail?

No. NCSBN reports only pass or fail and never reports a score. The CPR shows your relative strengths and weaknesses instead. See How is the NCLEX scored?.

Prep from our team

NCLEXPace has 3,200+ NCLEX-RN practice questions with rationales, Next Generation NCLEX case studies and CAT Readiness Exams, which you can use to work on the areas in your CPR. All Nursing Exams, NCLEXPace and NPractitioner are run by the same team. See https://www.nclexpace.com.

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