NCSBN Launches Next Generation NCLEX Exam

CHICAGO, IL – On April 1, 2023, NCSBN launched the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) Examination, an enhancement of the world’s premier licensure exam. 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.

Entry into the practice of nursing is regulated by the licensing authorities within each of the NCSBN Member Board jurisdictions (state, commonwealth, territorial boards of nursing and certain Canadian provinces). To ensure public protection, each jurisdiction requires candidates for licensure to meet set requirements that include passing an examination that measures the competencies needed to perform safely and effectively as a newly licensed, entry-level nurse.

Entry-level nurses are required to make increasingly complex decisions while delivering patient care. These decisions often require the use of clinical judgment to care for patients safely and effectively.

Philip Dickison, PhD, RN, chief operating officer, NCSBN, notes, “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.”

More than a decade of research, investigation and analysis conducted by renowned nursing experts built the NCJMM and the NGN. The contributions of countless nurses and nursing educators who participated in various research studies and more than 250,000 aspiring nurses volunteered to take sample questions on the NGN special research section in the NLCEX exam also helped to create the NGN.

About NCSBN
Empowering and supporting nursing regulators across the world in their mandate to protect the public, NCSBN is an independent, not-for-profit organization. As a global leader in regulatory excellence, NCSBN champions regulatory solutions to borderless health care delivery, agile regulatory systems and nurses practicing to the full scope of their education, experience and expertise. A world leader in test development and administration, NCSBN’s NCLEX^® Exams are internationally recognized as the preeminent nursing examinations. 

NCSBN’s membership is comprised of the nursing regulatory bodies (NRBs) in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories. There are five exam user members and 25 associate members that are either NRBs or empowered regulatory authorities from other countries or territories. 

The statements and opinions expressed are those of NCSBN and not individual members.