Resource Center

NCLEX Candidate & Member Experience Update
2024 | Event Presentation

NCLEX Examinations Webinar Series: Ensuring NCLEX Items are Bias Free
This webinar will provide an overview of a critical procedure that ensures all examinees have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities on entry-level content when taking the NCLEX. We will explain the methodology of differential item functioning (DIF) that is used to ensure that each item is measuring all diverse subgroups in the same way. Engaging in on-going item analysis is part of keeping the NCLEX a reliable and valid licensure exam where each examinee has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. The Examinations Measurement and Testing team will present the webinar.
Webinar topics include:
- Overview of what DIF is and how we measure it.
- Overview of how we handle items identified with DIF.
2024 | Recorded Webinar

Leader To Leader Fall 2023
- Next Generation NCLEX Pass Rates: Regulator Perspectives
- Next Generation NCLEX Pass Rates: Educator Perspectives
- Q&A: Distance Education Requirements
- NCSBN Welcomes New CEO Philip Dickison
- Why Pay Attention to Recruitment and Retention of Students with Disabilities
- Engaging Today’s Learners: Innovative Strategies for Teaching Nursing Students
- Improving Student and Clinical Outcomes in Math, Dosage Calculations and Medication Safety
2023 | Magazines

In Focus 2023, Vol. 4
- Taking the Helm: Phil Dickison and NCSBN’s New Frontier of Nursing
Regulatory Excellence - Nursing Community Hails the Successful Launch of the Next Generation NCLEX
- NCSBN Supports its Members During a Time of Leadership Transition
- Leadership Perspectives: Overcoming Missteps Grows Leadership Abilities
- 2023 NCSBN Annual Meeting: Shine Through Shaping a Brilliant Future
- Your Moment is Our Mission
- Solutions Addressing Nursing Workforce Crisis
2023 | Magazines
- Taking the Helm: Phil Dickison and NCSBN’s New Frontier of Nursing

NCLEX Examinations Webinar Series: NCLEX Initial and Ongoing Maintenance
Engaging in initial and ongoing standardized practices is part of keeping the NCLEX a reliable and valid licensure exam where the examinee has an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge. As nursing practice evolves, it is essential to consistently ensure exam items reflect the same. This session will describe the standardized methods, such as the Nursing Regulatory Body Review and other practices used to maintain a valid and reliable exam used for entry-level licensure purposes. The Examinations Content Development team will present the webinar.
Webinar topics include:
- Nursing Regulatory Body Review process
- NLCEX Item Pool maintenance
2023 | Recorded Webinar

Final Questions and Closing
NCSBN staff answers questions from attendees at the 2023 NCSBN NCLEX Conference.
2023 | Event Presentation

Educator Panel: Q&A
Nurse educator experts answer questions from attendees at the 2023 NCSBN NCLEX Conference.
2023 | Event Presentation

Live Q&A
NCSBN staff answers questions from attendees at the 2023 NCSBN NCLEX Conference.
2023 | Event Presentation

Standard Setting
Standard setting is a process used by testing professionals to determine the passing score on a test. It is an important step in establishing the validity and legal defensibility of an exam program. The NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN exams are reevaluated for their respective passing standards triennially. In this session, NCSBN staff discuss the steps involved in setting NCLEX passing standards, including how to set the passing standard on Next Generation NCLEX items.
2023 | Event Presentation

Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) Update
The NGN launched on April 1, 2023, to better measure nursing candidates’ clinical judgment and decision making abilities through the use of innovative item types. This session will give an update on the NGN project.
2023 | Event Presentation

Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT)
The NCLEX is a variable-length computerized adaptive test (CAT). It resorts to modern psychometric theory coupled with the state-of-the-art computer-driven administration to deliver a psychometrically sound, standardized exams for evaluating candidates’ performance with the passing standard required to conduct safe, entry-level nursing practice. This session describes the background and algorithms behind the NGN CAT methodology.
2023 | Event Presentation

Item Scoring
The NGN scores items using one of three scoring rules: 0/1 scoring rule, +/- scoring rule or the rationale scoring rule. This session explores each of these three scoring rules by using examples that cover all eligible item types on the NCLEX exam. Additionally, the session will cover general information about using the Partial Credit Model to convert the item scores onto the NCLEX scale.
2023 | Event Presentation