NCLEX-RN for internationally educated nurses

52,827 first-time candidates in 2025 · 47.3% passed

85 questions including three unfolding case studies, scored the NCSBN way, with a report by client-needs category.

Free sample · Question 1 of 3Pharmacology

A nurse enters a room to give scheduled oral medications. The client is asleep, and the wristband is on the client's wrist. Which action best verifies the right client?

The numbers

In 2025, 52,827 nurses educated outside the United States took the NCLEX-RN for the first time and 47.3% passed, against 86.7% of U.S.-educated graduates. Another 40,187 internationally educated candidates repeated the exam and 30.5% passed. The gap is not clinical knowledge. It is the exam itself: the test plan, the question style, the clinical judgment case studies and U.S. nursing scope and terminology.

First-time, internationally educated candidates for U.S. licensure by country of education, 2025 (NCSBN). Countries with 450 or more candidates.
Country of education	Candidates	Pass rate
Philippines	22,793	45.8%
India	4,866	33.3%
Kenya	4,096	58.2%
South Korea	2,485	58.4%
Nepal	2,407	52.4%
Ghana	2,236	54.7%
Nigeria	1,983	54.4%
Puerto Rico	1,709	41%
Haiti	724	33.7%
Pakistan	692	48.6%
Brazil	574	36.8%
Jamaica	506	50.2%
Mexico	464	35.6%
China	451	47.5%
All internationally educated	52,827	47.3%
First-time, U.S.-educated	192,916	86.7%

Line drawing of a passport, a boarding pass, a suitcase with a stethoscope over the handle, a globe, a document folder with a seal and a nurse’s cap

Why the pass rate is lower

The NCLEX is written to the U.S. registered nurse’s scope of practice. Many internationally educated nurses were taught a different division of tasks between nurses, physicians and support staff, so Management of Care questions about delegation, prioritizing and questioning orders feel foreign even to experienced nurses. The exam also expects U.S. terminology (client, health care provider, assistive personnel), U.S. units (mg/dL, °F alongside °C) and U.S. practice standards for medication safety, infection control and documentation.

The Next Generation NCLEX adds another layer. Since 2023 every exam includes three unfolding case studies that score your clinical judgment step by step, plus select-all-that-apply items scored with partial credit. Candidates who have only practiced single-answer multiple choice are surprised by both.

Sit the full exam under the real clock

Take the full NCLEX-RN practice exam

85 questions including three unfolding case studies, scored the NCSBN way, with a report by client-needs category.

Or start with a free drill

Before you register

Eligibility is decided by the nursing regulatory body (the state board of nursing) you apply to, not by NCSBN or Pearson VUE. Boards set their own requirements for nurses educated abroad, which commonly include a credentials evaluation of your nursing education and an English-language test. Apply to the board first; register with Pearson VUE once the board confirms you are eligible, and schedule only after your Authorization to Test (ATT) arrives.

The registration fee is $200 (CAD $360 in Canada) for registrations completed before February 1, 2027 and $350 (CAD $570) after it. Scheduling an appointment at a test center outside the United States adds a $150 international scheduling fee. If you do not pass, the 45-day waiting period and the full fee apply to every retake.

How to prepare with this site

Start with the Management of Care and Safety and Infection Control drills: these two categories are 25–37% of the exam and are where U.S. practice differs most from other systems.
Take the case-study drill until the six clinical judgment steps feel natural: recognize cues, analyze cues, prioritize hypotheses, generate solutions, take action, evaluate outcomes.
Use the select-all-that-apply drill to learn NCSBN’s plus/minus scoring: committing to each option, and leaving an option unselected when you are unsure, is a skill.
Sit the 85-item mock exam under the clock, then the 150-item exam to build stamina for the longest sitting the real exam can run.
Read every option note, not just the rationale for the key. The wrong options are where U.S. scope and terminology show up.

Common questions

What is the NCLEX-RN pass rate for internationally educated nurses?

In 2025, 47.3% of the 52,827 first-time internationally educated candidates passed, and 30.5% of the 40,187 repeat candidates. By country of education, first-time rates ranged from 33.3% (India) and 45.8% (Philippines) to 58.2% (Kenya) and 58.4% (South Korea).

Do internationally educated nurses take a different NCLEX?

No. Every candidate takes the same computer adaptive exam built on the same test plan: 85 to 150 items in five hours, three case studies, the same passing standard. The difference is in eligibility, which your state board decides, and in the international scheduling fee if you test outside the United States.

Can I take the NCLEX outside the United States?

Yes. Pearson VUE offers the NCLEX at international test centers. Registration is the same, and scheduling at an international center adds a $150 fee plus any applicable value-added tax. Your Authorization to Test and identification rules are the same everywhere.

Take the full NCLEX-RN practice exam

85 questions including three unfolding case studies, scored the NCSBN way, with a report by client-needs category.

Or start with a free drill

More NCLEX-RN guides

Sources

Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) or Pearson VUE. NCLEX and NCLEX-RN are registered trademarks of NCSBN.