New NCLEX exam launches

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing this week launched its updated licensure examination. The modified exam seeks to better measure clinical judgment and decision-making. The change comes as pass rates for the test dropped for the third year in a row. From 2019 through 2022, NCLEX pass rates fell by more than eight percentage points ─ from 88.2% to 79.9% for all first-time U.S.-educated candidates. Educators attribute the decline to remote learning and fewer clinical opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. (NCSBN news release, 4/4/23)